The Catholic Foundation of Maine is a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to establish and steward endowments that support people through ministries, charities, organizations, missions, scholarships, churches, parishes, vocations, and more, in perpetuity.
The Catholic Foundation of Maine’s recent giving is dominated by large general-assistance grants to Catholic institutions in Portland, including $876,500 to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland in 2024 and $835,800 in 2023. That pattern fits a foundation built to establish and steward endowments that support ministries, charities, parishes, schools, vocations, and social services in perpetuity. In practice, its work reaches both ongoing institutional support and targeted scholarship aid tied to Catholic education and Maine students. The foundation’s largest recent grants are paired with smaller awards to Catholic Charities of Maine and Cheverus High School, showing a mix of broad operating support and support for education-focused organizations. Its named programs also point to a long-term endowment model rather than a one-time project-grant model: funds are structured to provide continuing support for parish and church maintenance, pastoral care, cemeteries, and related Catholic causes across Maine. Bishop Robert Deeley JCD leads the foundation’s work.
A clear theme in the foundation’s giving is institutional support for Catholic organizations. In 2024, it awarded $55,400 to Catholic Charities of Maine for general assistance, and in 2023 it gave $61,600 to the same organization for the same purpose. Education is another visible area. The foundation gave $14,400 to Cheverus High School in 2024 and $16,200 in 2023, both for general assistance, while its scholarship programs are tied to Maine students. Its named scholarship funds are more specific. The Lila Grace Sullivan Amirault Scholarship Fund supports Catholic students attending high school in Maine, and the Lisa Eid Scholarship Endowment supports Maine high school seniors pursuing higher education in science, medicine, the helping sciences, or cancer research. The foundation also supports parish and church maintenance, pastoral ministries, social services, and cemeteries through stewarded endowments.
Typical grants sit at $26,000 at the 25th percentile, $58,500 at the median, and $642,250 at the 75th percentile, which reflects a wide spread between routine awards and much larger institutional grants. The recent record shows repeat recipients across multiple years, especially the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland, Catholic Charities of Maine, and Cheverus High School. That repeat pattern matches the foundation’s endowment-based structure: it stewards funds that provide ongoing support in perpetuity rather than only one-off project grants. The data also shows no program-related investments and no giving to individuals.
$946K
$37.9M
$3.4M
$1.7M
Most grants fall between $26K and $642K, with a median of $59K.
25th Percentile
$26K
Median
$59K
75th Percentile
$642K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in ME.
Bishop Robert Deeley JCD
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Grantmaking is entirely in Maine, with 100% of grants reaching recipients in the foundation’s home state. Recent awards cluster in Portland, including the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland and Catholic Charities of Maine, and Cheverus High School is also in Portland. The active scholarship programs are likewise limited to Maine students and Maine high school settings. The geography is local rather than multi-state or international.
It supports Catholic ministries, charities, churches, parishes, schools, vocations, social service organizations, cemeteries, and scholarship programs. Its endowment funds are designed to provide ongoing support for those categories in Maine.
It funds both. The foundation’s scholarship programs include the Lila Grace Sullivan Amirault Scholarship Fund for Catholic students attending high school in Maine and the Lisa Eid Scholarship Endowment for Maine high school seniors pursuing higher education in science, medicine, the helping sciences, or cancer research.
Yes. The geographic scope is local, the top state by grant count is Maine, and 100% of grants in the data went to recipients in Maine.
The grant-size distribution is wide: the 25th percentile is $26,000, the median is $58,500, and the 75th percentile is $642,250. That indicates many mid-sized awards alongside some very large endowment distributions.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeat support to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland in 2023 and 2024, Catholic Charities of Maine in 2023 and 2024, and Cheverus High School in 2023 and 2024.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland | Portland, ME | $876,500 | 2024 | General Assistance |
| Catholic Charities of Maine | Portland, ME | $55,400 | 2024 | General Assistance |
| Cheverus High School | Portland, ME | $14,400 | 2024 | General Assistance |
| Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland | Portland, ME | $835,800 | 2023 | General Assistance |
| Catholic Charities of Maine | Portland, ME | $61,600 | 2023 | General Assistance |
| Cheverus High School | Portland, ME | $16,200 | 2023 | General Assistance |
Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland
$876,500General Assistance
Catholic Charities of Maine
$55,400General Assistance
Cheverus High School
$14,400General Assistance
Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland
$835,800General Assistance
Catholic Charities of Maine
$61,600General Assistance
Cheverus High School
$16,200General Assistance