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. To date in 2025, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation has awarded 59 responsive grants totaling $994,075. In total, the Foundation considered 91 letters of inquiry and invited 60 full applications. The average grant award was $16,849; the smallest grant was $5,000; the largest grant was $40,000.
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 |
| A Company of Girls Portland, ME |
Empowerment and Resilience Programming Health & Human Services |
$ 12,500 |
| Apex Youth Connection Biddeford, ME |
Bike Safety Project Health & Human Services |
$ 8,800 |
| Black Owned Maine Portland, ME |
Entrepreneurship & Business Education Civic & Community |
$ 15,000 |
| Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine Portland, ME |
Accessibility Initiatives Arts & Culture |
$ 10,000 |
| Consumers for Affordable Healthcare Augusta, ME |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 20,000 |
| The Dempsey Center Westbrook, ME |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 20,000 |
| Disability Rights Maine Augusta, ME |
Youth Self-Advocacy Program Civic & Community |
$ 20,000 |
| Food for All Services Portland, ME |
Food Pantry Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| Full Plates Full Potential Portland, ME |
Child Nutrition Programs York/Cumberland Cty. Health & Human Services |
$ 25,000 |
| Girl Scouts of Maine South Portland, Maine |
Growing Resilient Girls In York County Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| Great Schools Partnership Portland, ME |
Professional Learning for Westbrook Educators Education |
$ 10,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity 7 Rivers Bath, ME |
Critical Home Repair Health & Human Services |
$ 10,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity Greater Portland Portland, ME |
Critical Home Repair Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| Heart of Biddeford Biddeford, ME |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$ 20,000 |
| Hope Acts Portland, ME |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 25,000 |
| Intercultural Community Center Westbrook, ME |
Operating Support Education |
$ 25,000 |
| Jobs for Maine's Graduates Augusta, Maine |
Operating Support Education |
$ 25,000 |
| Junior Achievement of Maine Portland, ME |
Financial Education & Workforce Readiness Education |
$ 10,000 |
| Kids First Center Scarborough, ME |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 10,000 |
| Kids Free to Grow Kennebunk, ME |
Active Parenting Program Civic & Community |
$ 8,000 |
| KidsPeace South Portland, ME |
Hope, Help, and Healing Health & Human Services |
$ 5,000 |
| Levey Day School Portland, ME |
Scholarship Fund Jewish Culture & Traditions |
$ 20,000 |
| Maine Association of Nonprofits Portland, ME |
Strategic Coaching for Maine Nonprofits Civic & Community |
$10,000 |
| Maine Coast Fishermen's Association Brunswick, ME |
Fishermen Feeding Mainers Health & Human Services |
$ 25,000 |
| Maine Equal Justice Augusta, ME |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$ 40,000 |
| Maine Needs Portland, ME |
Settling with Dignity Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| Maine Public Lewiston, ME |
Connecting Communities Civic & Community |
$ 15,000 |
| Maine State Music Theatre Brunswick, ME |
Sensory-Friendly Performances Arts & Culture |
$ 7,500 |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME |
Vision Care for New Mainers Health & Human Services |
$15,000 |
| Mainspring Kittery, ME |
Moving the Needle, Together. Health & Human Services |
$ 35,000 |
| Midcoast Literacy Bath, ME |
Operating Support Education |
$ 12,000 |
| My Place Teen Center Biddeford, ME |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 40,000 |
| North Berwick Food Pantry North Berwick, ME |
Capital Campaign Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| Osher Map Library Portland, ME |
K - 12 Educational Programming - Map Kits Education |
$ 12,500 |
| OUT Maine Rockland, ME |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$ 15,000 |
| Passivhausmaine Bethel, ME |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 10,000 |
| Portland Chamber Music Festival Portland, ME |
Operating Support Arts & Culture |
$ 12,500 |
| Portland Community Squash Portland, ME |
Rally Portland - Middle & High School Education |
$ 20,000 |
| Portland Museum of Art Portland, ME |
Education & Community Learning Programs Arts & Culture |
$ 15,000 |
| PSL STRIVE South Portland, ME |
On-line Education Program Education |
$ 25,000 |
| Quality Housing Coalition Portland, ME |
Operating Support Health & Human Services |
$ 20,000 |
| Reach Out and Read Boston, MA |
Programming in Southern Maine Education |
$ 10,000 |
| Regional Transportation Program Westbrook, ME |
Transportation Access Civic & Community |
$ 20,000 |
| Restorative Justice Institute of Maine Biddeford, ME |
Operating Support Civic & Community |
$ 15,000 |
| Robbie Foundation Scarborough, ME |
AAT Program Health & Human Services |
$ 25,000 |
| Sea Change Yoga Portland, ME |
Healing-centered Yoga at Milestone Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| Side X Side Portland, ME |
Arts for Equitable Creative Learning Arts & Culture |
$ 20,000 |
| Southern Maine Agency on Aging Biddeford, ME |
Improving the Health & Wellbeing of Seniors Health & Human Services |
$ 40,000 |
| Susan Curtis Charitable Foundation Portland, ME |
Camp Susan Curtis Health & Human Services |
$ 20,000 |
| Temple Beth El Portland, ME |
Accessibility & Security at Shalom Community Park Jewish Culture & Traditions |
$30,000 |
| The Hill Arts Portland, ME |
Operating Support Arts & Culture |
$ 5,000 |
| The Hub for Nonprofit Bookkeeping South Portland, ME |
Building a Hub & Marketplace for Nonprofit Bookkeeping Civic & Community |
$ 5,000 |
| The Lifeflight Foundation Augusta, ME |
Protective Safety Gear Health & Human Services |
$ 14,125 |
| Vet to Vet Maine Biddeford, ME |
Peer Campanion Program Health & Human Services |
$ 10,000 |
| Vigorous Tenderness Portland, ME |
Operating Support Arts & Culture |
$ 10,000 |
| Volunteers of America NNE Brunswick, ME |
Young Adult Rapid Rehousing Program Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| Wayfinder Schools Camden, ME |
Passages Project Education |
$ 15,000 |
| Waynflete Portland, ME |
Third Thought Initiative - The Can We? Project Civic & Community |
$ 6,150 |
| Westbrook Adult Education Westbrook, ME |
Common Threads Program Civic & Community |
$ 15,000 |
Foundation-initiated Grants
| Organization/Location | Project/Funding Category | Amount |
| Education Funders Network Portland, ME |
Membership 2025/Operating Support Education |
$ 500 |
| Habitat for Humanity York County Kennebunk, ME |
Weatherization Program Health & Human Services |
$ 10,000 |
| Maine AEYC Augusta, ME |
Right from the Start 2025 Education |
$ 11,667 |
| Maine Children's Alliance Augusta, ME |
Right from the Start 2025 Education |
$ 58,333 |
| Maine Initiatives Portland, ME |
Immigrant & Refugee Funder Collaborative Civic & Community |
$ 4,000 |
| Maine Philanthropy Center Portland, ME |
2025 Conference Sponsorship Civic & Community |
$ 5,000 |
| The Opportunity Alliance South Portland, Maine |
Heating Assistance/Weatherization Cumberland County Health & Human Services |
$ 15,000 |
| The Windowdressers Rockland, Maine |
Weatherization York/Cumberland Counties Health & Human Services |
$ 7,500 |
| United Way of Southern Maine Portland, Maine |
Keep ME Warm Health & Human Services |
$ 10,000 |
| York County Community Action Corporation Sanford, Maine |
Heating Assistance York County Health & Human Services |
$ 7,500 |