Maine Initiatives, in partnership with the Nature Based Education Consortium, is accepting applications for the 2024 Outdoor Equity Fund.
Donor Name: Maine Initiatives
State: Maine
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 04/26/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The purpose of this fund is to strengthen the sector of Black and Wabanaki-led groups advancing safe, equitable access to outdoor spaces and increased opportunities for nature-based learning for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities in Maine, unceded Wabanaki Territory.
The Outdoor Equity Fund is open to all eligible BIPOC-led and -serving organizations advancing outdoor equity in Maine. The Outdoor Equity Fund prioritizes Black- and Wabanaki-led and serving groups.
The 2024 Outdoor Equity Fund is a participatory grantmaking program that provides three (3) years of general operating support (Summer of 2024, 2025, 2026) to a cohort of ten (10) nonprofits groups who advance outdoor equity in Maine.
Goals of the Outdoor Equity Fund
- Addressing barriers that exist for communities that need and want to access outdoor spaces.
- Advancing nature-based learning and strengthening relationships with the outdoors in an inclusive way.
- Strengthening connection and collaboration among people, groups, funders, and others working in this realm to create synergy and uplift all.
- Educating the greater community about what groups are doing and the issues regarding outdoor access and communal outdoor activities.
Priorities
- Land-based cultural continuation & preservation
- Land-back and land return projects
- Leadership development and mentoring
- Farming, gardening, and farmworker justice programs
- Outdoor accessibility development
- Outdoor expeditions such as hunting, fishing, and hiking trips
- Outdoor learning or environmental education, including school-based experiences
- Therapeutic and trauma-informed nature programs.
Funding Information
The ten (10) groups selected by the 2024 OEF Grantmaking Advisory Committee for the 2024 cohort will each receive general operating grants of $30,000 paid annually over three (3) years, $10,000 per year. In addition, OEF cohort members will be invited to participate in a series of peer activities over the course of the three-year period.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the 2024 outdoor equity fund, applicant organizations:
- are working exclusively or primarily in Maine communities have programming that primarily serves and supports
- BIPOC communities; and identify as a Black-, Brown-, Indigenous-, Latinx-, Asian-, or People of Color-led (BIPOC) organization, group, or coalition.
All eligible BIPOC-led and serving organizations working to advance outdoor equity in Maine are encouraged to apply and will be considered for grant awards.
For more information, visit Maine Initiatives.