73:I[245983,["$2","$3","$1a","$1b","$1c","$1d","$1e","$1f","$9","$20","$21","$22","$23","$a","$24","$25","$26","$27","$28","$29","$49","$4a","$4b","$4c","$4d","$4e","$4f","$50","$51","$52","$53","$54"],"default"] 74:T431,Keystone Grants from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation support grassroots and community-led work in Maine that advances environmental and racial justice, equitable social change, and community well-being. The program backs efforts led by people from communities most affected by the problems they seek to address, connecting community organizing, public policy advocacy, and community power-building to dismantle harmful systems. Support spans three interconnected areas: grassroots organizing that builds sustainable, resilient community models; tools, training, and resources that sustain community ownership and community-led movements; and systems-level advocacy that strengthens community voices and leadership through frontline lived experiences. Priorities include work led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, rural Mainers, and women, alongside collaborative, cross-sector efforts explicitly committed to the intersection of environmental and racial justice. The program emphasizes movement-building rooted in the experiences of people facing marginalization.75:T19da,

[Elmina B. Sewall Foundation](https://www.sewallfoundation.org)

February 2027 (Application deadline)

$10,000–$60,000 per year by category, for up to 4 years; $1,390,000 available in 2026

Supports grassroots and community-led environmental and racial justice work through organizing, resilience-building resources, and systems-level advocacy.

Work must focus on Maine; organizations with active multi-year grants must wait until their grant’s final year to reapply.

--- ## Description Keystone is the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation’s grant program supporting grassroots and community-led efforts that advance environmental and racial justice, equitable social change, and community well-being. The program understands grassroots work as efforts led by people from communities most affected by the problems they seek to address, mobilizing marginalized communities to dismantle harmful systems. Keystone frames its support through advocacy and an interconnected ecosystem of movement-building. It funds on-the-ground organizing, organizations providing tools and training that sustain community ownership, and systems-level advocacy that centers the lived experiences of people facing marginalization. Together, these approaches connect public policy advocacy, community organizing, and community power-building. --- ## Due Dates - February 2027 — Application deadline (anticipated). *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount The 2026 funding pool was $1,390,000. The program’s stated annual funding levels are: - **Building Community Resilience:** $20,000–$60,000 per year. - **Resourcing Community Resilience:** $10,000–$50,000 per year. - **Systems-Level Advocacy:** $10,000–$40,000 per year. The 2026 program offered multi-year grants of up to four years. Operating, project, and capital requests are considered; grants for operating endowments are not. --- ## Eligibility Eligible applicants include: - Organizations eligible to accept tax-deductible donations under Internal Revenue Code Section 170(c), including: - 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organizations. - Public schools. - Public agencies working for the State of Maine. - Department of the Interior-recognized Indian tribal governments and their political subdivisions. - Fiscally sponsored groups without pre-existing tax status and with a clear, public-serving not-for-profit purpose. - Collaboratives of 501(c)(3) nonprofits, with one partner serving as fiscal host or sponsor. - 501(c)(4) organizations, only after discussing potential support with program staff before starting an application. Applicants’ work must focus on Maine. Additional requirements: - Private for-profit enterprises, cooperatives, and individuals cannot receive grants directly. - Organizations may apply once per calendar year (possible exceptions for fiscal sponsorships and multi-organization collaborations). - Active multi-year grantees must wait until their current grant term’s final year to apply again. A nonprofit may request funds to pay for-profit entities, cooperatives, or individual contractors for services, but must apply for, receive, and report on the funding itself. Funding categories: - **Building Community Resilience:** Grassroots organizations dismantling harmful systems and creating sustainable, resilient community models. - **Resourcing Community Resilience:** Organizations providing tools, training, and resources for community-led movements. - **Systems-Level Advocacy:** Organizations strengthening community voices and leadership through frontline lived experiences. --- ## Application Process - **Submission:** Apply online only, using the application link posted on the [Keystone program page](https://www.sewallfoundation.org/keystone). - **Timing:** Application links and a downloadable application PDF appear during designated application periods. - **Documents:** Provide the applicable materials listed below. - Project and/or operating budget, when required by the application. - Last completed fiscal year’s balance sheet and statement of activities, when required (audited or reviewed if possible). - Fiscal sponsorship agreement, when applicable, signed by authorized representatives of both parties. - Collaborative MOU signed by all partners, or a fiscal sponsorship agreement, depending on structure. - **Restrictions:** Do not submit IRS 990s or unsolicited additional materials. - **Completion:** Answer all required questions and clear flagged pages before submitting; an email confirms submission. - **Assistance:** Contact the Keystone team about fit and Laura Dover for online application support. --- ## Additional Information Keystone prioritizes applicants led by Black, Indigenous, People of Color, rural Mainers, and women; applicants working collaboratively and intersectionally across sectors; and applicants explicitly committed to the intersection of environmental and racial justice. Foundation-wide review considers alignment with its values and approach, interconnected human, animal, and environmental well-being, and trust-based, equity-rooted, community-led systems. It also considers whether organizations led by prioritized communities are resourced and whether philanthropy becomes more equitable. Proposals are assessed in the context of other requests; staff may contact applicants or others familiar with their work for clarification. --- ## External Links - [Keystone program page](https://www.sewallfoundation.org/keystone) - [2026 Keystone fact sheet](https://www.sewallfoundation.org/s/FactSheet_Keystone_2026.pdf) - [Application process and eligibility requirements](https://www.sewallfoundation.org/application-process) - [Application instructions](https://www.sewallfoundation.org/application-instructions) - [GivingData online account](https://sewallfoundation.givingdata.com/portal/login) --- ## Contact Information | Contact | Email | Phone | Webpage | |---|---|---|---| | Keystone program lead — Grassroots Advocacy and Community Engagement Partner | keystone@sewallfoundation.org | | [Keystone](https://www.sewallfoundation.org/keystone) | | Laura Dover — Online application support | ldover@sewallfoundation.org | | | | Elmina B. Sewall Foundation | | 207-865-3810 | [Foundation website](https://www.sewallfoundation.org) |76:T7de,## Grant Eligibility Requirements ### Organization Type - Applicants must be eligible to receive tax-deductible donations under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. This includes: 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, public schools, public agencies working for the State of Maine, and Indian tribal governments (and their political subdivisions) recognized by the Department of the Interior. - Fiscally sponsored groups may apply, but only if they have no pre-existing tax status and have a clear not-for-profit purpose serving the public. A fiscal sponsorship agreement signed by authorized signatories of both parties is required with the application. - Collaboratives of 501(c)(3) nonprofits may apply; one partner must serve as fiscal host or fiscal sponsor. An MOU signed by all partner organizations, or a fiscal sponsorship agreement, is required depending on the collaborative's structure. - 501(c)(4) organizations may apply only for specific nonpartisan, charitable work, and must contact program staff to discuss potential support **before** starting or submitting an application. - The following cannot receive grants directly: private for-profit enterprises, cooperatives, and individuals. - A 501(c)(3) nonprofit may request funds to pay for-profits, cooperatives, or individual contractors for services, but the nonprofit itself must be the applicant, recipient, and reporter of the funds. ### Geographic/Institutional - The applicant's work must focus on Maine (the Foundation also lists "focus of work is located in Maine" as a general consideration). ### Prior Funding / Proposal Limits - Organizations may submit one application per calendar year. Possible exceptions exist for fiscal sponsorships and multi-organization collaborations. - Organizations with an active multi-year grant must wait to apply for additional funding until the year in which the current grant term ends (i.e., the final year of the grant). ### Other Eligibility Requirements - None beyond those listed above.77:Tbc1,Funder: Elmina B. Sewall Foundation Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Application deadline) Funding Amounts: $10,000–$60,000 per year by category, for up to 4 years; $1,390,000 available in 2026 Summary: Supports grassroots and community-led environmental and racial justice work through organizing, resilience-building resources, and systems-level advocacy. Key Information: Work must focus on Maine; organizations with active multi-year grants must wait until their grant’s final year to reapply. --- ## Description Keystone is the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation’s grant program supporting grassroots and community-led efforts that advance environmental and racial justice, equitable social change, and community well-being. The program understands grassroots work as efforts led by people from communities most affected by the problems they seek to address, mobilizing marginalized communities to dismantle harmful systems. Keystone frames its support through advocacy and an interconnected ecosystem of movement-building. It funds on-the-ground organizing, organizations providing tools and training that sustain community ownership, and systems-level advocacy that centers the lived experiences of people facing marginalization. Together, these approaches connect public policy advocacy, community organizing, and community power-building. --- --- ## Funding Amount The 2026 funding pool was $1,390,000. The program’s stated annual funding levels are: - **Building Community Resilience:** $20,000–$60,000 per year. - **Resourcing Community Resilience:** $10,000–$50,000 per year. - **Systems-Level Advocacy:** $10,000–$40,000 per year. The 2026 program offered multi-year grants of up to four years. Operating, project, and capital requests are considered; grants for operating endowments are not. --- Funding categories: - **Building Community Resilience:** Grassroots organizations dismantling harmful systems and creating sustainable, resilient community models. - **Resourcing Community Resilience:** Organizations providing tools, training, and resources for community-led movements. - **Systems-Level Advocacy:** Organizations strengthening community voices and leadership through frontline lived experiences. --- Additional Information Keystone prioritizes applicants led by Black, Indigenous, People of Color, rural Mainers, and women; applicants working collaboratively and intersectionally across sectors; and applicants explicitly committed to the intersection of environmental and racial justice. Foundation-wide review considers alignment with its values and approach, interconnected human, animal, and environmental well-being, and trust-based, equity-rooted, community-led systems. It also considers whether organizations led by prioritized communities are resourced and whether philanthropy becomes more equitable. Proposals are assessed in the context of other requests; staff may contact applicants or others familiar with their work for clarification.45:[null,["$","$L73",null,{"grant":{"id":"34696235-ea4c-47a5-88d6-e67cff6e1f6b","created_at":"2026-03-14T08:34:25.810923+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-16T12:37:58.288629+00:00","title":"Keystone Grants","description":"$74","summary":"Keystone Grants support grassroots and community-led groups in Maine, funding organizing, resilience-building resources, and systems-level advocacy to advance environmental and racial justice.","funder_id":"650c627f-8088-4047-b711-4caa08c2a760","url":"https://www.sewallfoundation.org/keystone","slug":"keystone-grants-elmina-b-sewall-foundation","legacy_opportunity_id":null,"primary_sources_id":"3c16d892-e5a0-4259-a520-255f7b08f5d9","questions":["Can Maine-based grassroots organizations apply through a fiscal sponsor, and what tax-status or sponsorship requirements must they meet?","What is the 2026 Keystone application deadline, and when are grant decisions expected to be announced?","What annual funding ranges are available for each Keystone priority, and can grants last up to four years?","How must organizations submit applications, and which supporting documents may be required?","Does my proposed work align with Keystone’s environmental and racial justice priorities in resilience-building, community resources, or systems-level advocacy?"],"opportunity_number":null,"grants3_pages":[{"id":"5980bf7f-c6fc-4fb3-b546-e5dfd94b59e6","markdown":"$75","created_at":"2026-10-16T12:37:30.078377+00:00","grants3_id":"34696235-ea4c-47a5-88d6-e67cff6e1f6b","updated_at":"2026-10-16T12:38:04.720555+00:00","eligibility":"$76","fit_summary":"$77","update_summary":"Check that your work focuses on Maine; the page now explicitly lists public schools, Maine public agencies and recognized tribal governments as eligible, and clarifies that multi-year grantees can reapply in their final grant year. 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Keystone Grants

Keystone Grants

Food Systems Grants

Rapid Response Fund Grants

Rural Partnerships Grants

Wabanaki Grants

Lewiston-Auburn Grants

Food Systems Grants

Rapid Response Fund Grants

Rural Partnerships Grants

Wabanaki Grants

Lewiston-Auburn Grants