Fisher Charitable Foundation
Portland, ME · EIN 01-0512082. Reported 357 grants totalling $1,997,250 to 173 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Fisher Charitable Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $5,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $3,000 and $5,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $25,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Medical Center | Portland, ME | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Downeast Community Partners | Ellsworth, ME | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mitchell Institute | Portland, ME | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| United Way of Aroostook | Presque Isle, ME | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Stage Company | Portland, ME | $45,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Community Concepts | Lewiston, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Community Dental | Portland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine | Auburn, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Knox County Homeless Coalition | Rockland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Legal Services for the Elderly | Augusta, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Museum of Art | Portland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Symphony Orchestra | Portland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Avesta Housing Development Corporation | Portland, ME | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| BOOTS2ROOTS | Freeport, ME | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Maine Public Broadcasting Network | Lewiston, ME | $30,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| 317 Main Community Music Center | Yarmouth, ME | $25,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Island Institute | Rockland, ME | $24,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Penobscot Community Health Care | Bangor, ME | $24,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Abbe Museum | Bar Harbor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bangor Symphony Orchestra | Bangor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine | Camden, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine | Westbrook, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dempsey Center | South Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Farnsworth Art Museum | Rockland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Gulf of Maine Research Institute | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Habitat for Humanity 7 Rivers Maine | Topsham, ME | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Locker Project | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Historical Society | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Seacoast Mission | Northeast Harbor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Merryspring Nature Center | Camden, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Methodist Conference Home | Rockland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mid-Coast Recovery Coalition | Camden, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Preble Street | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Prosperityme | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Safe Voices | Auburn, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Shalom House Inc | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Southern Maine Agency on Aging | Biddeford, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| St Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church | Camden, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Susan L Curtis Charitable Foundation | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Common Threads of Maine | Westbrook, ME | $17,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Iris Network | Portland, ME | $16,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Points North Institute | Camden, ME | $16,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Salvation Army Northern New England Division | Portland, ME | $16,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Center for Grieving Children | Portland, ME | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Elder Abuse Institute of Maine | Brunswick, ME | $15,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lifeflight Foundation | Camden, ME | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern Harbor Eldercare Service | North Haven, ME | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Tree Street Youth Inc | Lewiston, ME | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| YMCA Camp of Maine | Winthrop, ME | $15,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Friends of Baxter State Park | Belfast, ME | $14,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Robbie Foundation | Scarborough, ME | $14,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of Casco Bay | South Portland, ME | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation | Bloomfield, CT | $10,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Aroostook Aspirations Initiative | Presque Isle, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Belfast Soup Kitchen | Belfast, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cultivating Community | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Hurricane Island Outward Bound School | Camden, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Maine Discovery Museum | Bangor, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Equal Justice Partners | Augusta, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Health Dba Pen Bay Medical Center | Rockport, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Maine Maritime Museum | Bath, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine State Music Theatre | Brunswick, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Midcoast Habitat for Humanity | Rockport, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Milestone Recovery | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Nature Conservancy in Maine | Brunswick, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ogunquit Museum of American Art | Ogunquit, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ogunquit Playhouse | Ogunquit, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Somali Bantu Community Association | Lewiston, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wabanaki Cultural Preservation Coalition | Old Town, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Western Maine Addiction Recovery Initiative | Norway, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bay Chamber Concerts | Rockport, ME | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Chip Inc (community Housing Improvement Project) | Newcastle, ME | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Common Good Soup Kitchen Community | Southwest Harbor, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Frannie Peabody Center | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Larry Labonte Recovery Center | Rumford, ME | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ruth's Reusable Resources | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wood Island Life Saving Station | Kittery Point, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of Seguin Island | Bath, ME | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Owls Head Transportation Museum | Owls Head, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Carpenter's Boat Shop | Pemaquid, ME | $5,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Friendship House | South Portland, ME | $5,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| American Red Cross of Maine | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Apex Youth Connection | Biddeford, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Aroostook County Action Program Inc | Presque Isle, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Augusta Boys & Girls Club | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Augusta Food Bank | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bangor Area Homeless Shelter | Bangor, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Beth C Wright Cancer Resource Center | Ellsworth, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Big Rock | Mars Hill, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Camp Angels Inc | Waterford, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Camp Kita | North Berwick, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Coastal Children's Museum | Rockland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cody's Closet | Sedgwick, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eastern Area Agency on Aging | Brewer, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges | South Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Frenchman Bay Conservancy | Hancock, ME | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Furniture Friends | Westbrook, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hand in Handmano En Mano | Milbridge, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Homeless Services of Aroostook | Presque Isle, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Academy of Modern Music | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries | Stonington, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Coast Fisherman's Association | Brunswick, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Farmland Trust | Belfast, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Lobster Community Alliance | Kennebunk, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition | Lisbon, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mainely Smiles | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Moosehead Marine Museum | Greenville, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| No Limits Limb Loss Foundation | Wales, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Peregrine Corp Dba Strive | South Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Rangeley Region Health & Wellness Partnership | Rangeley, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rice Public Library | Kittery, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Virginia Project Inc Dba Maine's First Ship | Bath, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Waldo County Woodshed | Belfast, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Waterman's Community Center | North Haven, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust | Rangeley, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Women for Healthy Rural Living | Milbridge, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Midcoast Community Alliance | Bath, ME | $4,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Center for Maine Contemporary Art | Rockland, ME | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Portland Wheelers | Portland, ME | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Jefferson Area Community Food Pantry | Jefferson, ME | $3,900 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Androscoggin Home Health Services Dba Andwell Health Partners | Lewiston, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Area Interfaith Outreach | Rockland, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cobscook Community Learning Center Fbo Cobscook Institute | Trescott, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Freeport Community Services | Freeport, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hurricane Island Foundation | Rockland, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting | Hallowell, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Industrial Heritage Trust | Portland, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Paws Animal Adoption Center | Rockport, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Penobscot Bay Orchestra | Camden, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Portland Ovations | Portland, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Simmering Pot | Blue Hill, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Whiska House | Augusta, ME | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| A Climate to Thrive | Mount Desert, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Atlantic Challenge Foundation Dba the Apprenticeshop | Rockland, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Atlantic Challenge Foundation Fbo the Apprenticeshop | Rockland, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bangor Humane Society | Bangor, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Challenger Learning Center of Maine | Bangor, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Downeast Lakes Land Trust | Grand Lake Stream, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Finding Our Voices | Camden, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| First Amendment Museum at the Gannett House | Augusta, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gateway Milbridge | Milbridge, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Haystack Mountain School of Crafts | Deer Isle, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Heart of Biddeford | Biddeford, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry | Ellsworth, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Maine Association of Recovery Residences | Portland, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Msad 7 Fbo North Haven Community School | North Haven, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| North Haven Community School | North Haven, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Penquis Community Action Program | Bangor, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pierre Monteux Memorial Foundation | Hancock, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| South Portland Food Cupboard | South Portland, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Ark | Cherryfield, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tumblehome Inc | Boston, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United Recovery Fund | Portland, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wayfinder Schools | Camden, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Why Hunger Fiscal Agent for Eastern Woodlands Rematriation | Northport, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Eastport Arts Center | Eastport, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ellsworth Community Music Institute | Ellsworth, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Foundation for Portland Public Schools | Portland, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Humane Society Waterville Area | Waterville, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Island Connections | Bar Harbor, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lincoln County Dental | Wiscasset, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals | South Windham, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Midcoast Humane | Brunswick, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Youth Alliance Dba the Game Loft | Belfast, ME | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rangeley Friends of the Performing Arts | Rangeley, ME | $1,350 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Care and Share Food Closet | Farmington, ME | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Joseph Healthcare Foundation | Bangor, ME | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| World of Change | Portland, ME | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
76 of 173 (44%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 71%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Maine Medical Center
DEAN L. FISHER SCHOLARSHIPS - Portland Stage Company
MAKING AN ENTRANCE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN - BOOTS2ROOTS
WORKFORCE PREPAREDNESS TRAINING FOR MILITARY MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES - Avesta Housing Development Corporation
HOMES AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR RECENT IMMIGRANTS - Lifeflight Foundation
PURCHASE A THIRD HELICOPTER - Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
CONNECT RURAL MAINERS OF LIMITED MEANS WITH IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 247 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 85 | $473,500 | $5,000 |
| 2022 | 79 | $505,000 | $5,000 |
| 2023 | 84 | $483,350 | $5,000 |
| 2024 | 109 | $535,400 | $5,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 99% of this one's giving went to organizations in Maine. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $5,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Maine.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Fisher Charitable Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 17513, Portland, ME, 04112. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 01-0512082 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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