The Maine Community Foundation is accepting applications for its Equity Fund to strengthen lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) organizations in Maine and support community-based initiatives.
Donor Name: Maine Community Foundation
State: Maine
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $10,000
Details:
The Equity Fund was established in 1996. Originally funded with a two-year matching grant to the Maine Community Foundation from the National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership, the Equity Fund became a permanent fund of the foundation in December 2000. A community assessment and forum were conducted in 2003 to clarify the criteria and priorities of the Equity Fund.
Areas of Interest
- Civil Rights
- Social Action
- Advocacy
- Healthcare
Grant Priorities
This grant program will give additional priority to proposals that:
- Increase access to health care or reduce health disparities
- Reduce race-based disparities or barriers to opportunities
- Reduce violence and/or harassment
- Promote respect and understanding.
Types of Funding
This program provides:
- General support grants for LGBTQ+ organizations for ongoing programming, operational needs, and capacity-building. To apply for a general support grant, an organization must have previously received a project grant.
- Project grants for new or expanded projects. Projects are activities with a clear start and end date, with goals and objectives related to but not the same as the organization’s mission. Project grants will support staff time dedicated to supporting proposed activities. They may also include administrative or indirect costs in their request as a line item in their budget. These funds may be used at the discretion of the organization to cover overhead or indirect costs but must be limited to 20% of the total amount requested.
Funding Information
The grant amount available for the Equity fund is $10,000.
Eligible Expenses
Project grant funds can be used to support:
- Staff time dedicated to the proposed project
- New equipment or materials that are necessary to achieve the goals or outcomes of the proposed activities
- Training for staff, volunteers, or board members
- Administrative overhead (up to 20 percent of the requested funding).
Eligibility Criteria
- Who is eligible to apply:
- Nonprofit, charitable organizations tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and also classified as an organization described in sections 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2)
- Municipalities
- Public schools
- Public agencies working for the State of Maine
- Indian tribal governments (or political subdivisions) recognized by the Department of the Interior
- Groups without any tax status may apply with a fiscal sponsor that is an eligible organization as described above
- To receive a grant, an organization or project must:
- Involve people in Maine who identify as LGTBQ+. They need to be at least one of the following:
- In leadership positions on board and staff of the organization
- Involved in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the programs and services
- Most of the participants or intended recipients.
- Involve people in Maine who identify as LGTBQ+. They need to be at least one of the following:
For more information, visit MCF.
