Community Building Grant Program

The Community Building Grant Program, administered by the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF), is one of the foundation’s most expansive and inclusive grantmaking initiatives, providing support to a wide range of projects and nonprofit organizations across the state of Maine. MaineCF is a statewide public foundation that works to improve the quality of life for all Maine people by building charitable resources, making strategic grants, and providing leadership. As the foundation’s largest grant program, Community Building is designed to strengthen communities by investing in efforts that build capacity, foster engagement, and enhance well-being throughout Maine. This program supports both general operating support and new project grants. General support grants are available to nonprofit organizations based in Maine that have completed a fiscal year with expenses under $500,000. These grants provide flexible funding for activities including new or ongoing programs, operational needs, and capital expenditures. Applicants for general support must demonstrate that their core organizational work aligns with Community Building’s primary goals: enhancing individual capabilities, engaging communities in the design and implementation of work, and strengthening local resources, including the natural and built environment. Project grants, on the other hand, are available for new initiatives within their first two years and are targeted toward organizations with annual expenses of $500,000 or more, as well as municipalities, public schools, government agencies, and faith-based organizations. All project proposals must also fall within the $100,000 total budget cap and avoid disallowed expenses such as endowments, scholarships, or annual appeals. Eligible project budgets may include administrative costs up to 20% of the request, helping to cover overhead expenses such as rent, utilities, and bookkeeping. Projects must begin after grant awards are made—typically by June 1—and no retroactive funding is permitted. Applications for the 2026 cycle open on November 17 and must be submitted through MaineCF’s online portal by February 17 at 11:59 p.m. Late submissions are not accepted. The submission process includes downloading the Microsoft Word version of the application guidance to draft responses, creating an online account, and following step-by-step instructions on the foundation’s website. Applicants must submit a list of their board or advisory committee members and may be asked to provide additional documentation, such as letters of agreement from collaborators or confirming their municipal or school status, depending on the nature of the proposal. Each application is prescreened by staff for eligibility, then reviewed by committees composed of more than 130 volunteer advisors representing all 16 Maine counties. The review process emphasizes alignment with the Community Building criteria and diversity in sector, geography, and population served. Some proposals may be declined before full committee review if they do not closely meet the program’s goals. Committee members may contact applicants in March or April to discuss their proposals, and award notifications are typically sent by June 1 via email, with follow-up communication via mail. MaineCF encourages all applicants to contact the staff representative for their county with questions. Applicants must indicate the county most directly served by their proposal, and those serving three or more counties should select the “statewide” option. The foundation emphasizes that this grant program is highly competitive and urges careful adherence to guidelines. The program awarded 271 grants totaling over $2.4 million in its most recent cycle, with additional donor grants of nearly $373,000, from a pool of 716 applicants requesting over $6.8 million.