MainStreet Foundation

Overview

Application

Guidelines & Criteria

Past Recipients

Contact Us*

Guidelines & Criteria

Below you'll find the criteria needed in order to receive a MainStreet Foundation grant.

The more clearly a proposed project can demonstrate that it has a positive impact on and meets specific needs of at-risk youth, the more favorably it will be viewed by the Foundation's Board. The Foundation generally gives priority to local organizations with sustainable, if modest, organizational budgets. In the case of requests from large organizations (e.g. with annual operating budgets in excess of $2 million), the proposal and related budget must clearly differentiate the proposed project from total operating budget, as well as meeting other criteria.

The Foundation seeks proposals that provide direct service to at-risk youth including, but not limited to:

• After-school and mentoring programs
• Leadership development experiences of all types
• Promoting literacy and a love of learning
• Coping with homelessness and difficult family dynamics
• Promoting mental health and developing effective change and coping mechanisms
• Learning life-management skills — learning about earning, saving, budgeting money, and spending money
• General welfare of youth's lives

The Foundation grants will not be given to support:

• General operating expenses or annual operating budget
• Endowments
• Conferences or seminars
• Training of trainers or teachers
• Facilities renovation or improvements

We do not support multi-year requests or capital campaigns. We also ask that Impact and Seed Grant recipients not apply for additional funding for at least twelve months or one calendar year, whichever is longer, from the conclusion of any previously funded projects before submitting another request. The Bank will take into consideration total donations of Androscoggin Bank in deciding upon a grant request to the Foundation. Grants awarded are generally limited to the market areas served by Androscoggin Bank.

Please take a moment to review some of our past grant recipients.

After Grants Are Made

If a grant is made, the grantee must agree to the following:

• To provide the Foundation with a brief report at the end of the grant period describing, for example:
  • The extent to which the project objective was met and describing outcomes
  • The impact of the project
  • Highlighting a specific success story involving an individual or group that benefited from the grant's use
• To allow the Foundation or Androscoggin Bank to use the name of the grantee and a description of the grant in publications and media releases describing the activities of the Foundation.
• To repay, upon demand, to the MainStreet Foundation the total amount of a grant if any of the following events occur:
  • Change in the activities of the grantee that eliminates its exempt status
  • Failure to spend the grant as indicated in the application
  • Information submitted in the application or supporting information is found to be inaccurate in any material respect

Please follow the guidelines in the grant application carefully. Applications that do not comply with the guidelines or that do not specifically address our area of focus will not be considered for funding.

Before or after grant approval, MainStreet Foundation may request additional information from an organization on its financial status, organization, or operations.