Frances Hollis Brain Foundation Fund

Purpose

The Frances Hollis Brain Foundation Fund supports nonprofit organizations and projects that serve disadvantaged, underserved, and/or vulnerable communities in Auburn, Bath, Biddeford, Brunswick, Greater Portland, Lewiston, Saco, and/or Sanford.

Criteria and Priorities

All applicants must meet the Maine Community Foundation’s grant eligibility requirements. Please read our eligibility and grant guidelines before submitting an application. The grant program will not award a grant to the same organization in two consecutive years.

Criteria

To receive a grant, an organization or project must:

• Serve individuals in Auburn, Bath, Biddeford, Brunswick, Greater Portland, Lewiston, Saco, and/or Sanford. State-wide initiatives and organizations are also eligible to apply
• Support disadvantaged, underserved, and/or vulnerable communities
• Have a broad base of community support and demonstrate effectiveness

Issue Areas

Consideration will be given to organizations or projects that focus on one of the following:

• Education
  • Early childhood care and education (defined as ages 0-8)
  • Extended day learning (after-school and summer learning programs)
• Health care
  • Community clinics and safety net providers
  • Oral health initiatives
• Hunger prevention and food security
• Homelessness alleviation
• Legal services connected with the above areas

Priorities

For the 2024 grant cycle, priority will be given to organizations or projects that address challenges or needs in early childhood education.

Types of Funding

This program provides:

• General support grants for organizations serving individuals in Auburn, Bath, Biddeford, Brunswick, Greater Portland, Lewiston, Saco, and/or Sanford with a focus on one of the priority areas listed above. To be considered for a general support grant, your organization must have received at least two previous awards from the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation Fund.
• Project support grants for new or expanding projects.

Additional Information

Ineligible Expenses

Funds may not be used for:

• Annual appeals
• Endowments
• Tickets to charitable events
• See also “What we will not fund, without exception” on our eligibility and grant guidelines page

The grant program will not award a grant to the same organization in two consecutive years.

Background

David and Frances Brain established the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation in 1993 as a tangible expression of their values. Through their foundation, they sought with their family to address their social concerns and encourage future generations of the family to contribute to the well-being of their communities in Maine, Georgia, and Kentucky. In 2017 they turned to the Maine Community Foundation to manage their grantmaking in Maine.