Land for Communities Grant Program

The Land for Communities (L4C) grant program is an initiative of the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF), a philanthropic organization committed to strengthening communities across Maine. MaineCF has a longstanding tradition of responding to the evolving needs of the state’s people and places, and this new grant program reflects a strategic shift informed by community input and environmental considerations. In 2024 and 2025, MaineCF conducted an extensive field scan and internal program analysis in partnership with Momentum Conservation and a team of community advisors. This process led to the closure of two earlier programs—Conservation for All and Maine Land Protection—and the creation of a unified, equity-focused grant initiative under the Land for Communities umbrella. The L4C grant program is designed to increase relationships to land for underserved populations and geographies throughout Maine. Emphasizing inclusivity and environmental justice, this program supports projects that either return land to Wabanaki Nations and Wabanaki-led organizations or promote land for food through hunting, fishing, farming, and other community-centered land uses. Projects must be located in Maine and demonstrate community engagement, including involvement of the populations served in design, delivery, evaluation, or leadership. L4C provides two distinct funding tracks. The first supports land acquisition projects with grants of up to $50,000. Eligible costs include purchase price, closing fees, legal and survey work, and other acquisition-related expenses. The second track supports land-based projects unrelated to acquisition, offering grants of up to $25,000 for initiatives such as infrastructure development, community convenings, technical support, and staff time. Both tracks permit up to 20% of requested funding to cover administrative overhead. Eligible applicants must meet MaineCF’s general grant eligibility requirements and adhere to its non-discrimination policy. Notably, LLCs and for-profit businesses are not eligible to apply. Each applicant may submit one application per deadline. The program only funds work in Maine and for the benefit of Maine communities. Projects must focus explicitly on increasing access for underserved populations or geographies and align with the program’s land-based community use objectives. The application process is conducted through MaineCF’s Online Grant System. Applications are reviewed first by staff for eligibility and then assigned to community advisors who contact applicants for a brief telephone conversation. A community advisory committee then conducts a collective review of all eligible proposals and makes final funding decisions based on alignment with program criteria and potential impact. Applications for the Land for Communities grant program open twice yearly, on January 15 and July 15. Corresponding deadlines are March 16 and September 15. For the upcoming cycle, the application period will open on July 15, 2026, with a deadline of September 15, 2026. Award notifications are issued on June 15 for the March cycle and December 15 for the September cycle. Questions about the program can be directed to Caitlyn Barker at [email protected] or by phone at 207-412-2029.