Funding Amount

$10,000 per year ($30,000 over three years)

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Outdoor Equity Fund

Program Type: Participatory grantmaking program (co-developed and administered by Maine Initiatives and Nature Based Education Consortium)

Geographic Scope: Maine

Focus Areas:

  • Equitable access to nature-based learning opportunities

  • Environmental justice

  • Cultural preservation

  • Food sovereignty

  • Immigrant flourishing

  • Healing after incarceration

  • Community engagement with natural world
  • Target Population: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Maine

    Award Structure:

  • Multi-year, unrestricted grants

  • $10,000 per year over 3-year period ($30,000 total)

  • Access to convenings, training, and peer support within growing ecosystem
  • Background:
    Since 2022, the Outdoor Equity Fund has committed $750,000 in unrestricted, multi-year grants. The fund has engaged approximately 70 Grantmaking Advisory Committee Members and about 150 volunteer Readers in the community-led, participatory grantmaking process.

    Current Grantees (2025 Cohort - Third Cohort):

  • Abbe Museum

  • Katahdin Kitchen

  • La Finca Cooperative

  • Maine Community Integration

  • Reentry Sisters
  • Total Organizations Supported: 25 organizations across three cohorts

    Selection Process:

  • Participatory grantmaking

  • 2025 Outdoor Equity Fund Grantmaking Advisory Committee: 30-person decision-making body

  • Community-led evaluation process
  • Partner Organization: Nature Based Education Consortium (NBEC) - a diverse, multi-sector network focused on building support for equitable access to outdoor spaces and learning opportunities for Maine youth

    Contact: oef@maineinitiatives.org

    How to Apply

    Application Process

    2025 Cohort: Already selected and announced

    Selection Criteria:

  • Selected by Grantmaking Advisory Committee with aligned wisdom, lived experience, and expertise in outdoor and environmental sector

  • Participatory grantmaking process

  • Community-led evaluation
  • For Future Cycles:

  • Check website for next funding opportunity announcement

  • Organizations should focus on nature-based learning and environmental justice

  • Community-based organizations serving BIPOC communities preferred

  • Submit application by deadline specified in annual Funding Opportunity Announcement
  • Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    environmental-educationbipoccommunity-development

    Categories

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