TRAILBLAZERS
This year, we celebrate the 35th anniversary of our first three county funds, pioneers all: Aroostook, Piscataquis, and Washington. We’ll host a party on September 28 (register here) with videos and anniversary grants to mark the occasion as well as celebrate the work of grantees to strengthen Maine. More than that, it’s an opportunity to thank the many donors who built the funds with their generous contributions during their lifetime and through their estate plans. We also thank the volunteer community leaders who review grant applications and help inspire giving in all corners of Maine. They are the backbone of our County and Regional Program.
Aroostook County
Total county fund grant dollars since 1986: $1,052,731
Total county fund grants since 1986: 373
County fund grants in 2021: $57,879
Donor-referred grants in 2021: $26,980
Other competitive grants in 2021: $25,000
Scholarships to county students in 2020: 78 awards totaling $194,599
BigRock Mountain Ski Area: A grant from the Aroostook County Fund helped expand after-school programs for local students at BigRock Mountain Ski Area. The Mars Hill nonprofit organization’s goal: to increase the number of young people it reaches through skiing and snowboarding lessons. Photo BigRock Mountain
Piscataquis County
Total county fund grant dollars since 1986: $909,950
Total county fund grants since 1986: 247
County fund grants in 2021: $43,500
Donor-referred grants in 2021: $2,000
Other competitive grants in 2021:$17,000
Scholarships to county students in 2020: 66 awards totaling $45,721
Appalachian Mountain Club: Katie Joyner-Robertson, left, science teacher at Penquis Valley High School, prepares to release Atlantic salmon fry into the West Branch of the Pleasant River with Genevieve Trafelet, former Maine education and program manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). A grant from the Piscataquis County Fund helps expand hands-on outdoor programming for students in Piscataquis County. Photo AMC
Washington County
Total county fund grant dollars since 1986: $1,828,414
Total county fund grants since 1986: 458
County fund grants in 2021: $107,542
Donor-referred grants in 2021: $53,764
Other competitive grants in 2021: $25,000
Scholarships to county students in 2020: 75 awards totaling $218,037
Healthy Acadia: Volunteers Eric Buck, left, and Phil Alteri assemble a swing set outside Safe Harbor Recovery Home for Women and Children in Machias in May. Safe Harbor received a Washington County Fund grant through Healthy Acadia that helped purchase the swing set along with furnishings for the house. Photo Ashley L. Conti
At top (left to right): A detail from a photo by Christopher A Mills Photography shows a tree on the Kingsbury Family Farm in Aroostook County that has offered picnic shade for decades; a detail from a photo of Little Spencer Mountain in Piscataquis County by Flickr user Jeff Gunn; a detail from a photo of West Quoddy Head Light in Washington County by Flickr user Kim Carpenter.
