2023 Grants - Sam L. Cohen Foundation

Responsive grants are awarded semi-annually in response to proposals submitted through the Foundation's grant application process. The Foundation accepts requests up to $50,000. In 2023, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation awarded 82 responsive grants totaling $1,413,223. In total, the Foundation considered 133 proposals requesting $2,775,014. The average grant award was $17,234; the smallest grant was $2,500; the largest grant was $50,000.

Foundation-initiated grants are awarded to projects identified by directors and staff. Applications are accepted only at the invitation of the directors. Grant amounts have no limit.

Responsive Grants

A Company of Girls Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services - Youth Development	$ 12,500
Acorn Productions Portland	Youth Playwriting Program Arts and Culture	$ 5,000
Apex Youth Connection Biddeford	Apex Future Focus Center Health and Human Services - Youth Development	$ 20,000
Avesta Housing Portland	Housing Transition Support Health and Human Services	$ 15,000
Biddeford Food Pantry Biddeford	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 30,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine Westbrook	General Operating Support Health and Human Services - Youth Development	$ 15,000
Black Owned Maine Portland	Business Advising and Technical Assistance Civic and Community	$ 10,000
Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine Portland	Visiting Artist Program Arts and Culture	$ 10,000
Common Threads of Maine Westbrook	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 15,000
Community Change Inc. Boston, MA	Anti-Racism Organizing in Maine Civic and Community	$ 7,500
Community Organizing Alliance Augusta	Cumberland County Civic Engagement Civic and Community	$ 7,500
Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care South Portland	Direct Client Services - South Portland Health and Human Services	$ 20,000
Disability Rights Maine Augusta	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 20,000
Ecology Education Saco	ARC Project Education	$ 20,000
Elder Abuse Institute of Maine Brunswick	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 15,000
Farms for Food Equity Cape Elizabeth	Product Purchase Health and Human Service	$ 10,000
FocusMaine Augusta	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 20,000
Foundation for Portland Public Schools Portland	Make It Happen! Expansion Education	$ 45,000
Full Plates Full Potential Brunswick	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 25,000
Girls Scouts of Maine South Portland	A Place for Girls Health and Human Services - Youth Development	$ 10,000
Grahamtastic Connection Springvale	General Operating Support Education	$ 10,000
Great Bay Services Sanford	Southern Maine Support Services Health and Human Services	$ 10,000
Greater Portland Health Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 20,000
Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center Portland	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 25,000
Greater Portland Peer Services Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 15,000
Habitat for Humanity 7 Rivers Topsham	Weatherizing and Repair Health and Human Services	$ 10,000
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland Portland	Critical Home Repair Health and Human Services	$ 12,500
Hardy Girls Healthy Women Waterville	General Operating Support Health and Human Services - Youth Development	$ 10,000
Heart of Biddeford Biddeford	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 15,000
The Hill Arts Portland	General Operating Support Arts and Culture	$ 5,000
Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine Augusta	Support for Holocaust Education Civic and Community	$ 50,000
Hope Acts Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 25,000
Hospice of Southern Maine Scarborough	Operating Support and Gosnell Energy Efficiency Health and Human Services	$ 25,000
Indigo Arts Alliance Portland	Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival Arts and Culture	$ 10,000
Intercultural Community Center Westbrook	General Operating Support Education	$ 25,000
Junior Achievement of Maine Portland	Cumberland and York County Programming Education	$ 10,000
Kids First Center Scarborough	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 10,000
Kids Free to Grow Kennebunk	Healthy Partnerships Civic and Community	$ 7,000
Ladder to the Moon Network Portland	Capacity Building Civic and Community	$ 15,000
Levey Day School Portland	General Operating Support Jewish Culture and Traditions	$ 15,000
Maine Audubon Falmouth	Living Schoolyards Education	$ 18,400
Maine Children's Alliance Augusta	Advancing Child Health and Welfare Civic and Community	$ 40,000
Maine Coast Fishermen's Association Brunswick	Fishermen Feeding Mainers Health and Human Services	$ 25,000
Maine Equal Justice Augusta	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$40,000
Maine Historical Society Portland	Maine's Music Story Arts and Culture	$ 20,000
Maine Humanities Council Portland	Humanities Outreach: Maine Correctional Center Arts and Culture	$ 11, 840
Maine Inside Out Lewiston	Theater for Social Change - King Middle School Civic and Community	$ 10,000
United Recovery Fund Portland	Client Support Health and Human Services	$ 12,500
Maine Women's Lobby Education Fund Augusta	Civic Education and Engagement Civic and Community	$ 20,000
MaineHealth Portland	Vision Care Support for New Mainers Health and Human Services	$ 15,000
Mainspring Kittery	Seacoast Social Service Collective Health and Human Services	$ 30,000
Mayo Street Arts Portland	General Operating Support Arts and Culture	$ 15,000
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Brunswick	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 20,000
Midcoast Literacy Bath	General Operating Support Education	$ 10,000
Milestone Recovery Portland	Detox Expansion Program Health and Human Services	$ 45,000
Northeast Hearing and Speech Center Portland	Expanded Services for Young Children Health and Human Services	$ 25,000
Omar Bin Al Khaftab Masjid Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 5,000
Our Place Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services - Youth Development	$ 5,000
Palaver Strings Portland	Early Childhood Music Education Arts and Culture	$ 10,000
Partners for World Health Portland	Maine Supply Program Health and Human Services	$ 15,000
Port Resources South Portland	Client and Staff Technology Updates Civic and Community	$ 9,983
Portland Chamber Music Festival Portland	General Operating Support Arts and Culture	$ 10,000
Portland Community Squash Portland	Rally Portland Education	$ 15,000
Portland Museum of Art Portland	Learning and Community Collaboration Arts and Culture	$ 15,000
Portland Public Library Portland	Community Curators and Creators Arts and Culture	$ 20,000
Portland Recovery Community Center Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 25,000
Restorative Justice Institute of Maine Portland	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 15,000
Rippleffect Portland	Outdoor Community Center Health and Human Services - Youth Development	$ 15,000
Robbie Foundation Scarborough	Adaptive Equipment/Assistive Technology Health and Human Services	$ 20,000
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 2,500
Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center Biddeford	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 30,000
Side x Side Portland	General Operating Support Arts and Culture	$ 15,000
Southern Maine Agency on Aging Biddeford	Programming and Services Health and Human Services	$ 40,000
SPACE Gallery Portland	General Operating Support Arts and Culture	$ 18,000
St. Luke's Food Pantry Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 5,000
Susan Curtis Charitable Foundation Portland	Camp Susan Curtis Health and Human Services	$ 15,000
The Family Restored Portland	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 10,000
The Gathering Place Brunswick	General Operating Support Health and Human Services	$ 10,000
The Mitchell Institute Portland	Supporting our Scholars Fund Education	$ 15,000
Through These Doors Portland	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$ 20,000
University of Southern Maine Foundation Portland	Center for Teaching Innovation Education	$ 30,000
Vigorous Tenderness Portland	Wabanaki Music Collaboration Arts and Culture	$ 8,000

Foundation-initiated Grants

Organization/Location	Project/Funding Category	Amount
Education Funders Network Portland	Consultant Education	$ 1,500
Gulf of Maine Research Institute Portland	Lunder 21st Century Fund - LabVenture Education	$300,000
Habitat for Humanity York County Kennebunk	Weatherization/Aging in Place Health and Human Services	$ 10,000
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project Portland	General Operating Support Civic and Community	$150,000
Jewish Community Alliance Portland	Celebratory Dinner - Shabbat and Ifter Jewish Culture and Tradition	$ 4,000
Jewish Community Alliance Portland	The Charlie Miller Award Jewish Culture and Tradition	$ 10,000
Jewish Community Alliance Portland	2023-2024 Community Study Jewish Culture and Tradition	$ 75,000
MaineAEYC Portland	Right from the Start Coalition Education	$ 32,500
Maine Children's Alliance Augusta	Right from the Start Coalition Education	$ 32,500
Maine Community Foundation Portland	L-A Area Response Fund: Victims & Families Civic and Community	$ 15,000
Maine Early Childhood Funders Group Portland	Membership 2023 Education	$ 6,000
Maine Initiatives Portland	Maine Asylum Seeker Crisis Support Civic and Community	$ 20,000
Maine Oral Health Funders Statewide	Consultant Stipend Contribution Health and Human Services	$ 3,000
Maine Philanthropy Center Portland	2023 Conference Support Civic and Community	$ 2,500
Portland ConnectED Portland	General Operating Support Education	$ 25,000
Portland Stage Portland	"Making an Entrance" Capital Campaign Arts and Culture	$200,000
Starting Strong Portland	General Operating Support Education	$ 20,000
The Jewish Federation of North America New York	2023 Israel Crisis Jewish Culture and Tradition	$ 10,000
The Jewish Federation of North America New York	2023 Israel Crisis Jewish Culture and Tradition	$ 30,000
The Opportunity Alliance Portland	Heating Assistance and Weatherization Health and Human Services	$ 15,000
United Way of Androscoggin County Lewiston	Community Fund Civic and Community	$ 15,000
United Way of Southern Maine Portland	Keep ME Warm! 2023 Health and Human Services	$ 10,000
WindowDressers Lewiston	General Operating Support - Southern Maine focus Health and Human Services	$ 7,500
York County Community Action Corp Sanford	Heating Assistance Health and Human Services	$ 7,500