Responsive grants are awarded semi-annually in response to proposals submitted through the Foundation's grant application process. The Foundation accepts requests up to $50,000. In 2019, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation awarded 64 responsive grants totaling $979,000. In total, the Foundation considered 142 letters of inquiry and invited 68 full applications. The average grant award was $15,297; the smallest grant was $2,500; the largest grant was $50,000.
Foundation-initiated grants are awarded to projects identified by directors and staff. Applications are accepted only at the invitation of the directors. Grant amounts have no limit.
Responsive Grants
| Organization/Location | Project/Funding Category | Amount |
| ACLU of Maine Foundation Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$ 20,000 |
| ArtVan Brunswick, Maine |
Art Therapy Program Arts & Culture |
$ 5,000 |
| Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy Tallahassee, FL |
Reading Mentors Education |
$15,000 |
|
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine Westbrook, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| Catherine Morrill Day Nursery Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Education |
$10,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
ESOL Collaborative Education |
$15,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
Food Production/Access Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership Portland, Maine |
Bias Training in Healthcare Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
|
South Portland, Maine |
IT Upgrades Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care South Portland, Maine |
Complementary Therapies Health & Human Services |
$20,000 |
| Engine Biddeford, Maine |
Operating Support Arts & Culture |
$10,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$20,000 |
| Foundation for Portland Public Schools Portland, Maine |
Equity Work Education |
$18,000 |
| Freeport Community Services Freeport, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| Friends of Portland Adult Education Portland, Maine |
New Mainers Resource Center Education |
$15,000 |
|
Springvale, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| Greater Portland Family Promise Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
|
Waterville, Maine |
Cumberland County Programs Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| Heart of Biddeford Biddeford, Maine |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$10,000 |
| Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine Augusta, Maine |
Southern Maine Education Programs Civic & Community |
$10,000 |
| Hope Acts Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
|
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$50,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Education |
$10,000 |
| Jewish Community Alliance of SoME Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Jewish Culture & Traditions |
$40,000 |
|
Scarborough, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| LearningWorks Portland, Maine |
English Language & Literacy Education |
$15,000 |
| Locker Project Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| Maine Academy of Modern Music Portland, Maine |
Expanding Capacity Arts & Culture |
$10,000 |
|
Maine Access Immigrant Network Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| Maine Equal Justice Augusta, Maine |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$30,000 |
| Maine Inside Out Portland, Maine |
Community Programming Civic & Community |
$10,000 |
|
Maine Resilience Building Network Manchester, ME |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$15,000 |
| Maine Women's Lobby Education Fund Augusta, Maine |
Summit on Economic Security Civic & Community |
$20,000 |
| Maine-Wabanaki REACH Stillwater, Maine |
Wellness Gathering Civic & Community |
$ 4,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Arts & Culture |
$15,000 |
| Muskie School of Public Service Portland, Maine |
Portland Empowered Education |
$15,000 |
| NAMI Maine Hallowell, Maine |
Data Collection - Impact Made Health & Human Services |
$12,000 |
|
New England Arab American Organization Portland, Maine |
Child Development certification Education |
$10,000 |
| New Ventures Maine Augusta, Maine |
Start Over, Start Strong Education |
$10,000 |
| Oasis Health Network Brunswick, Maine |
Oasis Dental Clinic Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
KIDS LEGAL Civic & Community |
$20,000 |
| Portland Chamber Music Festival Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Arts & Culture |
$10,000 |
| Portland Recovery Community Center Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| Portland Symphony Orchestra Portland, Maine |
PSO Explorers Full Expansion Arts & Culture |
$20,000 |
| ProsperityME Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Education |
$25,000 |
|
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine Portland, Maine |
Keeping Families Together Health & Human Services |
$ 5,000 |
|
Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center Biddeford, Maine |
Revolving Loan Fund Health & Human Services |
$17,500 |
| Seeds of Peace New York, NY |
Maine Seeds Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| Shalom House Portland, Maine |
Basic Needs Fund Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| Southern Maine Agency on Aging Scarborough, Maine |
Meals on Wheels Health & Human Services |
$30,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
Community Partner Programs Arts & Culture |
$15,000 |
| Spurwink Services Portland, Maine |
ShifaME: Helping Refugees Thrive Health & Human Services |
$25,000 |
| Susan Curtis Charitable Foundation Portland, Maine |
CSC SPARCs Program Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
|
Brunswick, Maine |
Case Management Services Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
|
The Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center Portland, Maine |
The iEnglish Project Education |
$35,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
VIP-Southern Maine Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
|
South Portland, Maine |
East Bayside Community Builder Health & Human Services |
$25,000 |
| Thornton Academy Saco, Maine |
Capital Campaign Education |
$15,000 |
| Through These Doors Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$20,000 |
| Volunteers of America NNE Brunswick, Maine |
Friendship Hill House Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| Wayfinder Schools New Gloucester, Maine |
Passages Program Education |
$ 5,000 |
|
WinterKids Education Foundation Westbrook, Maine |
Winter Games Health & Human Services |
$ 5,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 2,500 |
| York County Community Action Corporation Sanford, Maine |
Whole Family Approach Health & Human Services |
$25,000 |
Foundation-initiated Grants
| Organization/Location | Project/Funding Category | Amount |
| Habitat for Humanity York County Kennebunk, Maine |
Weatherization in York County Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| Holocaust and Human Rights Center Augusta, Maine |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$15,000 |
|
Scarborough, Maine |
Capital Campaign Health & Human Services |
$200,000 |
| Jewish Community Alliance of SoME Portland, Maine |
Addressing Anti-Semitism Civic & Community |
$ 3,400 |
|
Portland, ME |
Operating Support Jewish Culture & Traditions |
$ 7,500 |
| Maine Children's Alliance Augusta, Maine |
Strengthening Maine's Early Childhood System Education |
$50,000 |
|
Augusta, Maine |
Elevate Maine Education |
$ 2,500 |
|
Maine Early Childhood Funders Group Portland |
Operating Support Education |
$ 6,000 |
| Maine Initiatives Portland, Maine |
Immigrant/Refugee Funders Conference Civic & Community |
$ 2,000 |
|
Portland, Maine |
Solidarity Fund Civic & Community |
$10,000 |
| Maine Philanthropy Center Portland, Maine |
2019 Spring Symposium Civic & Community |
$ 1,500 |
| Maine Philanthropy Center Portland, Maine |
Opportunity Fund Civic & Community |
$ 5,000 |
|
Multilingual and Multicultural Center, PPS Portland, Maine |
Beyond Borders Civic & Community |
$ 5,000 |
| The Opportunity Alliance South Portland, Maine |
Heating Assistance/Weatherization Cumberland County Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| United Way of Greater Portland Portland, Maine |
Keep ME Warm Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| The Windowdressers, Inc. Rockland, Maine |
Weatherization York/Cumberland Counties Health & Human Services |
$10,000 |
| York County Community Action Corporation Sanford, Maine |
Heating Assistance York County Health & Human Services |
$ 7,500 |