Maine Humanities Council
Portland, ME · EIN 01-0339295. Reported 120 grants totalling $877,264 to 100 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Maine Humanities Council, the IRS classifies it under arts & culture rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE A70) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 100 distinct organizations, with 3% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 9% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $7,500. Half of what it reported fell between $7,300 and $7,500; the smallest was $5,500 and the largest $10,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
17 of those grants were non-cash -- goods, property or services worth $129,938 in total. In-kind giving is real support but it is not a cheque.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indigo Arts Alliance | Portland, ME | $30,500 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Telling Room | Portland, ME | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Island Readers and Writers An Initiative for Maine Children | Mount Desert, ME | $22,412 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Maine-Wabanaki Reach | Old Town, ME | $17,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Inside Out | Lewiston, ME | $15,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indian Township | Princeton, ME | $15,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Abbe Museum | Bar Harbor, ME | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor | Lewiston, ME | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance | Portland, ME | $15,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| President and Trustees of Bates College | Lewiston, ME | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of Southern Maine Libraries | Gorham, ME | $14,453 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Adult Education Association | Alfred, ME | $14,350 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Speaking Place | Perry, ME | $13,500 | 2 | 1 | 2020 |
| Survivor Speak | Portland, ME | $13,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| President & Trustees of Colby College | Waterville, ME | $13,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Mount Desert Island Historical Society | Mount Desert, ME | $11,900 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Cumberland County Food Security Council | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Aroostook Band of Micmacs | Presque Isle, ME | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Houlton, ME | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik | Perry, ME | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Penobscot Nation | Indian Island, ME | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Azerbaijan Society of Maine | Falmouth, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center | Biddeford, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Biddeford Historical Society | Biddeford, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Brick Store Museum | Kennebunk, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bridgton Public Library | Bridgton, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bruun Studios Inc | Damariscotta, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Center Theatre Inc | Dovr Foxcroft, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Classical Uprising | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cobscook Community Learning Center | Trescott Twp, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Community Library | Lyman, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Cornish Library Association | Cornish, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Dennys River Historical Society | Dennysville, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Dorcas Library Assoc | Prospect Harbor, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Foundation for Portland Public Schools | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Freedom Historical Society | Freedom, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Frenchmans Bay Library | Sullivan, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of Soldiers Memorial Library | Hiram, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gateway Community Services Maine | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Guilford Memorial Library | Guilford, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hardy Girls Healthy Women Inc | Augusta, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| History Trust | Mount Desert, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Im Your Neighbor Books Welcoming Library | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ladder to the Moon Network | S Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lincoln Memorial Public Library | Dennysville, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Literacy Volunteers | Farmington, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Long Lake Public Library | Saint Agatha, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Machias Bay Chamber of Commerce | Machias, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Maine Access Points | Brunswick, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Discovery Museum | Bangor, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Milbridge Public Library | Milbridge, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Monhegan Historial & Cultural Museum Association | Monhegan, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ogunquit Memorial Library | Ogunquit, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pejepscot Historical Society | Brunswick, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Penobscot Language School | Rockland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Penobscot Theatre Company | Bangor, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pihcintu | Windham, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Porter Memorial Library Association | Machias, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Portland Media Center | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Robbinston Historical Society | Robbinston, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Springvale Public Library Association | Springvale, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Stonington Public Library | Stonington, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Tate House Museum | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Terra Moto Inc | S Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Committee to Restore the Abyssinian Meetinghouse | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Turner Public Library | Turner, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Union of Maine Visual Artists Inc | Harpswell, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Victoria Mansion | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wabanaki Cultural Preservation Coalition | Passadumkeag, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Wesserunsett Arts Council Inc 83 Main St | Skowhegan, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Whitefield Library | Whitefield, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Wilton Free Library Association | Wilton, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| World Affairs Council of Maine | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Healthy Acadia | Ellsworth, ME | $7,490 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Waynflete School | Portland, ME | $7,485 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Eastport Public Library Association | Eastport, ME | $7,461 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Association Culturelle Et Historique Du Mont-Carmel | Grand Isle, ME | $7,300 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Denmark Arts Center | Denmark, ME | $7,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wild Blueberry Heritage Center | Addison, ME | $7,250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec | Augusta, ME | $7,200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Henry D Moore Parish House and Library | Steuben, ME | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation | Lewiston, ME | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Niweskok | Milford, ME | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness Npc | Bangor, ME | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wabanaki Womens Coalition | Orono, ME | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Women in Need Inc | Portland, ME | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mayo Street Arts | Portland, ME | $6,713 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bremen Library Association | Bremen, ME | $6,700 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Bethel Area Arts & Music | Bethel, ME | $6,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Center for Independent Documentary Inc | Cambridge, MA | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Childrens Museum and Theatre of Maine | Portland, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Old Town Maine | Old Town, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Liberty Library Association | Liberty, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Maine Forestry Museum | Rangeley, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Historical Society | Portland, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Naples Public Library | Naples, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| South China Public Library | South China, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| University of Maine System Inc | Bangor, ME | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Maine Mental Health Connections Inc | Bangor, ME | $5,800 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
14 of 100 (14%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 72 of 100 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 45 | $318,061 | $7,500 |
| 2021 | 45 | $333,050 | $7,500 |
| 2022 | 13 | $96,215 | $7,500 |
| 2023 | 17 | $129,938 | $7,500 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
99% of its giving went to organizations in Maine. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available 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 grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $7,500 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Maine.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Maine Humanities Council's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 17 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 674 Brighton Avenue, Portland, ME, 04102.
EIN 01-0339295 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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