The Giving Project Fund for Community Organizing is a participatory grantmaking initiative from Maine Initiatives that provides one year of unrestricted, general operating support to grassroots community organizing groups in Maine, unceded Wabanaki Territory. For the 2025–2026 cycle, grants of $20,000 will be awarded to between five and ten organizations working to advance social, economic, environmental, and racial justice, as well as tribal sovereignty.
This program is grounded in a community-centered funding model in which a cohort of 15 to 25 donor organizers representing a cross-class, multiracial, and multigenerational demographic participates in a six-month training and decision-making process. These individuals engage in political education, fundraising, mutual aid, and collaborative grantmaking. They are responsible for raising funds, reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and selecting the grantees, ensuring the funding process is community-informed and accountable.
The Giving Project specifically supports community organizing efforts led by those most affected by injustice, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ communities, rural communities, and working-class populations. Applicants must use organizing as a core strategy to bring together affected individuals to build collective power and change unjust systems. Funded organizations are expected to demonstrate constituent leadership, systemic change orientation, commitment to collective liberation, and a strong vision for social justice.
To be eligible, organizations must operate primarily or exclusively in Maine and either be a 501(c)(3), have a fiscal sponsor, or be affiliated with a Wabanaki Tribal government. Additionally, applicants must have annual operating expenses under $1,000,000. The fund does not support individuals or for-profit entities. Groups funded in the prior cycle (2025) are not eligible for this round.
Applications are due by November 3, 2025. Finalists will participate in a site-visit conversation with the donor cohort in January or February 2026. Awards will be publicly announced in March 2026, with funding distributed by March 31, 2026. The application process includes submitting responses through the online portal, attending an information session (live or recorded), and may include language accommodations upon request. Maine Initiatives staff can provide guidance throughout the process via [email protected].
Focus on systems change, base-building, constituent-led leadership, and collective power.
