Harold Alfond Foundation
Portland, ME · EIN 22-3281672. Reported 220 grants totalling $326.4M to 75 recipients across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Harold Alfond Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $162,500. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $1,687,658; the smallest was $150 and the largest $28.0M. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maine Foundation | Orono, ME | $43.0M | 10 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colby College | Waterville, ME | $41.5M | 11 | 4 | 2024 |
| Northeastern University | Boston, MA | $36.0M | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Maine System | Orono, ME | $30.5M | 7 | 4 | 2024 |
| Alfond Scholarship Foundation | Portland, ME | $28.6M | 11 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mainegeneral Health | Augusta, ME | $21.5M | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Rollins College | Winter Park, FL | $19.0M | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Foundation for Maine Community Colleges | Augusta, ME | $14.2M | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Thomas College | Waterville, ME | $12.7M | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of New England | Biddeford, ME | $8,252,515 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Jackson Laboratory | Bar Harbor, ME | $8,000,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | East Boothbay, ME | $7,869,390 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Alfond Youth & Community Center | Waterville, ME | $6,058,474 | 13 | 4 | 2024 |
| Waterville Creates | Waterville, ME | $5,760,000 | 8 | 4 | 2024 |
| Foundation for a Strong Maine Economy | Augusta, ME | $5,630,670 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Jobs for Maine's Graduates Inc | Augusta, ME | $5,277,551 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Husson University | Bangor, ME | $4,700,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Community College System | Augusta, ME | $4,454,529 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance | Augusta, ME | $2,645,753 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| 7 Lakes Alliance | Belgrade Lakes, ME | $2,645,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| City of Waterville | Waterville, ME | $2,290,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Focusmaine | Augusta, ME | $2,275,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for Curriculum Redesign | Jamaica Plain, MA | $2,242,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Mainehealth | Portland, ME | $2,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Trust for Local News | Lexington, MA | $1,535,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Children's Center Early Intervention and Family Support | Augusta, ME | $1,010,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Educare Central Maine | Waterville, ME | $1,000,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Kents Hill School | Kents Hill, ME | $1,000,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Governor's Academy | Byfield, MA | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Beth Israel Congregation - Waterville | Waterville, ME | $990,361 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Maine Community Foundation Inc | Portland, ME | $400,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Maine Maritime Academy | Castine, ME | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of Quarry Road | Waterville, ME | $246,790 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gulfshore Playhouse | Naples, FL | $230,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Region Ten Technical High School | Brunswick, ME | $226,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Waterville Development Corporation | Waterville, ME | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Paul Taylor Dance Foundation | New York, NY | $150,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Childrens Home for Little Wanderers | Waterville, ME | $145,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Waterville Historical Society | Waterville, ME | $112,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Beth Israel Congregation | Waterville, ME | $109,639 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maine Public Broadcasting Network | Lewiston, ME | $88,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Belgrade Regional Health Center | Belgrade Lakes, ME | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Susan L Curtis Foundation | Portland, ME | $58,800 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mid Coast Hospital | Brunswick, ME | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Center for Grieving Children | Portland, ME | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Maine Behavioral Healthcare | Portland, ME | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Maine Medical Center | Portland, ME | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Pioneer Institute | Boston, MA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Seeds of Peace Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Cahoon Museum of American Art Inc | Cotuit, MA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United Way of Mid-Maine Inc | Waterville, ME | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American University in Bulgaria | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Aroostook Mental Health Services Inc | Caribou, ME | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cathance River Education Alliance | Topsham, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Full Plates Full Potential | Brunswick, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mercy Hospital | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tedford Housing | Brunswick, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Brunswick Community Education Foundation | Brunswick, ME | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Kennebec Behavioral Health | Waterville, ME | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Inc | Brunswick, ME | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Beth Israel Congregation - Bath | Bath, ME | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Inc | Boston, MA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine Irish Heritage Center | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Maine State Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The International Institute of New England | Boston, MA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Nature Conservancy in Maine | Brunswick, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Spectrum Generations | Augusta, ME | $4,800 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bunker Hill Community College Foundation | Boston, MA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg, PA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Educate Maine | Portland, ME | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kennebunk Free Library | Kennebunk, ME | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society | Washington, DC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Corporation | Boston, MA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
46 of 75 (61%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 69%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- University of Maine Foundation
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE ATHLETICS MASTER FACILITIES PLAN - Mainegeneral Health
HAROLD ALFOND CENTER FOR CANCER CARE EXPANSION - Northeastern University
THE HAROLD ALFOND SCHOLARS INITIATIVE AT THE ROUX INSTITUTE - The Foundation for Maine Community Colleges
THE CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF MAINES WORKFORCE: BUILDING A MORE PROSPEROUS MAINE - University of Maine System
REVITALIZE GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL CENTER & ENGINEERING, COMPUTING, & INFO SCIENCE - Alfond Scholarship Foundation
MY ALFOND GRANT SCHOLARSHIPS 2024
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 169 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 66 | $72.8M | $57,500 |
| 2022 | 59 | $74.3M | $250,000 |
| 2023 | 50 | $76.7M | $106,622 |
| 2024 | 45 | $102.7M | $250,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. Harold Alfond Foundation has 33 of them, worth $341.1M. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University | Boston, MA | $100.0M |
| Maine Community College System | Augusta, ME | $72.6M |
| University of Maine System | Orono, ME | $67.0M |
| Mainegeneral Health | Augusta, ME | $20.0M |
| The Foundation for Maine Community Colleges | Augusta, ME | $12.0M |
| Colby College | Waterville, ME | $10.0M |
| Jobs for Maine's Graduates Inc | Augusta, ME | $8,737,739 |
| Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance | Augusta, ME | $8,299,829 |
| Waterville Creates | Waterville, ME | $7,900,000 |
| Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences | East Boothbay, ME | $7,869,390 |
| Foundation for a Strong Maine Economy | Augusta, ME | $6,900,000 |
| Waterville Creates | Waterville, ME | $2,700,000 |
| 7 Lakes Alliance | Belgrade Lakes, ME | $2,000,000 |
| Alfond Youth & Community Center | Waterville, ME | $1,750,000 |
| Foundation for a Strong Maine Economy | Augusta, ME | $1,724,902 |
Where its money goes
82% of its giving went to organizations in Maine. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $162,500. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Maine.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Harold Alfond Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Co Dexter Entrps Two Monument Sq, Portland, ME, 04101. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 22-3281672 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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