Wescustogo Foundation concentrates its support on coastal New England and Sanibel‑Captiva area organizations, with a clear emphasis on land and marine conservation, cultural institutions, and local health and basic needs providers. Grants are often sizable and repeat-funded to the same organizations, supporting a mix of capital/campaign gifts, operational support, and program-specific projects (behavioral health, food security, habitat protection). The foundation balances place-based environmental stewardship with arts and community service investments, and occasionally funds higher‑education research and national conservation partners.
Wescustogo Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by large repeat grants to MaineHealth, where support has included behavioral health, a vector-borne disease lab, learning collaborative work, and general operations across 2023 to 2025. That pattern points to a funder comfortable backing both programmatic priorities and institutional stability. The foundation also makes substantial awards to conservation organizations, including Nature Conservancy Inc and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, connecting coastal protection in Florida with broader land-conservation work in the Appalachian corridor and Long Island. Arts and culture are another steady thread: Portland Museum of Art, Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra, and Original Music Workshop each appear with multi-year support. In the community-services space, Mercy Hospital and Preble Street receive meaningful grants tied to behavioral health, McAuley House, and general support. The mix suggests a portfolio that moves between health care, conservation, and civic institutions, often using recurring grants rather than isolated gifts.
Environmental work is a major part of the portfolio. Wescustogo Foundation gave $185,000 to Nature Conservancy Inc in 2025, including $35,000 for Florida, $75,000 for Long Island, and $75,000 for the Appalachian Corridor Project. Coastal conservation also appears in a $183,956 grant in 2023 to Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation for general support, and a $100,000 grant in 2023 to Royal River Conservation Trust for general support. Health and human services are another clear lane. The foundation gave $162,000 in 2024 to Mercy Hospital for McAuley House, Pediatric Behavioral Health, and General Operations, and $125,000 in both 2024 and 2025 to Preble Street for general support. Arts funding is recurring as well. Portland Museum of Art received $175,000 in 2024 and $150,000 in 2025, while Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra received $150,000 in 2024 and $149,067 in 2023.
Typical grants sit at $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $71,250 at the 75th percentile, showing a middle range of mid-five-figure awards with some much larger gifts. The grant list also shows clear repeat funding: MaineHealth, Nature Conservancy Inc, Portland Museum of Art, Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra, Preble Street, Riverkeeper Inc, and West Side Center for Community Life Inc all appear in multiple years. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF or PI investor. The recent record includes a mix of general support, restricted-purpose awards, campaign-related gifts, and program-specific funding.
$3.4M
$76.9M
$4.6M
$3.7M
Most grants fall between $15K and $71K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$71K
About 10% of grants go to recipients in ME.
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Concentrated, repeat giving: the foundation makes moderately large grants and often funds the same grantees multiple times (many recipients appear with three grants). Support mixes restricted capital and campaign gifts with unrestricted/operating and program grants; geographic focus skews toward Maine and Sanibel‑Captiva but includes selected national conservation and research partners.
Notable grantees: MaineHealth, The Nature Conservancy, Portland Museum of Art, Sanibel‑Captiva Conservation Foundation, Preble Street
Grants land entirely in the United States, with New York as the most frequent recipient state and Florida receiving 11% of grants. Recipient cities in the recent list include Portland, Maine; New York, New York; Brooklyn, New York; Ossining, New York; Auburn, Maine; Yarmouth, Maine; Sanibel, Florida; and Ithaca, New York. The pattern combines Maine-based institutions with New York arts, community, and conservation groups, plus Florida conservation work tied to Sanibel-Captiva.
The recent record shows three recurring lanes: health and behavioral health organizations such as MaineHealth and Mercy Hospital, conservation groups such as Nature Conservancy Inc and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, and arts institutions such as Portland Museum of Art and Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra.
Yes. Multiple recipients appear across several years, including MaineHealth in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Portland Museum of Art in 2024 and 2025; Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Preble Street in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $71,250 at the 75th percentile. That places many awards in the mid-five-figure range, with some larger grants above that level.
New York is the top state by grant count. Recent New York recipients include Riverkeeper Inc in Ossining, West Side Center for Community Life Inc in New York City, Original Music Workshop in Brooklyn, and Cornell University in Ithaca.
The recent grants include general support, general operations, program-specific support, campaign support, and restricted-purpose gifts. Examples in the data include general support to arts and community groups, operations funding for health and conservation organizations, and restricted capital-campaign support to Portland Museum of Art.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charityvest Inc | Fairfield, CT | $322,345 | 2026 | Wescustogo Spring Charity Fund |
| MaineHealth | Portland, ME | $260,092 | 2026 | General Support |
| Nature Conservancy Inc | Arlington, VA | $200,178 | 2026 | General Support |
| Portland Museum of Art | Portland, ME | $150,083 | 2026 | General Support |
| Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra | Portland, ME | $150,083 | 2026 | General Support |
| Mercy Hospital | Portland, ME | $150,000 | 2026 | McAuley House $50,000, Pediatric Behavioral Health $50,000, General Operations $50,000 |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | $125,061 | 2026 | Weill Cornell Medicine |
| Preble Street | Portland, ME | $125,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| West Side Center for Community Life Inc | New York, NY | $120,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation | Sanibel, FL | $110,138 | 2026 | General Support |
| Riverkeeper Inc | Ossining, NY | $110,057 | 2026 | General Support |
| Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy | New York, NY | $100,138 | 2026 | Artistic Programming/General Support |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank | Auburn, ME | $80,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Shed NYC | New York, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | $50,000 Open Call Program/$25,000 Programming |
| Wayside Food Programs | Portland, ME | $60,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Ding Darling Wildlife Society | Sanibel, FL | $60,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Association for Autism and Neurodiversity Inc | Watertown, MA | $60,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Original Music Workshop | Brooklyn, NY | $50,044 | 2026 | For artistic programming |
| Gulf of Maine Research Institute | Portland, ME | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| New York City Ballet | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute | Portland, ME | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Citymeals on Wheels | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Norwalk Hospital Foundation | Norwalk, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Norwalk Hospital Cancer Center |
| Fish of Sanibel-Captiva Inc | Sanibel, FL | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| New York Community Trust | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Hope Acts | Portland, ME | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Person to Person Inc | Darien, CT | $45,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Midcoast Conservancy | Edgecomb, ME | $45,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Lifeflight of Maine LLC | Bangor, ME | $45,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County Inc | Stamford, CT | $40,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Family & Children's Agency | Norwalk, CT | $35,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program | Brunswick, ME | $35,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Susan L Curtis Foundation | Portland, ME | $30,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Center for Maine Contemporary Art | Rockland, ME | $30,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment | Farmingdale, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Fairfield County's Community Foundation | Norwalk, CT | $30,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| French Institute-Alliance Francaise | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | Crossing the Line Festival |
| Save The Sound | New Haven, CT | $25,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society Inc | Captree Island, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries | Stonington, ME | $25,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Recess Activities Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Maine Historical Society | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Charitable Foundation of the Islands Inc | Sanibel, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust | Damariscotta, ME | $20,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Northeast Historic Film | Bucksport, ME | $15,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Maine Maritime Museum | Bath, ME | $15,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Center for Contemporary Printmaking | Norwalk, CT | $12,500 | 2026 | General Support |
| Greater Lovell Land Trust Inc | Lovell, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Royal River Conservation Trust | Yarmouth, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Kezar Lake Association | Lovell, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
MaineHealth
$260,092General Support
Portland Museum of Art
$150,083General Support
Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra
$150,083General Support
Mercy Hospital
$150,000McAuley House $50,000, Pediatric Behavioral Health $50,000, General Operations $50,000
Good Shepherd Food Bank
$80,000General Support
Shed NYC
$75,000$50,000 Open Call Program/$25,000 Programming
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
$50,000General Support
Hope Acts
$50,000General Support
Midcoast Conservancy
$45,000General Support
Lifeflight of Maine LLC
$45,000General Support
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program
$35,000General Support
Susan L Curtis Foundation
$30,000General Support
Center for Maine Contemporary Art
$30,000General Support
The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society Inc
$25,000General Support
Maine Historical Society
$20,000General Support
Northeast Historic Film
$15,000General Support
Maine Maritime Museum
$15,000General Support
Center for Contemporary Printmaking
$12,500General Support
Royal River Conservation Trust
$10,000General Support
Kezar Lake Association
$10,000General Support