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President And Trustees Of Bates College - Carignan Fund for Community Programs

Annual Giving
$0.0M
Grant Range
$0K - $0.0M
Decision Time
2mo
Success Rate
47%

President And Trustees Of Bates College - Carignan Fund for Community Programs

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $10,000 - $16,000 (Carignan Fund only)
  • Success Rate: ~47% (based on 2024: 7 funded from 15 applications)
  • Decision Time: 2-3 months from deadline
  • Grant Range: $300 - $2,000
  • Geographic Focus: Androscoggin County, Maine (Lewiston-Auburn area)
  • Total Distributed Since 2007: Over $150,000

Contact Details

Harward Center for Community Partnerships

Center Director: Darby Ray, Director of the Harward Center and Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement

Overview

The President And Trustees Of Bates College operates a grant-making program through the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, specifically the James W. Carignan '61 and Sally Larson Carignan '62 Fund for Community Programs. Established in 2007, the Carignan Fund honors the legacy of the former Dean of the College and his wife, whose commitment to community engagement and civic leadership shaped Bates College's approach to community partnerships. Since its inception, the fund has distributed over $150,000 to local nonprofit organizations in the Lewiston-Auburn area.

This is a distinctive grant-making program as it is entirely student-led—Bates students make all grant decisions after receiving training in nonprofit operations and grant evaluation. The fund typically awards $8,000-$16,000 annually across 5-7 organizations, with individual grants ranging from a few hundred dollars to the maximum of $2,000. The program is highly focused on supporting sustainable initiatives that foster or strengthen partnerships between Bates College students and community organizations serving Androscoggin County.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Carignan Fund for Community Programs

  • Grant Range: Up to $2,000 per organization
  • Application Method: Annual cycle with fixed deadline (typically March)
  • Total Annual Distribution: $8,000 - $16,000 across 5-7 organizations
  • Application Information: Available by mid-November each year on the Harward Center website

Priority Areas

The Carignan Fund supports:

  1. Specific, Sustainable Projects: Initiatives that have long-term viability and address genuine community needs
  2. Student Partnership Opportunities: Programs that create meaningful engagement opportunities for Bates students through volunteering, internships, work-study, or research
  3. New or Emerging Programs: Funding can support startup costs for new initiatives as well as expansion of existing programs
  4. Program Personnel: Grants may be used to support staff costs related to funded projects
  5. Equipment and Materials: Funding for necessary resources such as office equipment, books, technology, or program supplies
  6. Community Development: Projects supporting education, arts and culture, refugee and immigrant services, housing, legal services, youth development, and civic engagement

Recent Focus Areas (2024-25):

  • Refugee and asylum seeker support services
  • Arts programming for underserved youth
  • Civic engagement and organizing
  • Youth employment and skill-building
  • Early childhood education
  • Community wellness initiatives

Geographic Eligibility

Must serve Androscoggin County (Lewiston-Auburn area). Organizations serving this region that already partner with Bates College or seek to establish partnerships are encouraged to apply.

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the fund's focus on student partnership opportunities means:

  • Projects without a clear connection to Bates student engagement
  • Organizations outside Androscoggin County
  • General operating support without specific project focus
  • Programs that don't align with the college's community partnership mission

Governance and Leadership

Harward Center Leadership

Darby Ray, Director of the Harward Center and Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement, provides overall leadership for the center's community partnership initiatives.

Jenna Dela Cruz Vendil, Associate Director of Democratic Engagement and Student Activism, serves as the primary contact for the Carignan Fund program.

Grant Selection Committee

The Carignan Fund is uniquely student-governed. The selection committee consists of 7 Bates students who have diverse experiences in community engagement through the Lewiston-Auburn area. Before reviewing proposals, committee members receive education about nonprofit operations, community needs, and grant evaluation.

This student-led approach reflects the founding philosophy of Jim Carignan, who believed that "students had the capacity to make wise decisions for themselves if given the opportunity and some guidance" and was convinced that "people's capacity to behave civilly in working through their differences" was genuine and achievable.

According to the Harward Center, students "exercise enormous care in deciding which institutions should receive the funding," and the center is "consistently impressed by the seriousness with which they take their work" and "their ability to work through their differences."

Fund History

Named after James W. Carignan '61 (1939-2011), former Dean of the College, and his wife Sally Larson Carignan '62, the fund honors decades of service to Bates and the Lewiston-Auburn community. Jim Carignan's leadership shaped Bates' distinctive approach to community engagement and civic responsibility.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are accepted annually through a fixed deadline cycle. The Harward Center announces application information by mid-November each year on their website at https://www.bates.edu/harward/grants-2/communitypartners/

Key Application Components:

  • Clear articulation of community need
  • Specific project description
  • Budget and timeline
  • Explanation of sustainability beyond grant funding
  • Description of how the project will engage Bates students

Application Format: Details are provided on the website when the application cycle opens.

Pre-Application Guidance

Organizations are encouraged to contact Jenna Dela Cruz Vendil (jvendil@bates.edu) with questions about the program or to discuss project ideas before applying.

Decision Timeline

  • Application Announcement: Mid-November (for following year's cycle)
  • Application Deadline: Typically early March (e.g., March 8, 5:00 PM in 2024)
  • Review Period: Committee meets in March-April to review applications
  • Decision Notification: Late April/Early May
  • Grant Distribution: Following notification

Success Rates

Based on 2024 data:

  • Applications Received: 15
  • Grants Awarded: 7
  • Success Rate: 47%

This indicates that roughly half of applications receive funding, though competition can vary year to year depending on the applicant pool and available funds.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations may apply annually. Previous grant recipients are eligible to reapply, and many organizations have received multiple grants over the years (e.g., Museum L-A, Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services, Art Van).

Application Success Factors

What the Student Selection Committee Values

Based on analysis of funded projects and committee member statements:

  1. Clarity and Specificity: Committee member Samatar Iman '21 noted that successful proposals demonstrate "This is actually what we really need"—clear articulation of genuine community needs without exaggeration

  2. Sustainability: Projects should demonstrate viability beyond the grant period. The fund explicitly aims to "support sustainable initiatives that address community needs"

  3. Student Partnership Potential: Strong applications clearly explain how Bates students can engage meaningfully with the project through volunteering, internships, work-study positions, or research opportunities

  4. Concrete Deliverables: Funded projects typically have specific, measurable outcomes (e.g., "10 additional weeks of art therapy," "comprehensive online directory," "winter soccer program for 30 youth")

  5. Appropriate Budget: Requests should match actual project needs, ranging from $300 for books to $2,000 for more comprehensive programs

  6. Community Impact: Projects should demonstrate how they will strengthen community partnerships and address real needs in Lewiston-Auburn

Recent Funding Examples

2024-25 Recipients ($16,322.50 total to 5 organizations):

  • Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Asylum Seekers Resettlement Program, St. Mary's Nutrition Center, and Trinity Jubilee Center—all supporting refugee and asylum seeker services

2024 Recipients ($10,862 total to 7 organizations):

  • ArtVan ($1,654): Expansion of no-cost arts program for youth
  • City of Lewiston Recreation ($1,000): Pool equipment for public access
  • Community Organizing Alliance ($2,000): Civic engagement LEO program expansion
  • Cooperative Development Institute ($1,654): BIPOC youth apprenticeships in cooperatives
  • Promise Early Childhood Education ($900): Barrier-free lending libraries for families
  • Rosati Leadership Academy ($1,654): Alumni engagement expansion
  • Trinity Jubilee ($2,000): Workplace wellness initiative

2017-18 Recipients ($8,787 total to 7 organizations):

  • Art Van ($1,067): 10-week art therapy extension at Lewiston Middle School
  • L/A Arts ($1,800): Online artist directory
  • Lewiston Housing Authority ($1,000): Youth reading space at Hillview
  • Lewiston Middle School ($300): "Hi-low" books for English Language Learners
  • Pine Tree Legal ($1,000): Office computer/phone for Bates interns
  • Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services ($2,000): Winter indoor soccer for immigrant/refugee youth
  • Museum L-A ($1,620): Visitor cards project completion

2016-17 Recipients ($8,500 total to 6 organizations):

  • Museum L-A ($2,000): Preservation of vintage silkscreens from local mills
  • College for ME-Androscoggin ($1,823): County-wide "Decision Day" event for high school planning
  • Raise-Op Housing Cooperative ($1,823): Tenant education materials and programs
  • Lewiston Public Library ($1,300): Support for "ArtVan" mobile art program
  • YWCA of Central Maine ($1,110): Annual "Stand Against Racism" event
  • Lewiston Housing Authority ($533): Office furniture for after-school science program

Strategic Considerations

  1. Think Partnership First: Frame your project in terms of meaningful collaboration with Bates students, not just as recipients of funding

  2. Be Realistic About Scope: Given the modest grant amounts, propose projects appropriate for $300-$2,000 rather than attempting to fund large initiatives

  3. Demonstrate Community Knowledge: The student committee has direct experience working in Lewiston-Auburn, so authentic understanding of community needs is essential

  4. Show Sustainability: Explain how the project will continue beyond the grant period and how this seed funding will create lasting impact

  5. Use Clear, Accessible Language: Remember your application will be reviewed by students, not professional grant officers—clarity matters more than jargon

  6. Consensus Decision-Making: Since the committee uses consensus processes, applications that appeal across diverse perspectives tend to succeed

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Highly Geographically Restricted: This fund only serves Androscoggin County (Lewiston-Auburn area)—organizations outside this area are not eligible
  • Student Engagement is Essential: Your project must create meaningful opportunities for Bates student involvement through volunteering, work-study, internships, or research
  • Modest Funding Scale: With grants up to $2,000, this is seed funding for specific projects, not comprehensive program support
  • Student-Led Selection: Your application will be reviewed by trained Bates students with community experience, not professional grantmakers—clarity and authenticity matter more than grant writing sophistication
  • Strong Success Rate: With a 47% success rate, approximately half of applicants receive funding, making this a relatively accessible opportunity for eligible organizations
  • Repeated Funding is Possible: Several organizations have received multiple grants over the years, indicating that strong community partners can return
  • Sustainability Matters: The fund honors Jim Carignan's legacy of creating lasting community impact, so demonstrate how your project will endure beyond the grant period
  • Annual Cycle with Fixed Deadline: Plan ahead—applications open in mid-November with deadlines typically in early March

References

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