Maine Theater Fund Grant Program

The Maine Theater Fund is a grant program administered by the Maine Community Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation focused on supporting communities throughout Maine through philanthropy. Established in 2005 by an anonymous couple passionate about live theater and its role in building vibrant communities, the Maine Theater Fund was created to provide financial assistance to nonprofit theaters throughout the state. The fund reflects a commitment to fostering cultural enrichment and sustaining the presence of professional and community theater as essential parts of Maine’s cultural landscape. The primary purpose of the Maine Theater Fund is to support nonprofit professional and community theaters that produce and present live theater performances. The fund specifically prioritizes adult theater programming and provides both general support and project-specific grants. Eligible expenses may include staffing and operational costs, performance-related program expenses, and capital improvements such as infrastructure upgrades and new technology purchases. However, theaters whose primary goal is to promote social messaging or health and wellness education are not considered for funding. Similarly, children’s theater projects are generally not funded, and applicants are advised to review the foundation’s grant guidelines for a comprehensive list of ineligible expenses. Grant awards typically range between $2,500 and $5,000, although requests exceeding that range may be considered. In the 2024 funding cycle, 37 applications were submitted with a total request amount of $201,251. Sixteen grants were awarded, totaling $77,331 in funding, with an average grant size of approximately $4,833. This represents a 43% funding rate among applicants. No additional donor-advised grants were awarded in this cycle. Applications for the 2024 cycle open on July 15 and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 15. Notifications of award decisions will be made by December 15. Applicants are encouraged to submit supplemental materials such as a list of current or prior season productions and limited background information on their organization or project. These materials may be mailed to Lane Sturtevant at the Maine Community Foundation’s office in Ellsworth, Maine. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations operating within the state of Maine that are engaged in producing or presenting live adult theater. All applicants must also comply with the Maine Community Foundation’s eligibility guidelines and nondiscrimination policy. Application submission is completed online through the foundation’s portal, accessed by clicking the “Apply” button on the grant webpage. For further assistance, prospective applicants can contact Lane Sturtevant at lsturtevant@mainecf.org or call 207-412-2019. All mailed supporting documents should be directed to the Maine Theater Fund, c/o Lane Sturtevant, at 245 Main Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605. The grant is offered on a recurring basis, with the next anticipated cycle expected to open in July 2025. Applicants are advised to check back around July 1, 2025, for the next round.