2025 Grants - Sam L. Cohen Foundation

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 2025, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation has awarded 93 responsive grants totaling $1,700,863. The Foundation considered 170 letters of inquiry and invited 95 full applications. The average grant award was $18,289; the smallest grant was $5,000; 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
A Company of Girls Portland, ME	Empowerment and Resilience Programming Health & Human Services	$ 12,500
Acorn Productions Portland, ME	High School & Middle School Playwrighting Program Arts & Culture	$ 5,000
Apex Youth Connection Biddeford, ME	Bike Safety Project Health & Human Services	$ 8,800
Avesta Housing Portland, ME	Homeless to Housing Health & Human Services	$ 20,000
Biddeford Food Pantry Biddeford, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 35,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine Portland, ME	One-to-One Implact Health & Human Services	$ 15,000
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
Community Organizing Alliance Portland, ME	Activating Civic Participation Civic & Community	$ 7,500
Consumers for Affordable Healthcare Augusta, ME	Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 20,000
Cumberland County Food Security Council Portland, ME	Cumberland County Gleaning Initiative Health & Human Services	$ 15,000
Elder Abuse Institute of Maine Portland, ME	General Operating Support Civic & Community	$ 15,000
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
Farms for Food Equity Cape Elizabeth, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 25,000
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
Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn, ME	Nutritious Food Access in Southern Maine Health & Human Services	$ 50,000
Grahamtastic Connection Springvale, ME	General Operating Support Education	$ 10,000
Greater Portland Health Portland, ME	Expanding Access to Maternal and Child Healthcare Health & Human Services	$ 16,016
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
Hardy Girls Augusta, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 12,500
Heart of Biddeford Biddeford, ME	Operating Support Civic & Community	$ 20,000
Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine Augusta, ME	General Operating Support Jewish Culture & Traditions	$ 50,000
Hope Acts Portland, ME	Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 25,000
Hospice of Southern Maine Scarborough, ME	IT Improvements at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House 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 Access Points Portland, ME	Harm Reduction Services in York County Health & Human Services	$ 10,000
Maine Association of Nonprofits Portland, ME	Strategic Coaching for Maine Nonprofits Civic & Community	$10,000
Maine Audubon Society Falmouth, ME	Wabanaki Fieldwork and Resources in Portland Schools Education	$ 18,452
Maine Children's Alliance Augusta, ME	Child Health and Well-Being Civic & Community	$ 50,000
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 Humanities Council Portland, ME	Department of Corrections Program Arts & Culture	$ 14,820
Maine Inside Out Lewiston, ME	Broken Clock Performance and Youth Workshops Civic & Community	$ 10,000
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
Maine Women's Lobby Education Fund Augusta, ME	General Operating Support Civic & Community	$ 30,000
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
Mayo Street Arts Portland, ME	General Operating Support Arts & Culture	$ 10,000
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program Brunswick, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 30,000
Midcoast Literacy Bath, ME	Operating Support Education	$ 12,000
Milestone Recovery Portland, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 30,000
Mitchell Institute Portland, ME	SOS Fund Education	$ 20,000
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
Our Place Portland Portland, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 10,000
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
Portland Recovery Community Center Portland, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 25,000
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
Rippleffect Portland, ME	Rippleffect Outdoor Leadership Education (ROLE) Health & Human Services	$ 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
Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center Biddeford, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 40,000
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
St. Luke's Food Pantry Portland, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 10,000
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 Ecology School Saco, ME	AgroEcology for Resilient Communitites (ARC) Health & Human Services	$ 30,000
The Family Restored Portland, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 10,000
The Hill Arts Portland, ME	Operating Support Arts & Culture	$ 5,000
The Root Cellar Portland, ME	Portland Teen Workforce Readiness Program Health & Human Services	$ 10,000
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
Through These Doors Portland, ME	General Operating Support Civic & Community	$ 20,000
United Recovery Fund Portland, ME	Expanded Client Employment Services Health & Human Services	$ 12,500
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
Foundation for Portland Public Schools Portland, ME	PPS Food Fund Health & Human Services	$ 10,000
Habitat for Humanity York County Kennebunk, ME	Weatherization Program Health & Human Services	$ 10,000
Holocaust and Human Rights Center Augusta, ME	From the Holocaust to Maine: Testimonies of the Survivors Jewish Culture & Traditions	$ 4,545
Jewish Community Alliance of SoME Portland, ME	Addressing Antisemitism in Maine Jewish Culture & Tradition	$100,000
Locker Project Portland, ME	General Operations Health & Human Services	$ 15,000
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 Family Planning Augusta, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 40,000
Maine Initiatives Portland, ME	Immigrant & Refugee Funder Collaborative Civic & Community	$ 4,000
Maine Initiatives Portland, ME	Rapid Response Fund to Support Immigrant Communities Civic & Community	$ 75,000
Maine Oral Health Funders Southern Maine	MOHF Consultant 2025 Health & Human Services	$ 3,000
Maine Philanthropy Center Portland, ME	2025 Conference Sponsorship Civic & Community	$ 5,000
Planned Parenthood of NNE Portland, ME	General Operating Support Health & Human Services	$ 60,000
Portland Parks Conservancy Portland, Maine	A 21st Century Community Pool for Portland Health & Human Services	$100,000
Preble Street Portland, Maine	Food Security Hub Health & Human Services	$ 25,000
South Portland Food Cupboard South Portland, Maine	General Operations Health & Human Services	$ 5,000
Southern Maine Jewish Cemetery Assoc. Portland, Maine	Cemetery Renovation Jewish Culture & Tradition	$250,000
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
Wayside Food Program Portland, Maine	General Operations Health & Human Services	$ 12,500
York County Community Action Corporation Sanford, Maine	Heating Assistance York County Health & Human Services	$ 7,500
Youth and Family Outreach Portland, ME	Building a Brighter Future capital campaign Education	$350,000
Youth Full Maine Biddeford, ME	General Operations Health & Human Services	$ 15,000