Kennebec County projects, nonprofits get boost from grants

More than $38,000 in Maine Community Foundation grants aim to help strengthen nonprofit organizations and projects in Kennebec County.

The six grants through MaineCF’s Community Building Grant Program include $38,570 recommended by the Kennebec County Committee and a $6,250 grant from a donor-advised fund, according to a news release from the foundation.

Grant recipients include:

• 30 Mile River Watershed Association, based in Farmington, to improve water quality in Androscoggin Lake by identifying and addressing the causes of a severe, lake-wide algal bloom: $5,000;
• Boys and Girls Club of Augusta, to divert juvenile offenders to restorative programs to avoid incarceration, recidivism, and learning loss from school suspensions: $10,000;
• Hardy Girls Healthy Women, Augusta, to create a new middle school curriculum on coalition building, critical thinking and activism with a youth-led research team: $5,000;
• Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center, Gardiner, to take programming on the road while its current venue is under construction: $3,570;
• Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, Waterville, to expand parenting, mental health, and life skill supports for pregnant and parenting teens and young adults: $10,000; and
• Project Sparrow, Winthrop, to provide essential clothing, equipment and personal hygiene items to foster children who need assistance: $5,000.

2022 Grants from Donor-Advised Funds:

• Town of Mount Vernon, to support the adult day program for older residents of Fayette, Mount Vernon, and Vienna: $6,250.

The Kennebec County Fund is a permanent endowment that supports projects and nonprofit organizations that strengthen communities. Proposals are submitted through MaineCF’s Community Building Grant Program, the foundation’s largest, and are reviewed by a committee of community members.

The next proposal deadline is Feb. 15, 2023. The application, guidelines and list of all 2022 grants are at mainecf.org.

The Kennebec County Fund, established in 2018, is built through donations from the community. Those who would like more information can contact Foundation Officer Cate Cronin at 207-412-2001 or ccronin@mainecf.org.