County and Regional Program

Building Strength in Communities

MaineCF’s County and Regional Program provides on-the-ground local leadership for community foundation activities. At the heart of the program are county and regional committees composed of community members committed to their counties, nonprofits that serve them, and the importance of philanthropy.

There are 14 county and regional committees, each comprised of eight to 12 volunteer county advisors. Single-county committees serve Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, Washington, and York counties. Two regional committees represent four counties: the Western Mountains Committee includes Franklin and Somerset; the Southern Midcoast Committee covers Lincoln and Sagadahoc.

Each committee has an endowed fund. MaineCF launched its first county funds in 1986. Community foundation staff members in Portland, Ellsworth, Dover-Foxcroft, Rockport, and Mars Hill oversee the program and rely on the county advisors to serve as local ambassadors for the foundation. They review grant applications, recommend grant awards, and help build philanthropic resources in each region.

Grants from county funds are distributed through a single statewide program, the Community Building Grant Program. As the foundation’s largest grant program, Community Building supports a broad range of projects and organizations across the state, including arts, education, environment, economic development, and human services. Applicants must choose one county that will most directly benefit from the funding requested. Proposals that will benefit people in three or more counties are considered by a statewide committee that is seated on an annual basis with volunteer community members and MaineCF staff. Each year, MaineCF receives more than 400 applications and awards over 200 grants that range in size from $500 to $10,000.

For more information about the Community Building grant program, please click here. For the 2023 Community Building Grant Program Report, click here.

Staff Contact Information