ConSERVE Maine Mini-grant Call for Applications

Volunteer Maine is inviting applications for a series of Betterment Fund and Maine Volunteer Foundation supported ConSERVE Maine grants of up to $10,000 to support conservation projects that build community action through service and volunteerism to address needs related to energy efficiency, environmental education, flood resilience, and community health in Oxford, Franklin, and Somerset counties. All funded projects must have at least two individuals engaging in service which can be a combination of any of the following: interns engaged in service-based projects or service learning, volunteers that commit to specific tasks whether or not they are stipended, fellows that engage in service projects, and/or Corps members from other Corps programs.

Examples of potential projects include but are not limited to:

a. Creating a Community Garden
b. Coordinating a site clean-up that includes volunteers from the community
c. Developing and leading a series of workshops on climate education such as green energy, composting, plastic reduction, native species planting, etc.
d. Community art installation that brings awareness to climate issues
e. Using nature-based solutions to build climate resilient infrastructure along river or lake shorelines
f. Engaging in invasive species removal or management

Volunteer Maine is committed to making climate solutions accessible to communities throughout Maine especially focusing on those areas that are under-resourced. Funded projects should be developed through community collaboration, including Indigenous collaboration, ensuring solutions are created with and for local residents. The impacts of climate change disproportionately affect low income and marginalized communities so it is important to promote solutions that will benefit those that will be most affected. Applicants should include potential benefits and how accessibility to those benefits will be managed in their project proposals.

Volunteer Maine plans to allocate up to $30,000 this grant round. The maximum award amount is $10,000. Grants are anticipated to be awarded by mid-August with start dates as early as September 1, 2026 and as late as November 1, 2026. Projects can be up to nine months in duration.

Eligible Uses of Funds

Expenses must be related to the implementation, management, and support of conservation projects that build community action through service and volunteerism to address energy efficiency, environmental education, flood resilience, and community health in Western Maine counties of Oxford, Somerset, and Franklin.

Project expenses must support the conservation project and engagement of volunteers in the implementation, management, and support of the proposed conservation project. These may include supplies, travel, indirect costs, venue rental fees, and volunteer support. These cannot include staff salaries, fringe benefits, land purchases, or equipment such as vehicle or computer purchases.

Applicants are encouraged to utilize ConSERVE Maine grants as match to leverage other federal, state, or philanthropic grant funds as allowed by those programs. ConSERVE Maine grants may also be used to close project funding gaps for other state funding programs, in accordance with the criteria above. It is the applicant’s responsibility to consult the rules for the federal or state funding programs if the ConSERVE Maine grant will be designated as cost-share or match. If applicable, applicants should explain any anticipated use of ConSERVE Maine grant funds as match for another funding program.

Questions about this Program Statement should be sent via email to lucy.martin@maine.gov

Eligibility:

· Be a municipal government, non-profit organization, tribal government, individual community, plantation, township, or unorganized territory in Oxford, Franklin, or Somerset Counties
· Have a community-centered conservation project that focuses on energy efficiency, environmental education, flood resilience, and community health
· Promote service and volunteerism as a component of that project to increase sustainability of the project. All funded projects must have at least two individuals engaging in service which can be a combination of any of the following: interns engaged in service-based projects or service learning, volunteers that commit to specific tasks whether or not they are stipended, fellows that engage in service projects, and/or Corps members from other Corps programs.

NOTE: Non-profit organizations must include, as a supplementary document, a letter of support from the municipality where the proposed project will be implemented.