Rines Thompson Fund Grant Program

The Rines Thompson Fund is a grant program administered by the Maine Community Foundation, a well-established philanthropic organization based in Maine. The fund was created in 1999 by the children and grandchildren of Henry P. and Adeline B. Rines as a tribute to their family’s longstanding business and civic involvement in the Greater Portland area. The Rines/Thompson family has been influential in Maine's commercial history, having operated businesses such as the Rines Brothers Store, Congress Square Hotel, Eastland Hotel, and WCSH Radio and Television for over 150 years. The fund honors the memory of Henry and Adeline Rines' children, Mary Rines Thompson and William Henry Rines. The purpose of the Rines Thompson Fund is to support community-based organizations that enhance the vibrancy and well-being of Greater Portland. The fund is designed to strengthen local efforts in four key focus areas: environment and conservation, early childhood programming, youth programming, and arts and culture. Funding is limited to projects and organizations located in specific towns within Cumberland County, including Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth. Two types of grants are available under this program: project grants and general support grants. Project grants are intended for new or expanding initiatives in one or more of the designated focus areas. General support grants offer flexible funding for operational or ongoing programmatic needs, but organizations must demonstrate that their primary mission aligns with one or more of the focus areas. In both cases, eligibility is restricted to nonprofit organizations physically based in the specified towns. Collaborations are encouraged where applicable, and applicants involved in collaborative efforts must include a letter from the executive director of each partnering organization describing their role and responsibilities. Entities not eligible for funding include municipalities, government agencies, K-12 public and private schools, institutions of higher education, faith-based organizations, and fiscally sponsored entities. Additionally, the fund does not support capital campaigns, endowments, scholarships, or activities that aim to increase an organization’s capital assets. For the 2024 funding cycle, the application portal opens on July 15 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on September 15. Grant decisions will be communicated by December 15. In 2024, 78 applications were received requesting a total of $663,378. Out of these, 28 grants were awarded, totaling $147,100, with an average award of $5,254. Additionally, a donor-advised grant of $3,600 was issued. To maximize the program’s reach, grantees are discouraged from reapplying in the following year. The primary contact for this grant opportunity is Katie Howard, who can be reached via email at khoward@mainecf.org or by phone at 207-412-0832. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the Maine Community Foundation’s general eligibility and non-discrimination policies before applying. All applications must be submitted through the online portal accessible from the Maine Community Foundation’s website.

Applicants are discouraged from reapplying the year after receiving funding.