Western Mountains Fund

Members of the community foundation’s Western Mountains Committee met in the Healing Garden at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington to discuss grantmaking and outreach. Left to right: Laura Reed, MaineCF foundation officer; Nancy Perlson; Tracy Harty, Chair; Sarah Strunk, Vice Chair; John Alsop; Amber Lambke; and Marcia White.

Total grant dollars requested last cycle: $130,377
Total grant dollars awarded last cycle: $58,054
Percentage of proposals that received full funding: 21%
Percentage of proposals that received partial funding: 42%
Maximum grant award last cycle: $7,500
Average grant size last cycle: $4,838
Application deadline: February 15

In 1992, the Western Mountains Fund was launched with a gift from the late H. King Cummings, who was an ardent, early supporter of the Maine Community Foundation. The fund’s advisory committee awarded initial grants to Athens Union Meeting House, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kennebec Valley, and Bossov Ballet Theatre, among other nonprofits in the region. Since that time, the Western Mountains Committee has awarded more than $1,050,000 in grants.

The Maine Community Foundation manages the Western Mountains Fund, and local leaders, knowledgeable about their communities, help review grant applications and distribute funding.

Recent grants from the Western Mountains Fund

• History House Association, Skowhegan, to update the organizational and operating structure to increase visibility and relevancy
• Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Oquossoc, for the expansion of the EcoVenture program
• Town of Kingfield, to renovate the Town Park to accommodate year-round activities

Complete list of 2011 Western Mountains Fund grants

Other ways the community foundation
is serving the region

• In addition to the Western Mountains Fund, the foundation currently holds more than $2.6 million in assets dedicated to Franklin and Somerset Counties through donor-advised funds, scholarships, nonprofit endowments, field-of-interest funds, and designated funds to support specific organizations.
• Since 2002, the foundation has generated more than $111,000 in additional grant support for projects serving Western Mountains region from its network of donors responding to proposals submitted to the foundation's competitive grant programs
• Franklin County scholarships
• Somerset County scholarships

To make a donation or for more information about the Western Mountains Fund

Please contact the Maine Community Foundation by phone, toll-free, at (877) 700-6800, or by e-mail at grants@mainecf.org.

Somerset and Franklin County organizations interested in grants larger than $7,500 or funding for capital or equipment expenses are strongly encouraged to contact a member of the Western Mountains advisory committee or Peter Taylor, vice president of program development and grantmaking services, by e-mail or by phone, toll-free, at (877) 700-6800.