Friends of Acadia
Friends of Acadia is a public charity based in Bar Harbor, Maine. Founded in 1986, it supports Acadia National Park and surrounding communities through grants, philanthropy, volunteerism, and partnerships, with the stated aim of enhancing rather than replacing federal support.
Friends of Acadia at a glance
In short: Friends of Acadia gave $7.3M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $454K), mostly in Maine. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $7,257,262
- -28.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $453,579
- -28.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,012
- Total assets
- $100,299,843
- +3.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Maine (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Friends of Acadia
- How to Apply
-
The website provides program-specific information for Outdoor Classroom Grants and Acadia for All Grants; it does not specify a general application process.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 45, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-0045
Phone: (207) 288-3340
Website: https://friendsofacadia.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Friends of Acadia funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Acadia National Park ($6.1M). Together the top 10 received $7.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 51 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s stated work centers on Acadia National Park and surrounding communities. In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 1% to Massachusetts, and 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How Friends of Acadia gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $761K (2020) to $10.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $7.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Acadia National Park Bar Harbor, ME | Provide assistance to ensure the protection of the Acadia National Park region. | $6,124,404 |
| Schoodic Institute at Acadia Winter Harbor, ME | Education and Conservation | $486,638 |
| Downeast Transportation Ellsworth, ME | Provide support for the Island Explorer propane buses serving Acadia National Park. | $297,000 |
| Appalachian Mountain Club Boston, MA | Conservation | $100,000 |
| Maine Coast Heritage Trust Topsham, ME | Conservation | $89,000 |
| Student Conservation Association Arlington, VA | Education | $43,914 |
| College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, ME | Research | $23,782 |
| University of Maine Bangor, ME | Research | $15,024 |
| Indian Island School Indian Island, ME | Education | $15,000 |
| Indian Township School Princeton, ME | Education | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Friends of Acadia?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $100,299,843 | $12,663,310 | $13,607,465 | $7,257,262 | 16 | $6,330,191 |
| 2024 | $97,289,675 | $14,311,559 | $15,249,572 | $10,156,650 | 16 | $5,303,976 |
| 2023 | $93,786,743 | $15,284,443 | $6,889,715 | $2,581,287 | 10 | $1,498,106 |
| 2022 | $74,652,165 | $7,595,646 | $5,290,491 | $1,485,175 | 6 | $1,519,852 |
| 2021 | $82,291,605 | $9,023,767 | $4,768,249 | $1,290,757 | 3 | $4,833,769 |
| 2020 | $70,297,006 | $4,546,098 | $4,010,499 | $760,512 | 3 | $210,762 |
| 2019 | $63,943,791 | $7,397,207 | $4,374,132 | $1,016,121 | 3 | $3,005,977 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Friends of Acadia’s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote stewardship of Acadia National Park’s natural beauty, ecological vitality, and distinctive cultural resources, and those of surrounding communities, for current and future generations.
Its strategic priorities are Wild Acadia, supporting native plants and wildlife amid environmental change; Tomorrow’s Stewards, connecting young people with nature; Acadia Experience, addressing impacts associated with increasing visitation; and Trails & Carriage Roads, preserving the park’s historic trail and carriage-road systems.
The 2025 filing describes grants to the park for trail and carriage-road maintenance, as well as support for programs including the Island Explorer, invasive-plant eradication, wildlife monitoring, education, and volunteer stewardship. It also describes contributions to seasonal employee housing projects.
In 2025, grantees included Downeast Transportation, whose stated mission is to provide public transportation in and around Hancock County; the Appalachian Mountain Club, which describes its work as promoting the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the Appalachian region’s mountains, forests, waters, and trails; and Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which says it advances conservation of Maine lands and waters. Other grantees included College of the Atlantic, an accredited college; Niweskok, a Wabanaki food and medicine collaboration; and the Abbe Museum, whose stated mission is to advance understanding of Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Friends of Acadia reported 16 grants totaling $7,257,262. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $6,124,404, with a median of $15,012.
The largest reported grant was $6,124,404 to Acadia National Park for protection of the Acadia National Park region. Other notable grants were $486,638 to Schoodic Institute at Acadia for education and conservation; $297,000 to Downeast Transportation for Island Explorer propane buses serving the park; $100,000 to the Appalachian Mountain Club for conservation; and $89,000 to Maine Coast Heritage Trust for conservation. Education grants included $43,914 to the Student Conservation Association, $15,000 each to Indian Island School and Indian Township School, and $7,500 to the Abbe Museum. Research grants included $23,782 to College of the Atlantic and $15,024 to the University of Maine.
The website describes Outdoor Classroom Grants for early learning centers and Maine public schools from pre-K through grade 12. Schools must host the classroom on school grounds and provide a curriculum link to Acadia National Park. Funds may support a new or existing outdoor learning space, educational supplies, or outdoor gear. The website also describes Acadia for All Grants that help make visits to Acadia possible for youth groups.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William C. Eacho as Chair, David Edson as Vice Chair, Rob Leary as Treasurer, and Story Litchfield as Secretary. Directors listed were Mark Amstutz, Julie Banzhaf-Stone, Justin Bennett, Charlotte Chilton, Sam Coplon, and Andrew Davis.
Friends of Acadia is led by Eric Stiles, President & CEO on every filing since 2022; 7 of 33 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Eric Stiles
President & CEO
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$120K (2022) → $260K (2025)
William C Eacho
Chair
Treasurer → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Davis
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne Green
Director
Chair → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christiaan van Heerden
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Katona
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward L Samek
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Banzhaf-Stone
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Jeffery
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Amstutz
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sam Coplon
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cora Olgyay
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jack Kelley
Director
Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Pierce
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Curtis Simard
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Bennett
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liz Williams
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lesley Draper
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Graham
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlotte Chilton
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kareem A Dieng
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lydia Kimball
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Horsch Clark
Vice President of Development
Director of Development → Vice President of Development, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$109K (2019) → $161K (2025)
Stephanie Clement
Vice President of Conservation
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$117K (2023) → $136K (2025)
Devin Lueddeke
Development Officer for Major Gifts
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$124K (2024) → $123K (2025)
Sarah Curts
Accounting Manager
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$111K (2024) → $112K (2025)
Megan Loomer
Vice President of Finance & CFO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$189K (2025)
Perrin Doniger
Vice President of Communications & Marketing
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$132K (2025)
David T Edson
Vice Chair
Director → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elsie Flemings
Past Director
Director → Past Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hannah Sistare Clark
Past Director
Vice Chair → Director, 2023
Director → Past Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Story Litchfield
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Leary
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Jason Irwin (2019–2024) — Past Vice President & CFO
- Former: Joan Pew (2019–2024) — Past Director
- Former: John Fassak (2019–2024) — Past Director
- Former: Lori Schaefer (2023–2024) — Past Vice President of Communications & Marketing
- Former: C Boyden Gray (2019–2023) — Past Director
- Former: Paul Mayewski (2019–2023) — Past Director
- Former: Jim Bright (2023) — Past Director
- Former: Bill Zoellick (2019–2022) — Past Director
- Former: David MacDonald (2019–2022) — Past President
- Former: Eleanor Sullivan (2019–2021) — Past Director
- Former: Emily Beck (2019–2021) — Past Director
- Former: Gail Clark (2019–2021) — Past Director
- Former: Hank Schmelzer (2021) — Director
- Former: Henry Schmelzer (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: John Kelley (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Jan Karst (2019) — Past Director
- Former: Meredith K Moriarty (2019) — Past Director
- Former: Nina Horner (2019) — Past Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $260K, to Eric Stiles (President & CEO). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Friends of Acadia
How much does Friends of Acadia give each year?
Friends of Acadia gave $7.3M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $10.2M across 16 grants.
What is Friends of Acadia's typical grant size?
Friends of Acadia's median grant in 2025 was $15,012, and its average grant was $453,579, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Friends of Acadia give grants?
Friends of Acadia gives mostly in Maine: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bar Harbor, ME (3 grants) and Ellsworth, ME (2 grants).
Does Friends of Acadia give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Friends of Acadia's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (9 grants).
Who are Friends of Acadia's largest grantees?
Friends of Acadia's largest 2025 grantees include Acadia National Park ($6,124,404), Schoodic Institute at Acadia ($486,638) and Downeast Transportation ($297,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Friends of Acadia?
Friends of Acadia reported $100.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $12.7M.
What does Friends of Acadia fund?
Friends of Acadia’s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote stewardship of Acadia National Park’s natural beauty, ecological vitality, and distinctive cultural resources, and those of surrounding communities, for current and future generations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Friends of Acadia?
The website provides program-specific information for Outdoor Classroom Grants and Acadia for All Grants; it does not specify a general application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Friends of Acadia's EIN?
Friends of Acadia's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0425071. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 24, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Friends of Acadia funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Friends of Acadia's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Friends of Acadia funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/friends-of-acadia-morg_46daddc479054d3a8ce128b5afd2bcaa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010425071_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Friends of Acadia funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/friends-of-acadia-morg_46daddc479054d3a8ce128b5afd2bcaa},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Friends of Acadia's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Friends of Acadia down — hundreds of funders to go?