2027 Community Building

Quick Overview	2026 Cycle Stats
Max Award: $10,000 Interest Areas: Community-based and community-driven work Geographic Area: County specific Types of Funding: General support, Project Application Opens: Nov. 16 Deadline: Feb. 16, 11:59 p.m. Notification: By June 1 Staff Contact: See a list of staff contacts by  county here. Apply: Click on the orange “Apply” button at the top right of this page.	Applications received: 611 Amount requested: $5,756,437 Number of grants awarded: 363 Grant dollars awarded: $3,137,050 Percentage of applicants that received grants: View your county’s specific data here: Community Building – Maine Community Foundation. Additional Grants by donors: $407,270.00 (as of April 2026) Recent grants: Click here to view the last three years of grants.

Purpose

The Community Building grant program supports community-based and community-driven organizations and projects primarily serving a single Maine county.

Criteria

All applicants must meet the Maine Community Foundation’s grant eligibility requirements and non-discrimination policy. Please read our eligibility and grant guidelines and non-discrimination policy before applying. If your organization does not have a tax status and is applying using a fiscal sponsor, please read our fiscal sponsorship guidelines for competitive grant programs. If you do not complete and attach MaineCF’s fiscal sponsorship form, your proposal will be considered ineligible. Memorandum of understanding letters and other fiscal sponsorship forms will not be accepted.

Your organization or project must:

• Be located in Maine, defined as your organization has a Maine address
• Primarily serve one county, defined as more than half of the people served and/or activities offered by your organization/project are located in the county
• Focus on community-based and community-driven work, defined as the people impacted are involved in designing, delivering, and/or evaluating your organization’s work or project

 

NOTE: If you are unsure whether your organization or project meets these criteria, please contact the Community Partner assigned to your county.

Types of Funding

NOTES:

• Municipalities, government agencies, public schools, or faith-based organizations may only apply for project grants.
• Organizations whose most recent fiscal or financial year expenses were below $750,000 may be eligible to apply for EITHER a general support grant or project grant.

General support grants for organizations whose most recent completed fiscal or financial year expenses were below $750,000. This flexible funding may support new, expanding, or ongoing programs, as well as operating needs and capital expenses.

Project grants for NEW projects within the first two years, including pilot programs, one-time programming outside your organization’s general operations, and one-time capital projects.

Project budgets MAY include:

• Staff time and one-time capital expenses outside your organization’s general operating budget
• Administrative overhead up to 20% of the requested funding (include a line item labeled “administrative costs” totaling up to 20 percent or $2,000 of a $10,000 request)

Projects budgets may NOT include:

• Expenses that occur before June 1 (no retroactive funding)
• Existing programming expanded to focus on a different geographic area or population
• General operating expenses
• Endowments
• Annual appeals or capital campaigns
• Scholarships or camperships
• Regranting

 Required Attachments for Proposals

1. A list of all the members of your organization's board or advisory committee, including town/city of residence and occupation is required for all proposals.
2. Project grant proposals may require additional letters in the following circumstances:

• Municipalities: A letter from the head of the municipality agreeing to accept MaineCF funding
• Municipal libraries: A letter from the head of the municipality confirming municipal status
• Public school districts or private schools: A letter from the principal or superintendent agreeing to accept MaineCF funding
• Your project includes working with a school, tribe, or other organization whose participation is necessary for the success of the work: A letter of agreement from the partner organization’s representative that explains their level of involvement

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page provides general guidance on the online application portal, fiscal sponsorship, required proposal materials, proposal review process, donor sharing, and eligibility questions.

Questions?

We encourage you to reach out to the staff member who covers the county you are located in with any questions.

County and Regional Program –Staff List