Total grant dollars requested last cycle: $91,080
Total grant dollars awarded last cycle: $38,700
Percentage of proposals that received full funding: 0%
Percentage of proposals that received partial funding: 67%
Average grant size last cycle: $3,870
Application deadline: September 15
Fund for Maine Land Conservation grant application: PDF | RTF | Word Document
This fund supports Maine land trusts to address issues of organizational capacity. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that include all of their financial needs; however, we do not have the resources to aid in the actual purchase of land or easements.
Background
Since the mid-1980s, the Maine Community Foundation has supported the efforts of local land trusts. In 1990, MaineCF began building the Fund for Maine Land Conservation, a permanent endowment fund that provides grants to further the work and projects of land trusts around the state. In recent years, this fund has been providing land trusts with grants to expand their service programs and build constituencies that form a permanent base of support.
Priorities
The fund supports projects that promote collaboration, resource sharing and, if appropriate, mergers of land trusts. It also supports projects that promote collaboration among land trusts, municipalities, watershed groups, and other non-profit organizations whose work is focused on land conservation, stewardship, and smart growth. Proposals specifying challenge or matching grants and proposals that involve multiple organizations will receive priority.
Types of Activities
The fund gives priority to funding the costs associated with collaborative work, such as meetings, supplies/materials (joint brochures for example), shared office resources, or start up costs associated with establishing collective stewardship or easement programs. Some operational costs such as management plans, developing conservation priorities and increasing visibility in the community will be considered for collaborative projects.
The fund also supports joint training for staff and/or volunteers of land trusts and other land conservation groups, especially training related to negotiation, conservation planning and monitoring, tax issues, and management of special properties. Other more general organizational development activities, such as board development, fundraising, peer to peer exchanges and learning opportunities, organizational assessments, benchmarking, systems improvements, and implementing best practices will also be considered.
Eligibility Requirements
- Participation is open to conservation land trusts and other non-profit entities based in the State of Maine whose mission is watershed protection and/or land conservation.
- Applicants must be nonprofit, 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organizations, public schools, public agencies working for the State of Maine, or Indian tribal governments (and their political subdivisions), recognized by the Department of the Interior or have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization, public school, or public agency (click here for more information on applying with a fiscal sponsor).
- Grants cannot pay for program expenses that have already been incurred.
How to Apply
Grant requests will be considered once a year. Proposals must be postmarked by September 15 and mailed to:
Fund for Maine Land Conservation
Maine Community Foundation
245 Main Street
Ellsworth, ME 04605
We will not accept applications via fax or e-mail.
Contact
If you have any further questions regarding the Fund for Maine Land Conservation, please contact Karen Young via e-mail or by phone at (207) 351-0112.