Libra Foundation
Portland, ME · EIN 04-6626994. Reported 300 grants totalling $24.0M to 117 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. Libra 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 $5,000 and $10,000; the smallest was $2,000 and the largest $4,400,000. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pineland Farms Inc | New Gloucester, ME | $16.2M | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mainehealth | Portland, ME | $3,423,761 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Foxcroft Academy | Doverfoxcroft, ME | $1,169,838 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sunrise County Economic Council | Machias, ME | $243,062 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fort Kent Outdoor Center | Fort Kent, ME | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cross Insurance Arena | Portland, ME | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mainehealth Dba Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation | Rockland, ME | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Community Dental | Portland, ME | $136,373 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Farnsworth Art Museum | Rockland, ME | $105,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| City of Presque Isle Fbo Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center | Presque Isle, ME | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Northern Light Ca Dean Hospital | Greenville, ME | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Portland Museum of Art | Portland, ME | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Stage Company | Portland, ME | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Symphony Orchestra | Portland, ME | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine | Portland, ME | $70,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Nordic Heritage Sport Club | Presque Isle, ME | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Presque Isle Community Recreation Association Inc | Presque Isle, ME | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University of Southern Maine Foundation | Portland, ME | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Island Institute | Rockland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Historical Society | Portland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Maritime Museum | Bath, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Peregrine Corporation Dba Strive | South Portland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Salvation Army - Northern New England Division | Portland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank | Auburn, ME | $30,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Association of Nonprofits | Portland, ME | $30,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Public Broadcasting Network | Lewiston, ME | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| American Red Cross of Maine | Portland, ME | $25,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness | Portland, ME | $25,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters | Portland, ME | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Maine Coast Heritage Trust | Topsham, ME | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| State YMCA of Maine Dba YMCA Camp of Maine | Winthrop, ME | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wood Island Life Saving Station Association | Kittery Point, ME | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Special Educationmental Health Collaborative | New Gloucester, ME | $24,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Autism Society of Maine | Winthrop, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bangor Symphony Orchestra | Bangor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bay Chamber Concerts | Rockport, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Best Buddies in Maine | Cumberland, ME | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | East Boothbay, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Center for Grieving Children | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Center for Maine Contemporary Art | Rockland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Childrens Museum & Theatre of Maine | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens | Boothbay, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Downeast Community Partners | Ellsworth, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Forest Society of Maine | Bangor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Furniture Friends | Westbrook, ME | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine | Auburn, ME | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Gulf of Maine Research Institute | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Home Inc | Orland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Iris Network | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lakes Environmental Association | Bridgton, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Legal Services for the Elderly | Augusta, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation | Newry, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Audubon | Falmouth, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers | Waterville, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Discovery Museum | Bangor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Farmland Trust | Belfast, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Media Workshops College | Rockport, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association | Unity, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine State Ballet | Falmouth, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine State Music Theatre | Brunswick, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals | South Windham, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Monhegan Historical & Cultural Museum Association | Monhegan, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Northern Light Acadia Hospital | Bangor, ME | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ogunquit Museum of American Art | Ogunquit, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ogunquit Playhouse | Ogunquit, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Penobscot Marine Museum | Searsport, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Penobscot Theatre Company | Bangor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Penquis Community Action Program Inc | Bangor, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Ballet | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Conservatory of Music | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Portland Ovations | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Abbe Museum | Bar Harbor, ME | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Northern Forest Center - Maine | Concord, NH | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Amistad | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bangor Area Homeless Shelter | Bangor, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Family Planning Association of Maine Inc Dba Maine Family Planning | Augusta, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Husson University | Bangor, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Public | Lewiston, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine State Museum | Augusta, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Moosehead Marine Museum | Greenville, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Prosperityme | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| YMCA Camp of Maine | Winthrop, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Riding to the Top | Windham, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Victoria Mansion | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine Dba Maine Woodland Owners | Augusta, ME | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Massachusetts Press | Amherst, MA | $6,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Heart Association | Scarborough, ME | $5,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| 317 Main Community Music Center | Yarmouth, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| A Climate to Thrive | Mount Desert, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Alzheimer's Association - Maine Chapter | Scarborough, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| BOOTS2ROOTS | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Brick Store Museum | Kennebunk, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Camp Angels Inc | Waterford, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Center for a Green Future | Brunswick, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Center for Entrepreneurial Studies | Farmington, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Common Threads of Maine | Westbrook, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cultivating Community | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| General Henry Knox Museum | Thomaston, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| High Peaks Alliance | Farmington, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kennebec Behavioral Health | Waterville, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Locker Project | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting | Hallowell, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine FFA Association | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Irish Heritage Center | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Midcoast Recovery Coalition | Camden, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern Forest Center - Maine | South Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pine Tree Society Inc | Bath, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ruth's Reusable Resources | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Joseph Healthcare Foundation | Bangor, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Step Up Parents | Portsmouth, NH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust | Rangeley, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Youth Full Maine | Biddeford, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Maine Press | Orono, ME | $3,928 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Baker Mountain Ski Tow Club | Bingham, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Giles Episcopal Church Fbo Jefferson Area Community Food Pantry | Jefferson, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
67 of 117 (57%) 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 75%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. 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.
- Pineland Farms Inc
DEVELOP, OPERATE AND STAFF PINELAND FARMS, INC. FOR AGRICULTURAL PROMOTION, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN MAINE - Foxcroft Academy
PISCATAQUIS COUNTY ICE ARENA OPERATING EXPENSES - Sunrise County Economic Council
MACHIAS VALLEY CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP & BUSINESS HUB - Northern Light Ca Dean Hospital
BUILD NEW HOSPITAL AND RELATED FACILITY UPGRADES - Cross Insurance Arena
COMMUNITY USE OF CIVIC CENTER EVENTS - Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine
A PLACE FOR GROWTH CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 209 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 88 | $6,371,938 | $5,000 |
| 2022 | 80 | $6,318,580 | $5,000 |
| 2023 | 65 | $6,062,723 | $5,000 |
| 2024 | 67 | $5,201,471 | $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. 100% 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 Libra 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 17516, 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 04-6626994 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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