Free funder guide · Maine · Last checked 27 September 2026
Which Maine environmental funders actually accept applications
Most private foundations in Maine have already told the IRS they won't read your proposal. This page explains how to spot them, and lists 12 secular funders of environmental and conservation work in Maine that do take applications, with what they fund, what they have given, and when they next open.
Most Maine private foundations that take applications and made environmental grants also gave to a church, a YMCA or another religious charity in their latest filing, so they are not listed here. Maine's state conservation programs, the Maine Community Foundation and a few New England conservation funders make up the list.
From my own read of IRS filings, September 2026
In Maine, 124 of the 189 private foundations with $1 million or more in assets tick the box on their tax return saying they don't accept unsolicited requests. That is 66%.
That leaves 65 larger Maine foundations that say they will read an application. It is a higher share of closed doors than in Vermont (65%, 70 of 108), and the same share as in New Hampshire (66%, 137 of 208), counted the same way.
How I counted: every private non-operating foundation with a Maine address on the IRS Exempt Organizations Master File (September 2026 release) reporting assets of $1 million or more, checked against its most recent e-filed Form 990-PF (tax years 2024 to 2026, almost all 2024 or 2025). Operating foundations, which mostly run their own programs, are left out, as they were for New Hampshire and Vermont. Counting them too gives 68% (153 of 225).
What the checkbox means
One small box on the tax return tells you whether to bother.
Every private foundation files Form 990-PF with the IRS each year. Part XIV, line 2 of that return has a checkbox. A foundation that ticks it is telling the IRS, in writing, that it chooses its grantees itself. A proposal sent to it is usually wasted work.
"Check here if the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."Form 990-PF, Part XIV, line 2
A foundation that leaves the box empty has to fill in lines 2a to 2d instead: who receives applications, what form they should take, any deadlines, and any limits on who or what it funds. For many small family foundations, those four lines are the only published guidelines they have.
The box does not tell you whether a foundation funds your kind of work. For that, read line 3a, the list of grants it actually paid. Check both before you write a letter of inquiry. Any foundation's return can be read free on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
12 funders
Open to applications, and funding environmental work in Maine.
Every funder below is secular, says it accepts applications (on its website or its tax return), and has paid grants to environmental or conservation groups in its most recent filing. Government programs are the exception: they file no tax return. Community foundations are listed by the program that fits environmental groups. Grant examples come from each funder's latest IRS filing unless the funder's own site is named.
Verified date on the funder's own site on 27 Sept 2026Expected based on last cycle; next not yet postedRolling applications any timeFiling only no website; from the tax return, confirm first
Statewide and regional public grantmakers
01
Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund
Augusta · statewide
Lottery-funded grants for fish and wildlife habitat, public lands and access, and endangered species. Nonprofits apply through a sponsoring state agency or other authorized sponsor, such as a soil and water conservation district or the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Typical grant
Round 26-1 (May 2026) awards: Scarborough Land Trust $25,000 (58-acre Blueberry Preserve purchase), Three Rivers Land Trust $25,000 (wetland restoration at Sanford Community Forest), Maine Coast Heritage Trust $25,000, Downeast Coastal Conservancy $15,000, Somerset Woods Trustees $15,000. Projects with a third or more in cash match get the highest priority (its site).
Next deadline
Two rounds a year on a standing schedule: contact a sponsor with a summary form by January 15 (spring) or July 15 (fall), and send the full proposal to the sponsor by February 20 or August 20 Verified. Next spring round: sponsor contact by about January 15, 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Email the summary application form to one of the authorized sponsors listed on the page; once the sponsor agrees, send ten paper copies of the full proposal to that sponsor.
Maine's in-lieu-fee wetland mitigation fund, run by The Nature Conservancy for the Maine DEP and the Army Corps of Engineers. It pays for restoring, enhancing and protecting wetlands, streams and other aquatic habitat; land trusts can apply for work on land they already hold, or for acquisitions that include restoration.
Typical grant
Large grants for real projects. Funds available by region as of July 21, 2026 include Southern Maine $3,014,882, Downeast Maine $1,276,482 and Central Interior and Midcoast $915,551. No match required, though match can score better (its site).
Next deadline
The 2026 round has closed: letters of intent were due June 17, 2026 and invited full proposals September 10, 2026, with awards in early December 2026. The site says the next round opens in spring 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Online letter of intent through the program site when the round opens; invited applicants then submit a full proposal and host a site visit.
Land for Maine's Future: Public Access to Maine Waters Fund
Augusta · statewide
Buys land or public access rights on small parcels to create or improve access to lakes, ponds, rivers and the coast. It is the only Land for Maine's Future fund taking applications now; the others show "Not Currently Accepting".
Typical grant
Up to 50% of appraised value; the applicant must match at least the award amount (its site).
Next deadline
Applications any time while funding is available Rolling.
How to apply
Application using the LMF workbook, with a sponsoring state agency and the landowner's full agreement.
State grants from the Bureau of Parks and Lands for designing and building trails, with $30 million available through 2034. Nonprofits, towns and state agencies can apply; land trusts took a large share of the first round.
Typical grant
Up to $250,000 for a few projects, otherwise capped at $150,000 (its site). Round one awards include Presumpscot Regional Land Trust $237,990, Loon Echo Land Trust $142,538, South Portland Land Trust $139,398 and Great Works Regional Land Trust $134,123.
Next deadline
Round two closed July 17, 2026. The published timeline opens applications February 13 and closes July 17, so the next round is expected about February to July 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Online application portal; grant workshops run February to March.
Project grants to organizations whose main purpose is wildlife, habitat, environmental protection or outdoor stewardship. The Gulf of Maine and the Northern Forest come first, and it favors climate resilience and volunteer involvement.
Typical grant
Not published; its 2026 grant list includes Falmouth Land Trust $40,000 (50-acre Hadlock Forest purchase), Downeast Salmon Federation $25,000, Blue Hill Heritage Trust $20,000 and Coastal Mountains Land Trust $20,000. It does not fund general operating costs and asks past grantees to wait 24 months.
Next deadline
April 1 and October 1 each year, 5 p.m. ET Verified. Next: October 1, 2026, then April 1, 2027.
How to apply
Online portal only; no letter of inquiry. Staff answer questions before you apply.
Land and water projects for underserved places and people, in two lanes: land returned to Wabanaki stewardship, and land for food (working farms, community agriculture, hunting and fishing, working waterfront). Land trusts qualify when the project fits one of those lanes.
Typical grant
Up to $50,000 for acquisitions and easements, $25,000 for other land-based projects; the last cycle averaged $32,077 and funded 40% of applicants (its site). Spring 2026 grants include Maine Coast Heritage Trust $50,000, Downeast Coastal Conservancy $50,000 and Blue Hill Heritage Trust $20,000 (farm easement).
Next deadline
Twice a year: opens January 15 and July 15, due March 16 and September 15 (its standing schedule) Verified. The fall round closed September 15, 2026; next deadline about March 16, 2027 Expected.
How to apply
MaineCF online grant portal (the Apply button on its site); a Word copy of the questions is posted when each round opens.
Ellsworth · statewide, decided by county committees
Its largest program, open to arts, education, environment and other groups. General support is only for Maine organizations with expenses under $500,000; larger groups can apply for a new project in its first two years with a total budget of $100,000 or less.
Typical grant
Up to $10,000 (its site). 2026 grants include Portland Trails $10,000 (footbridges on the Stroudwater Connector Trail), Friends of Casco Bay $8,000 (eelgrass community science), Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District $8,000 and Frenchman Bay Conservancy $7,500.
Next deadline
The 2026 round opened November 17, 2025 and closed February 17, 2026. The next round is expected to open about mid-November 2026 and close about mid-February 2027 Expected.
How to apply
MaineCF online grant portal; one application naming the county served. Shortlisted applicants get a brief phone call from a county advisor in March or April.
Community-based land trusts and nature groups: land acquisition, trails and public access. It does not fund routine operating budgets.
Typical grant
$500 to $25,000, most $2,000 to $15,000 (its site). Maine grants in its 2024 filing: Scarborough Land Conservation Trust $20,000, Maine Farmland Trust $15,000, Woodstock Conservation Commission $15,000, Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine $12,000, Blue Hill Heritage Trust $10,000.
Next deadline
Proposals and one-page concept papers any time; the directors meet regularly through the year Rolling.
How to apply
Email a full proposal (Philanthropy Massachusetts common application accepted) or a one-page outline first; it suggests an informal contact before applying.
One-time grants for land conservation and the conservation, study and appreciation of nature. Grants go to the purchase price or direct costs of land and easements, or to discrete projects; not to overhead, buildings, signage or stewardship funds.
Typical grant
Usually up to $15,000 (its site). Maine grants in its filing for the year to September 2025: 7 Lakes Alliance $15,000, Scarborough Land Trust $15,000, Western Foothills Land Trust $10,000, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens $5,000.
Next deadline
Preliminary applications due March 15 and September 15 by 5 p.m. ET Verified. The September 15, 2026 round has closed; the next deadline is March 15, 2027.
How to apply
Request access to the online preliminary application by email ([email protected]); final applications are by invitation.
Groton, CT · national, with regular Maine coastal grants
Small grants for the marine environment and safety at sea, linked to the Cruising Club of America. Environmental grants cover coastal and estuarine conservation, marine science and ocean stewardship education, and it favors organizations without large budgets.
Typical grant
Generally $10,000 or less (its site). Maine grants in its 2025 filing: Cobscook Community Learning Center $5,607, Hurricane Island Foundation $5,550, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences $4,695, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries $4,000.
Next deadline
February 1 and September 1 each year (its site) Verified. Next: February 1, 2027. Its tax filing gives October 1 for the fall round; the site's date is the one to use.
How to apply
Email the Grant Summary Form and full proposal to [email protected].
No website; everything here comes from its 2025 tax filing. Forest, land and outdoor education grants, with a stated preference for Maine-oriented environmental charities.
Typical grant
Median $30,000 across its 26 grants in 2025. Examples: Maine TREE $110,000, Maine Woodland Owners $70,000, High Peaks Alliance $60,000, Downeast Lakes Land Trust $40,000, Blue Hill Heritage Trust $30,000, Greater Lovell Land Trust $10,000.
Next deadline
None stated Filing only.
How to apply
No required form or order; the filing names Linda S. Kennedy, 6575 Bluefield Place, San Diego, CA 92120, as the contact.
No website; everything here comes from its 2025 tax filing. General-purpose grants limited to organizations working for the protection of the environment, mostly in New Hampshire with some in Maine.
Typical grant
Median $15,000 across its 10 grants in 2025. Maine examples: Megunticook Watershed Association $22,000, Friends of Maine Coastal Islands $15,000.
Next deadline
September 30 each year, per the filing Filing only.
How to apply
Request guidelines from Rebecca A. Ramsey, PO Box 4185, Washington, PA 15301 (the contact named in the filing).
It is not exhaustive and it is not a ranking. Deadlines and guidelines change, so open each funder's own page before you start. Grants are competitive, and past grant sizes describe what a funder gave, not what it will give you. I list secular funders only.
The full version
Want this done for your own organization?
A Funding Roadmap ($1,200, flat fee) gives you ten to fifteen funders matched to your mission, place and size, the grants each one paid to groups like yours, how to apply, and a 12-month grant calendar. Every deadline is labeled the same way as on this page.
Email me your organization's name, rough budget and what you'd like funded. You'll get a written reply within two business days.
You fill in a short intake questionnaire, then answer one round of written follow-up questions.
About three weeks later you get the roadmap, a two-page note on how to use it, and 14 days of email questions.
Everything happens in writing. There are no calls or meetings.