Maine Humanities Council
Maine Humanities Council is a statewide nonprofit based in Portland, Maine, and a public charity. It uses the humanities to foster connection and positive change in Maine communities, and makes grants for public humanities projects.
Key facts about Maine Humanities Council
In short: Maine Humanities Council gave $130K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Maine. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 01-0339295
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $129,938
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- Average grant
- $7,643
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $4,538,634
- Primary geography
- Maine (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Deadline
- The listed Mini Grant cycle ran August 11–September 15, 2026, and has passed.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$4.5M
+25.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$130K
+35.0% YoY
Grant Count
17
+30.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+3.3% YoY
How Maine Humanities Council gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Council’s mission is to use literature, history, philosophy, and culture as tools for positive change in Maine communities. Its program work includes facilitated reading and discussion groups, speaker programs, poetry readings, and other humanities-based community discussions. The Council also supports community history, regrants, partnerships with cultural agencies, and technical assistance to Maine’s cultural community.
Its grants support humanities projects with broad public outreach, such as exhibits, films, conferences, and community initiatives. The Council prioritizes well-developed humanities content, guidance from a scholar or topic expert, community involvement, and support from community partners. Its guidelines encourage organizations serving or led by communities traditionally under-resourced in the humanities to apply.
Examples of 2023 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Cumberland County Food Security Council describes its mission as advancing collaborative action toward a just, resilient, and sustainable food system with equitable access to healthy food. Penobscot Theatre Company says it promotes live theatre and conducts children’s workshops, educational outreach, and intern training. Indigo Arts Alliance describes its work as providing a center for creative production and professional development for artists from diverse backgrounds.
Grantmaking
The Council offers Major Grants of $2,001–$7,500 for larger public humanities projects, Mini Grants of up to $2,000, and Arts & Humanities Grants of up to $1,000 for projects combining arts and humanities. Mini Grants have typically ranged from $225 to $2,000 in the 2022–2024 award examples provided.
Review Cycle
The listed Mini Grant cycle ran August 11–September 15, 2026, and has passed. The listed Major Grant cycle runs December 8, 2026–January 26, 2027, with applications opening and closing at noon on those dates.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Maine Humanities Council
Arts & Humanities Grants
Maine Humanities Council
Amount
$655 - $2,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Major Grants
Maine Humanities Council
Amount
$4,910 - $7,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
ME Humanities: Major Grants
Maine Humanities Council
Amount
US $2,001 - US $7,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Maine Humanities Council?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Council’s grant program supports humanities projects across Maine. Its guidelines describe its grants as funding for Maine-based projects, and its website identifies Maine nonprofits and communities as the program’s intended beneficiaries.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $10K (2019) to $333K (2022). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $130K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Maine Wabanaki Reach ($10K). Together the top 10 received $80K.
Grant Size Distribution
155 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 155 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Wabanaki Reach Indian Island, ME | Support Operations | $10,000 |
| Indigo Arts Alliance Portland, ME | Support Operations | $9,500 |
| Maine Inside Out Lewiston, ME | Support Operations | $8,000 |
| Abbe Museum Bar Harbor, ME | Support Operations | $7,500 |
| Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center Portland, ME | Support Operations | $7,500 |
| Island Readers & Writers Mount Desert, ME | Support Operations | $7,500 |
| Maine Discovery Museum Bangor, ME | Support Operations | $7,500 |
| Maine Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor Lewiston, ME | Support Operations | $7,500 |
| Studio B Damariscotta, ME | Support Operations | $7,500 |
| The Telling Room Portland, ME | Support Operations | $7,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,538,634 | $2,596,932 | $1,668,100 | 0 grants |
| 2023 | $3,615,026 | $1,380,902 | $1,358,353 | 13 grants; $96,215 |
| 2022 | $3,529,954 | $1,686,793 | $1,753,735 | 45 grants; $333,050 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,538,634 | $3,615,026 | $3,529,954 |
| Revenue | $2,596,932 | $1,380,902 | $1,686,793 |
| Expenses | $1,668,100 | $1,358,353 | $1,753,735 |
| Net Investment Income | $696,538 | $133,668 | $92,624 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 31, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Greg Fahy as chair, Paul Buck as vice chair, Julie Sheehan as treasurer, and Joseph Hall as secretary. Directors listed on that filing are Luis Millones, Lawrence Boyle, Georges Budagu Makoko, Jean Deighan, Martha Dudman, and Mazie Hough.
The Council’s website lists Samaa Abdurraqib as executive director, Harper Batsford as program coordinator, Genius Black as digital media coordinator, and Diane Magras as director of development.
Maine Humanities Council is led by Samaa Abdurraqib, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 20 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Samaa Abdurraqib
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
35 hrs/week
$64K (2022) → $97K (2024)
Greg Fahy
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jean Deighan
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mazie Hough
Director
Vice Chair → Chair, 2021
Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lawrence Boyle
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Luis Millones
Director
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margery Irvine
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Georges Budagu Makoko
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amie Parker
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lise Pelletier
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha Dudman
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rosalani Moore
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tam Thanh Huynh
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ayesha Hall
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brendon Reay
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Niang Mouhamdoul
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Lolar
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph M. Hall
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Sheehan
Treasurer
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Buck
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (24)
- Former: Edward Kelleher (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Iva Sussman (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Joseph Conforti (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Reid Byers (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Larissa Malone (2023) — Director
- Former: Hayden Anderson (2019–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Heather Sirocki (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Julie Rabinowitz (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Melody Fitch (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Meredith Jones (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Ted Sharp (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Victoria Bornheimer (2021–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Ted Kelleher (2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Paul Doiron (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Crystal Williams (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Gregory Fahy (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Vicki Bornheimer (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Richard Speer (2020) — Director
- Former: Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko (2019) — Director
- Former: Daniel P. Gunn (2019) — Director
- Former: Joe Boyle (2019) — Director
- Former: Marge Irvine (2019) — Director
- Former: Rick Speer (2019) — Director
- Former: Steve Hayes (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $97K, to Samaa Abdurraqib (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 674 Brighton Avenue, Portland, ME 04102
Phone: (207) 773-5051
Website: https://mainehumanities.org
Frequently asked questions about Maine Humanities Council
How much does Maine Humanities Council give each year?
Maine Humanities Council gave $130K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $96K across 13 grants.
What is Maine Humanities Council's typical grant size?
Maine Humanities Council's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $7,643, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Maine Humanities Council give grants?
Maine Humanities Council gives mostly in Maine: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (4 grants), Lewiston, ME (3 grants) and Bangor, ME (2 grants).
Does Maine Humanities Council give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Maine Humanities Council's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Operations" (17 grants).
Who are Maine Humanities Council's largest grantees?
Maine Humanities Council's largest 2024 grantees include Maine Wabanaki Reach ($10,000), Indigo Arts Alliance ($9,500) and Maine Inside Out ($8,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Maine Humanities Council?
Maine Humanities Council reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.6M.
What does Maine Humanities Council fund?
The Council’s mission is to use literature, history, philosophy, and culture as tools for positive change in Maine communities. Its program work includes facilitated reading and discussion groups, speaker programs, poetry readings, and other humanities-based community discussions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Maine Humanities Council?
Maine Humanities Council has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mainehumanities.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Maine Humanities Council's EIN?
Maine Humanities Council's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0339295. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Maine Humanities Council by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Maine Humanities Council's focus areas in our free grants database
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Maine Humanities Council down — hundreds of funders to go?