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Maine Philanthropy Center Readiness and Response Fund

Colorful logo for Readiness and Response Fund

MPC is launching its first ever fund! 

This fund offers financial resources and support to help Maine nonprofits prepare for and respond to loss of federal funding, cuts to social programs, and targeted harassment of marginalized communities. 
All Maine nonprofits, fiscally sponsored organizations, and tribes are encouraged to apply, especially those that have historically been excluded from traditional philanthropic funding.
Why now?

The landscape that nonprofits exist in is rapidly changing in unpredictable and destructive ways. Government funding is being reduced and/or eliminated, critical infrastructure is disappearing, and employees are being stretched, again, to do more with less. Organizations focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice along with organizations led by or focused on historically marginalized communities are under intense scrutiny and being targeted intentionally. Everyday Maine Philanthropy Center hears stories of funding disappearing, layoffs, program elimination, and threats to employees' physical and emotional safety. This new reality threatens to undermine MPC’s mission by interrupting and possibly extinguishing some Maine nonprofits’ ability to advance an equitable, vibrant, and just Maine.

How is MPC meeting this moment?

This moment demands an organized philanthropic response so that Maine nonprofits can access additional financial resources to prepare for and respond to this changing landscape. While most foundations wish to respond to nonprofit emergent needs, not every foundation is prepared to respond to urgent needs with an emergency fund. Further, the issues confronting nonprofits in this moment may not be aligned with funders’ primary areas of support.

Based on our understanding of the sector, recommendations from Maine nonprofit practitioners, and similar actions taken by PSOs across the country (including Exponent Philanthropy, Catalyst Grantmakers of San Diego, Center for Effective Philanthropy, and Justice Funders), MPC will move our mission forward in this current context through the establishment of a rapid response pooled fund. This fund will be open to applications from all Maine nonprofits, while prioritizing communities that have historically been excluded from traditional philanthropic funding.

In addition to a cash grant, MPC will support grantees navigating this space through consultant lists and additional navigation support (in development). We aim to launch the fund with $500,000 and provide grant awards of $15,000 per organization.

Quick Navigation

Proposed Use of Funds

Funding in this category will support proactive planning and capacity-building so that organizations are equipped to navigate emerging risks and sustain their critical work. Readiness grants will allow organizations to assess vulnerabilities, strengthen security measures, and develop contingency plans that minimize disruption in times of crisis while building long-term resilience. Suggested grant award uses are:

Consultant fees including:

  • Crisis-related legal assistance, including defense against misinformation campaigns, threats, or regulatory challenges.
  • Emergency compliance support, including risk assessments and financial scenario or contingency planning.
  • Crisis communications support, including media strategy, messaging, responsive digital communications and social media strategy.

Safety & well-being investments including:

  • Cybersecurity upgrades to protect sensitive data, including staff/board training, encryption tools, and emergency IT support.
  • Enhancements to office and remote work security, including access control, security systems, technology infrastructure, and staff safety training.
  • Trauma-informed organizational support, including resilience training and wellness stipends.
  • Burnout prevention strategies, such as additional paid rest days or self-care resources for frontline workers.

Staff capacity increases including:

  • Temporary increase in paid staff time to address the issues in this grant request.

Funding in this category will support organizations that have already experienced a crisis or threat, allowing them to act quickly and minimize damage. Funds can be used to mitigate harm, stabilize programs and operations, and implement necessary interventions to ensure continuity and recovery. Suggested uses are:

Consultant fees for:

  • Crisis-related legal assistance, including defense against misinformation campaigns, threats, or regulatory challenges.
  • Emergency compliance support.
  • Crisis communications support, including media strategy, messaging, responsive digital communications and social media strategy.

Safety & well-being investments including:

  • For safety or response to an online threat, including disinformation or acts of violence.
  • Cybersecurity upgrades to protect sensitive data, including staff/board training, encryption tools, and emergency IT support.
  • Enhancements to office and remote work security, including access control, security systems, technology infrastructure, and staff safety training.
  • Trauma-informed organizational support including mental health resources, and investments in additional staffing to reduce strain on impacted staff.

Staff capacity increases including:

  • Temporary increase in paid staff time to address the issues included in the grant request

The Readiness and Response Fund will not support:

  • Replacement of existing funding sources, however, we will consider inquiries aimed at stabilizing organizations facing sudden funding losses or responding to policy changes.
  • Sponsorship of events for organizational promotion.
  • Requests that require expenditure responsibility.
  • Direct or grassroots lobbying or political campaign activities.
  • Private for-profit enterprises, cooperatives, or individuals.

Grant Information

Grant Size: Grants are $15,000 general operating support and are limited to one per organization. Fiscally sponsored organizations and their sponsoring organizations may both apply and receive funding. Tribes and tribal departments may both apply.

Grant Term: Grant funds should be spent within 6 months of receiving the grant.

Grant Review Turnaround: Decisions are released on a rolling basis after application review by MPC staff and board members. Applicants can expect notification about the status of their application two to three weeks after submission.

Application Timeline:

  • Fund opens for application submission starting 9am EST Wednesday July 9, 2025.
  • We anticipate more demand than we can meet and will announce closing or pause dates once need is better understood.

Reporting: Short interviews will be scheduled with grantees six months after the grant award. No written reports are required.

Eligibility 

  • Applicants must be eligible to receive tax-deductible donations as outlined in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. This includes: 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organizations; public schools; public agencies working for the State of Maine; tribal governments (and their political subdivisions) within what is now Maine. 
  • Applicants may also apply through an eligible fiscal sponsor. A fiscally sponsored organization does not need to be a legal entity, but it must have a signed fiscal sponsorship agreement with a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
    • Fiscally sponsored organizations and their sponsoring organizations may both apply and receive funding separately.
  • Organizations should be based in Maine or part of a tribal government (or a political subdivision) within what is now Maine.
  • Work of applying organization must be focused in Maine and/or in the Wabanaki Nations in Maine.
  • Applicants do not have to be an MPC member to receive funding.

Priorities of the Fund 

  • This fund is designed to increase equitable access to philanthropic resources. This fund is open to all organizations that demonstrate a need that aligns with the purpose of the fund. 
  • Priority will be given to organizations that demonstrate meaningful leadership by and/or service within communities that have historically been excluded from funding opportunities, including Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and low-income communities.
  • Priority will be given to organizations with an annual operating budget of less than a $1.5 million. This budget size preference does not apply to Indigenous organizations.

How to Apply & Learn More 

  • Maine Philanthropy Center is partnering with the platform JustFund to manage the fund. 
    • Preview of Application (PDF) 
      • This preview document is intended to help applicants plan before applying. To apply, you must do so through the JustFund online portal starting July 9th by clicking 'Apply' below.

Apply

Learn More

If you have questions after reviewing the information on this page and watching an information session, please reach out to responsefund@mainephilanthropy.org. 

Frequently Asked Questions

First, check our Eligibility guidelines (see 'Eligibility' above). If you are eligible, consider the purpose and priorities of the fund and how well your organization's work and current situation aligns. Those organizations led by and serving historically marginalized communities and facing severe organizational challenges will be most competitive for a grant. We anticipate a lot more demand than we can possibly meet with our limited funds. We plan to award 10-20 grants in the first round in July 2025 before taking a pause and relaunching a few weeks later. The fund page will remain the most up-to-date resource for fund announcements.

As soon as possible, starting at 9am EST on Wednesday July 9th 2025. We anticipate leaving the fund open for a few weeks before closing for a short pause to make improvements in our internal process and to continue fundraising. The Fund will re-open a few weeks later for another batch of grant awards.

Your organization's application, if aligned with the grant purpose and competitive in the identified priorities, will stay in the pool and continue to be considered until MPC communicates with you otherwise. There is no need to reapply. 
If your application is not deemed aligned or competitive, you may receive a declination email. In this case, your application will not be considered in future rounds of funding and you should not reapply. 
MPC will communicate actively with applicants about the status of their applications via email. Email notifications will be sent for for confirmation of application submission, requests for additional information, grant decisions, any type of delay in the process, and next steps.

Receiving federal funds is not an eligibility requirement. Organizations that do not receive federal funding may apply.

  • Information on the Common Application portion of an applicant's JustFund profile is viewable by funders hosting funds on the JustFund platform only, not the general public. JustFund carefully vets all funders before they are allowed to set up funds on the platform.
  • Information shared in the three final questions on the MPC Readiness & Response Fund application (‘Help us understand how your organization plans to use the $15,000 grant award’, ‘Tell us how your organization has navigated challenges and/or adapted to changing environments in the past’, and ‘[Optional] Please tell us anything else…’) stays within MPC’s part of the JustFund platform and is not visible to other funders or applicants on JustFund, nor the general public. We encourage you to honestly describe the people and the details of the work your organization is doing to ensure we fully understand your role and situation. This information will be used only to inform grant decisions and will not be shared outside MPC’s staff and board without grantee permission.
  • Maine Philanthropy Center will work with each grantee organization individually to determine if and how to share their information.

Maine Philanthropy Center staff will review all applications for eligibility then evaluate them against the purpose and priorities identified for the fund: 

  • Purpose: This fund offers financial resources and support to help Maine nonprofits prepare for and respond to loss of federal funding, cuts to social programs, and targeted harassment of marginalized communities. This fund is designed to increase equitable access to philanthropic resources.
  • Priority will be given to organizations that demonstrate meaningful leadership by and/or service within communities that have historically been excluded from funding opportunities, including Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and low-income communities.
  • Priority will be given to organizations with an annual operating budget less than $1.5 million. This budget size preference does not apply to Indigenous organizations or tribes.

MPC staff will confer with fund advisors, who are members of MPC’s board of directors, to provide additional information to assist in decision making when necessary.

We know individual community members are experiencing myriad negative effects due to federal changes. The purpose of this grant program, however, is to support organizations that are facing challenges that might threaten their ability to continue to operate. 

Yes, though this grant program's purpose is to support organizations who are facing challenges that might threaten their ability to continue to operate. A request that plans to give grant money to other organizations or initiatives will be less competitive. Those other organizations or initiatives should submit their own application if their needs and eligibility align.

Applicants will receive an email confirmation of their JustFund Profile setup and of the Readiness & Response Fund application submission at the address they use to set up the JustFund Profile. When a decision about the application is reached, the decision will be communicated by email sent from the JustFund platform. If any follow-up information or actions are required, you may be contacted again from the JustFund platform or from responsefund@mainephilanthropy.org. Please check your spam folder to ensure that communications do not get lost.

This element of the Readiness & Response Fund effort is still in development. 

We hope to support grantees and the whole nonprofit sector in Maine by helping organizations secure trusted vendors, train staff on security, access legal aid, and similar technical assistance (TA) beyond receiving a grant award. We will update the Readiness & Response Fund page as this opportunity becomes available. 
If you have sourced trusted vendors, navigation support, legal aid, or other types of professional assistance that would be helpful to nonprofits, please share that information with us at responsefund@mainephilanthropy.org. 

Grant award recipients will be invited to schedule an optional short phone or video call with Fund staff six months after the grant is awarded. The purpose of this call is for MPC to learn how the grant funding was utilized, what the impact of the grant was, and what challenges and successes the organization is experiencing. There will be no written narrative or budgetary report required.

Once your profile is on JustFund, it becomes available for other funders to find. You can also easily apply to other opportunities through the platform without having to complete a new application. 

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