Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Fund 

Purpose

The Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Fund supports organizations that serve people of Native American, Latino, African, Arab, and/or Asian descent. The goal of the grant program is to help Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color in Maine achieve greater equity by:

• Investing in existing, new, and emerging leadership and nonprofit organizations
• Changing policies and practices that negatively impact Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color, because of their race
• Supporting efforts to alleviate the impact of race-based discrimination and disparities.

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.

Criteria

To receive a grant, your organization must:

• Have offered programming for the community in the last year (2023) focused on serving mostly Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color
• Involve Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color in leadership positions, on board and staff of the organization
• Involve Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the programs and services.

Priorities

This grant program will give priority to the following areas of interest:

• Racial Equity: Increase through improving:
  • Access to resources,
  • Access to opportunities, and/or
  • Life outcomes (examples of what we mean by life outcomes are increasing how many people graduate from high school, have health insurance, or have housing)
• Health: Thanks to support from the Maine Health Access Foundationto address health disparities in Maine, grants will support organizations and projects that increase access to or understanding of health and wellness
• Leadership Development: Organizations or projects that provide skill building, training, and mentorship for Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color
• Economic Opportunity: Organizations or projects that improve economic well-being, such as increasing access to employment opportunities, access to education and professional development, and supporting business development.

Types of Funding

Two-Year General Support Grants for flexible funding of any type such as new/expanding/ongoing programs and operational needs.  Your organization’s primary work must meet the BIPOC criteria listed above AND your organization must:

• Be located in Maine, defined as having a Maine address.

Please note: The maximum award amount for all organizations is $10,000 per year. The first group of grants will be awarded in 2024. The $10,000 for the second year of funding will be awarded in 2025 after a progress report is completed. No new applications will be accepted for general support until 2026.

Background

The People of Color Fund was established in 2007 with a gift from the River Rock Foundation. In 2020, the fund was renamed Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Fund.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Fund Advisors

The fund's advisory committee is composed of leaders from various racial-ethnic communities around the state, representing, professionally and/or personally, the Native American, Latino, African, African-American and Asian communities of Maine.

Selena Neptune Bear, Indian Island, Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness
Malcolm Bennett, Yarmouth, Maine Behavioral Healthcare
Dania Bowie, Augusta, Maine Women's Lobby
Rosie DiBella, Scarborough, Preble Street
Ronny Flannery, Lewiston, Southern Maine Workers' Center
Andrea Francis, Portland, Wabanaki Reach
Chan Himm, Saco, DHHS-OCFS
Ninette Irabaruta, Yarmouth, United Way of Southern Maine
Marcelle Medford, Lewiston, Bates College
Ashley Page, Portland, Indigo Arts Alliance
Veronica Perez, Westbrook, artist
Ann Pollard Ranco, Deer Isle, consultant, photographer, writer
Jenna Vendil, Portland, Maine Education Association