The Maine Humanities Council is a statewide nonprofit that uses the humanities—literature, history, philosophy, and culture—to encourage critical thinking, foster conversations across social, economic, and cultural boundaries, and bring people together across Maine.
Maine Humanities Council’s recent grantmaking is built around one repeating pattern: operating support for Maine organizations that use humanities programming to convene public conversation, community history, and reading-based engagement. The council’s grants are local, and every recorded recipient in the dataset is in Maine. Its public-facing programs include Mini Grants, Major Grants, Arts & Humanities Grants, Capacity Building Grants, the Discussion Project, Maine Speaks, Read ME, and a Community History pilot launched in 2025. Recent awards show how that approach works in practice. Maine Wabanaki Reach received $10,000 for support operations in 2025, and Cumberland County Food Security Council received $10,000 for support operations in 2024. Other support grants went to organizations such as Indigo Arts Alliance, Maine Inside Out, and Maine Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor. The pattern is not limited to one type of institution: recipients include museums, arts groups, tribal organizations, schools, media centers, and community nonprofits. Across those awards, the council centers humanities work as a way to support public programming and relationships across different communities in Maine.
The council funds humanities work in several distinct formats. In public programming, Penobscot Theatre Company received $7,500 for support operations in 2024, and The Telling Room received $7,500 for support operations in 2024 after an earlier $7,500 award in 2023. Reading and literary participation also appear in the portfolio: Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance received $7,500 for support operations in 2023, and Island Readers & Writers received $7,500 in 2025. Community history is another visible theme. Dennys River Historical Society received $7,500 for support operations in 2023, while the 2025 Community History pilot included a three-event series with Maine MILL in Lewiston. The council also supports organizations that connect humanities with broader civic and cultural outreach, including Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor and Penobscot Bay Language School in Rockland, both funded with $7,500 support grants.
Typical awards cluster tightly around the same level: the median grant is $7,500, with the 25th percentile at $7,488 and the 75th percentile at $7,500. That tells you the council’s recent giving is highly standardized rather than spread across a wide range. The recent grants list also shows repeat recipients, including Indigo Arts Alliance, The Telling Room, and several organizations that appear in more than one year. The grantmaker is structured as a council that funds nonprofits and community-based organizations, and the active programs include both unsolicited and non-unsolicited options. Mini Grants, Major Grants, Arts & Humanities Grants, Maine Speaks, Read ME, Community History, Discussion Project, and Maine Humanities Grants all accept unsolicited requests, while Capacity Building Grants do not.
$96K
$4.4M
$1.5M
$1.7M
Most grants fall between $7K and $8K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$8K
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Grantmaking is statewide within Maine, and every grant in the recipient-country distribution goes to the United States. The most visible recipient hubs are Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, and Indian Island, with additional awards reaching Presque Isle, Perry, Princeton, Kennebunk, Rockland, and Bar Harbor. Portland appears repeatedly across the recent grants list, including awards to organizations such as Indigo Arts Alliance, The Telling Room, and Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center. Because the council gives locally, the geographic pattern is defined by Maine communities rather than out-of-state placements. Tribal communities are also present in the list, including Indian Island, Princeton, Perry, and Presque Isle.
It funds nonprofit organizations and charitable or community-based organizations in Maine. The recent grants list includes museums, arts groups, schools, media and literacy organizations, tribal organizations, and community nonprofits, all tied to public humanities, history, discussion, or reading-related work.
Recent awards are tightly centered at $7,500. The typical grant size data shows a 25th percentile of $7,488, a median of $7,500, and a 75th percentile of $7,500, which indicates a very narrow grant-size band.
Yes for several programs. Mini Grants, Major Grants, Arts & Humanities Grants, Maine Speaks, Read ME, Community History, Discussion Project, and Maine Humanities Grants all accept unsolicited requests. Capacity Building Grants do not.
Its giving is local and entirely in Maine. The recipient-country distribution shows 75 grants, all in the United States, and the top state by grant count is Maine at 100% of grants in the HQ state.
The council supports public humanities programming, community history, literature and reading initiatives, civic discussion, and arts-and-humanities projects. Recent grants include operating support for organizations doing theater, literacy, historical interpretation, and community dialogue work.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Maine Humanities Council that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Any individual or organization in Maine that wants to convene community members to learn from and engage with a speaker is eligible. Applicants should plan to host one event with a single speaker and provide an accessible venue or online format.
Deadline: Applications are listed for January 12, 2027 through May 19, 2027, with review every two weeks on a rolling basis.
Who can apply: Any individual or organization in Maine that wants to convene members of their community to learn from and engage with a speaker is eligible to apply. Applicants should choose three preferred speakers and plan to apply about 8 weeks before the event.
Deadline: Applications are open in two periods a year: fall and winter/spring. Reviewed every two weeks on a rolling basis; applicants should apply 8 weeks before the planned event.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBAL GOVT | PLEASANT POINT, ME | $8,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| SAFE VOICES | AUBURN, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| ATLANTIC BLACK BOX | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAINE TRANSGENDER NETWORK | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAINE MARITIME MUSEUM | BATH, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| WILD BLUEBERRY HERITAGE CENTER | COLUMBIA FALLS, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| ABBE MUSEUM | BAR HARBOR, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| ARTIVISM IN MAINE | LINCOLNVILLE, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| OUT MAINE | ROCKLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| HILL ARTS | PORTLAND, ME | $7,250 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| NIBEZUN | OLD TOWN, ME | $7,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| HARDY GIRLS HEALTHY WOMERN RESOURCE CENTER | WATERVILLE, ME | $5,893 | 2026 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAINE WABANAKI REACH | INDIAN ISLAND, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE | PORTLAND, ME | $9,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAINE INSIDE OUT | LEWISTON, ME | $8,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| GREATER PORTLAND IMMIGRANT WELCOME CENTER | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| THE TELLING ROOM | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAINE DISCOVERY MUSEUM | BANGOR, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| ABBE MUSEUM | BAR HARBOR, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| ISLAND READERS & WRITERS | MOUNT DESERT, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| STUDIO B | DAMARISCOTTA, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAINE MUSEUM OF INNOVATION LEARNING AND LABOR | LEWISTON, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEES OF BATES COLLEGE | LEWISTON, ME | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| WAYNFLETE SCHOOL | PORTLAND, ME | $7,485 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| UNIV OF SO ME ART GALLERIES | GORHAM, ME | $7,453 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| NIWESKOK | MILFORD, ME | $7,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| WABANAKI WOMEN'S COALITION | ORONO, ME | $7,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| WABANAKI PUBLIC HEALTH & WELLNESS | BANGOR, ME | $7,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| BETHEL AREA ARTS & MUSIC | BETHEL, ME | $6,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| CUMBERLAND COUNTY FOOD SECURITY COUNCIL | PORTLAND, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| COBSCOOK INSTITUTE | TRESCOTT TOWNSHIP, ME | $7,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| CLASSICAL UPRISING | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| UNION OF MAINE VISUAL ARTISTS | WALPOLE, ME | $7,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| PENOBSCOT THEATRE COMPANY | BANGOR, ME | $7,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| THE TELLING ROOM | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| HEALTHY ACADIA | ELLSWORTH, ME | $7,490 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| ISLAND READERS & WRITERS | MOUNT DESERT, ME | $7,412 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| WILD BLUEBERRY HERITAGE CENTER | COLUMBIA FALLS, ME | $7,250 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAINE ADULT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION | DOVER FOXCROFT, ME | $6,850 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| MAYO STREET ARTS | PORTLAND, ME | $6,713 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $5,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE OF INDIAN TOWNSHIP | PRINCETON, ME | $8,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE AT SIPAYIK | PERRY, ME | $8,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| AROOSTOOK BAND OF MICMACS | PRESQUE ISLE, ME | $8,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| HOULTON BAND OF MALISEET INDIANS | HOULTON, ME | $8,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| PENOBSCOT NATION | INDIAN ISLAND, ME | $8,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| PORTLAND MEDIA CENTER | PORTLAND, ME | $7,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
| WESSERUNSETT ARTS COUNCIL | SKOWHEGAN, ME | $7,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT OPERATIONS |
PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBAL GOVT
$8,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
SAFE VOICES
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
ATLANTIC BLACK BOX
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
MAINE TRANSGENDER NETWORK
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
MAINE MARITIME MUSEUM
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
WILD BLUEBERRY HERITAGE CENTER
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
ABBE MUSEUM
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
ARTIVISM IN MAINE
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
HILL ARTS
$7,250SUPPORT OPERATIONS
HARDY GIRLS HEALTHY WOMERN RESOURCE CENTER
$5,893SUPPORT OPERATIONS
MAINE DISCOVERY MUSEUM
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
ABBE MUSEUM
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
ISLAND READERS & WRITERS
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
STUDIO B
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
MAINE MUSEUM OF INNOVATION LEARNING AND LABOR
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEES OF BATES COLLEGE
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
WAYNFLETE SCHOOL
$7,485SUPPORT OPERATIONS
UNIV OF SO ME ART GALLERIES
$7,453SUPPORT OPERATIONS
NIWESKOK
$7,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
WABANAKI WOMEN'S COALITION
$7,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
BETHEL AREA ARTS & MUSIC
$6,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
COBSCOOK INSTITUTE
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
CLASSICAL UPRISING
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
UNION OF MAINE VISUAL ARTISTS
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
PENOBSCOT THEATRE COMPANY
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
ISLAND READERS & WRITERS
$7,412SUPPORT OPERATIONS
WILD BLUEBERRY HERITAGE CENTER
$7,250SUPPORT OPERATIONS
MAINE ADULT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
$6,850SUPPORT OPERATIONS
MAYO STREET ARTS
$6,713SUPPORT OPERATIONS
PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE OF INDIAN TOWNSHIP
$8,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE AT SIPAYIK
$8,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
AROOSTOOK BAND OF MICMACS
$8,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
HOULTON BAND OF MALISEET INDIANS
$8,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
PENOBSCOT NATION
$8,000SUPPORT OPERATIONS
PORTLAND MEDIA CENTER
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
WESSERUNSETT ARTS COUNCIL
$7,500SUPPORT OPERATIONS
