Wabanaki Grant

Overview

Elmina Brewster Sewall established the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation in 1982.

As a child, Elmina Brewster Sewall was given two piggy banks. Her weekly allowance was divided equally: half in a piggy bank designated for her own spending and half in a piggy bank marked "Charity". Thus began "Sis" Sewall's lifelong commitment to helping those in need. She long focused her volunteer and philanthropic efforts on animal welfare, land conservation, and issues affecting human well-being. Through her personal giving as well as that of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Mrs. Sewall has had a profound impact on life in Kennebunk and the State of Maine. Since Mrs. Sewall's death in 2005, the Foundation's Board of Directors has sought to continue her philanthropic legacy. The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation makes grants in Maine in the following three areas of interest: Animal Welfare, Healthy People Healthy Places, and Legacy.

Wabanaki Grants

The Sewall Foundation seeks to be a good partner to Wabanaki Communities and Wabanaki-led organizations by supporting work on community priorities through grants, capacity building and technical assistance, convening, shared learning and impact investment. Our funding goals are to provide flexible, continued support for current Tribal initiatives and new projects for Wabanaki communities and Wabanaki serving organizations.

Understanding that how we work is as important as what we work on, we are committed to ongoing organizational learning about the true history of what is now Maine from Indigenous perspectives, understanding that Tribes are sovereign entities. Beyond this focus area, Sewall invests and partners with Wabanaki-led efforts by integrating awareness and participation of Indigenous perspectives and organizations across all our work. Generally, we will support work that is focused on:

* Sovereignty, self-governance and self-determination
* Collective well-being
* Community culture and community building
* Indigenous leadership and resourcing across communities

The available funding for 2025 is $1,800,000 and generally, our grant funding levels in this focus area are:

* Individual organizations/efforts: $10,000 to $50,000 (per year). Increased funding amounts may be available to organizations that work on priority areas across all Tribes and/or communities.
* Collaborations/efforts involving multiple organizations/groups: up to $200,000 (per year). Occasionally, organizations may apply for both organizational and collaborative funds.
* Transformational opportunities: variable funding levels. The purpose and intended impact of transformational efforts is to address critical community priorities and create sustainable, systemic changes. Generally, funding is limited to one to two years.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Funding is focused on organizations and efforts that meet the following criteria:
* The organization is led by majority Wabanaki and Indigenous people (staff and board) and/or is serving Wabanaki Communities.
* Most of the work of the organization is focused on and/or serving Wabanaki people, communities, and interests.
* All the work takes place in what is now Maine.