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United Way of Southern Maine

Annual Giving
$6.6M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.2M
Decision Time
4mo

United Way of Southern Maine

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ~$6.6M in strategic investments
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 4-6 months (application to notification)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $151,427
  • Average Grant: $23,795-$27,249
  • Geographic Focus: York County and Cumberland County, Maine (excluding Brunswick and Harpswell)

Contact Details

Main Office: 550 Forest Avenue, Suite 100 Portland, ME 04101

Kennebunk Office: 36 Water Street Kennebunk, ME 04043

Phone: 207-874-1000 Email: info@uwsme.org Website: uwsme.org

For Grant Inquiries: Karen Stephenson, Director of Community Investments kstephenson@uwsme.org

Overview

Founded nearly a century ago, United Way of Southern Maine (formerly United Way of Greater Portland) has served as a cornerstone of community philanthropy in Maine since 1929. The organization distributes approximately $6.6 million annually in strategic investment grants to address the region's most pressing challenges. Operating under the Thrive2027 framework—a community-developed initiative launched in 2016—UWSM focuses on three interconnected 10-year goals: giving kids a strong start, advancing financial stability, and helping people live longer, better lives. In 2024, the organization expanded its C-suite leadership team to drive growth and transformation, and in March 2025, appointed Dan Coyne as President and CEO after a national search. The organization earned a 100% Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator, reflecting its strong financial health and commitment to accountability. UWSM brings together 42 funded community partners, supporting 74 programs across Southern Maine, while also operating direct initiatives including United 4 Child Care, the Southern Maine Workforce Initiative, and the Maine Helpline (211).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Community Investment Grants ($10,000 - $151,427) UWSM's primary funding mechanism supporting programs aligned with Thrive2027 goals. Recent funding cycles awarded an average of $23,795-$27,249 per grant. Applications accepted through online portal every 2-3 years for multi-year funding periods.

2. Capacity Building Grants (up to 2 consecutive years) Available exclusively to organizations with annual budgets under $750,000. Supports strengthening racial equity initiatives or evaluation/measurement capacity. Organizations may apply for consecutive years.

3. Racial Equity Fund Established in partnership with IDEXX and other corporate partners. Provides supplemental funding for organizational capacity building and/or general operating costs to organizations led by and serving people of color. Programs must serve at least 50% people of color. Recent investments totaling over $400,000 across multiple rounds. Grant writing consultation support (10 hours per organization) available to applicants.

4. Giving Circles

  • Women United: Advances single women with children through community-driven member investments
  • Emerging Leaders United: Supports youth success in school and beyond, led by rising professionals Funding cycle: July 1 - June 30 annually; applications typically open February-March

Thrive2027 Priority Areas

Goal 1: Give Kids a Strong Start

  • Early childhood education and care (ages 0-5)
  • After-school and summer learning programs
  • School-based wraparound services
  • Social-emotional development
  • Literacy and language development for multilingual learners
  • Target: Reduce reading proficiency gap to no more than 10 percentage points between all third-graders and students from populations with historical inequities

Goal 2: Financial Stability

  • Housing stabilization and homelessness prevention
  • Workforce development and career pathways
  • Financial education and asset building
  • Economic opportunity creation
  • Legal assistance (immigration, housing, domestic violence)
  • Target: 70% of households pay less than 30% of their income on housing by 2027

Goal 3: Help People Live Longer, Better Lives

  • Mental health and substance use disorder services
  • Harm reduction and overdose prevention
  • Healthcare access and health equity
  • Domestic and sexual violence services
  • Peer support programs
  • Target: Reduce preventable premature deaths by 10% by 2027

Priority Populations:

  • ALICE households (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) - representing 30% of Southern Maine's working population
  • Multilingual learners and immigrant families
  • Renters facing housing instability
  • Individuals with co-occurring diagnoses (mental health and substance use)
  • Single mothers
  • People experiencing homelessness

What They Don't Fund

  • Expenses already incurred
  • Capital campaigns
  • General operating support (except through Racial Equity Fund)
  • Political campaigns or lobbying for specific candidates
  • Religious activities
  • Programs outside York and Cumberland counties (excluding Brunswick, Harpswell, and for Racial Equity Fund: also excluding Kittery and Eliot)
  • Organizations not compliant with federal anti-terrorism financing laws
  • Requests under $10,000

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Dan Coyne, President & CEO (appointed March 2025) Coyne was selected after a national search reviewing 150 applicants. He joined United Way in 2012 and previously served as Chief Impact and Governance Officer. "I am humbled and thrilled to continue building on the 96-year legacy of addressing our community's most urgent needs, with a clear vision of future growth," Coyne stated upon his appointment. "With deep partnerships and our incredible team of staff and volunteers, we are well positioned to continue to innovate and build a stronger, more thriving future for Southern Maine."

Kristin Chase Duffy, Chief Operating and Communications Officer Joined UWSM in 2013; appointed to newly created C-suite position in 2024.

Karen Stephenson, Director of Community Investments Primary contact for grant applicants and community investment questions.

Jared Gay, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy Leads policy initiatives including homelessness prevention legislation (LD 641).

Sacre Bahati, Human Resources Director

Board of Directors

Board Officers:

  • Hilary Rapkin, Chair (Retired, WEX Inc.)
  • Dan Eagleson, Vice Chair (The Baker Company)
  • Robin LaBonte, Treasurer (York Hospital)
  • Dan Coyne, Secretary ex Officio (United Way of Southern Maine)

Board Chair: Todd Cesca, Partner at Charter Oak Capital Management, previously served as Board Chair and led the CEO search committee.

The 32-member board represents diverse sectors including healthcare (MaineHealth, York Hospital), retail and corporate (L.L.Bean, IDEXX, Hannaford Supermarkets), banking (multiple community banks), education (Portland Public Schools, York County Community College, Southern Maine Community College), and local government (Cumberland County), ensuring broad community representation in governance decisions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Application Platform: All applications must be submitted through the online Blackbaud portal. UWSM strongly recommends completing applications in the provided Word document template first, then copying and pasting responses into Blackbaud.

Pre-Application Support:

  • Open Office hours hosted by UWSM staff (strongly encouraged for new applicants)
  • Applicant information sessions with recordings available
  • Racial Equity Fund applicants receive 10 hours of paid grant writing consultation
  • Technical assistance available by contacting Karen Stephenson

Eligibility Pre-Screening: UWSM staff review each proposal to verify:

  • Meets required eligibility criteria
  • All required documents uploaded
  • Selected shared outcome measures are appropriate
  • Organizations previously funded have submitted final grant reports

Required Financial Documents:

  • Annual revenue over $750,000: Independent audit required
  • Annual revenue $250,000-$750,000: Audit, review, or financial questionnaire
  • Annual revenue below $250,000: IRS Form 990 acceptable

Application Requirements:

  • Minimum funding request: $10,000
  • Endorsement of Thrive2027's three 10-year goals
  • Selection of appropriate priority strategies from annual Goal Cabinet priorities
  • Selection of shared outcome measures aligned with chosen strategies
  • Demonstration of service to York County and/or Cumberland County residents (excluding specified municipalities)
  • 501(c)(3) status, public school, municipal entity, or tribal government affiliation
  • Compliance certification with federal anti-terrorism financing laws

Decision Timeline

Community Investment Process (Multi-Year Funding):

  • Next Cycle Opens: December 2026
  • Application Period: Typically 4-6 weeks
  • Review Period: Volunteer-led committees conduct evaluations over 3-4 months
  • Board Approval: Final funding decisions made by Board of Directors
  • Notification: End of funding review period
  • Funding Period: Typically 2-year cycles (e.g., July 2025 - June 2027)

Giving Circles (Annual Funding):

  • Application Opens: February (Spring)
  • Application Deadline: End of March
  • Review Period: Volunteer-led process throughout spring
  • Notification: End of May
  • Funding Period: July 1 - June 30

Racial Equity Fund:

  • Timeline varies; check uwsme.org/racialequityfund for current opportunities

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, UWSM funded 56-61 programs at 38-45 organizations in recent cycles, suggesting competitive but accessible funding for aligned applicants. The volunteer-led review process evaluates applications on:

  • Thrive2027 goal impact potential
  • Program evaluation and outcome tracking capacity
  • Racial equity advancement
  • Commitment to collaboration
  • Fiscal soundness and organizational capacity

Organizations and coalitions led by and serving people of color receive scoring preference (though not required).

Reapplication Policy

Organizations may reapply in subsequent funding cycles. Previously funded organizations must submit final grant reports before applying again. The Community Investment Process operates on 2-3 year cycles, with the next opportunity opening in December 2026 for funding beginning July 2027.

Application Success Factors

1. Alignment with Thrive2027 Framework UWSM operates within a community-developed 10-year vision with specific, measurable targets. Successful applications clearly articulate how programs advance one or more Thrive2027 goals and select from annually updated priority strategies identified by volunteer Goal Cabinets. Understanding which strategies are currently prioritized is essential—these shift based on community needs assessment.

2. Focus on Priority Populations Programs serving ALICE households (37% of working Southern Mainers), multilingual learners, renters, individuals with co-occurring diagnoses, and single mothers align strongly with UWSM's equity focus. Explicitly demonstrate how your program reaches these populations and addresses documented disparities.

3. Commitment to Racial Equity UWSM provides scoring preference to organizations and coalitions led by and serving people of color. All applicants should articulate how their work advances racial equity, even if not applying through the Racial Equity Fund specifically. The organization invested in capacity building for organizations serving communities of color, signaling this as a strategic priority.

4. Data-Driven Approach with Shared Outcomes UWSM requires selection of shared outcome measures aligned with chosen strategies. Applications should demonstrate:

  • Capacity to track and report on selected measures
  • Evidence-based program design
  • Clear logic model connecting activities to Thrive2027 targets
  • Commitment to evaluation and continuous improvement

Karen Stephenson's pre-screening for "appropriate" outcome measures suggests careful attention to measurement selection is critical.

5. Collaborative Mindset The Thrive2027 framework emerged from extensive community collaboration. UWSM values applicants who demonstrate partnerships with other organizations, participation in collective impact initiatives, and willingness to share learnings. The volunteer-led review specifically evaluates "commitment to collaboration."

6. Financial Sustainability and Capacity With differentiated financial documentation requirements based on organizational size, UWSM recognizes the capacity variations among nonprofits. However, all applicants must demonstrate fiscal soundness appropriate to their scale. Capacity Building Grants (for organizations under $750,000 budget) can strengthen evaluation or racial equity capacity before pursuing larger Community Investment grants.

7. Utilize Pre-Application Resources UWSM's strong encouragement for new applicants to attend Open Office hours and information sessions suggests these opportunities provide valuable insights into reviewer expectations. Organizations that engage with these resources likely submit stronger applications. For Racial Equity Fund applicants, the 10 hours of paid consultation represents significant support—utilizing this fully demonstrates seriousness of intent.

8. Geographic Focus While serving York and Cumberland counties, successful applicants should articulate local impact clearly. The exclusion of specific municipalities (Brunswick, Harpswell, and for some programs, Kittery and Eliot) requires careful attention to service area documentation.

Recent Funded Examples Include:

  • 211 Maine's 24/7 helpline providing information and referral services
  • Boys and Girls Clubs' after-school programs with wraparound support
  • Portland Public Schools' integrated Pre-K through grade 5 model
  • Milestone Recovery's outreach to homeless individuals with substance use challenges
  • Maine Access Immigrant Network's engagement with immigrant families in early language development

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Timing is Critical: Community Investment Process opens only every 2-3 years (next: December 2026); Giving Circles annually in February. Plan ahead and track announcement schedules at uwsme.org.

  • Engage Early: Attend Open Office hours and information sessions—UWSM's emphasis on these resources suggests they provide competitive advantage for new applicants.

  • Master Thrive2027: Success requires deep understanding of the three 10-year goals, current priority strategies, and shared outcome measures. Review annual Goal Cabinet priorities carefully.

  • Right-Size Your Ask: With minimum $10,000 requests and recent average grants of $23,795-$27,249, calibrate budget requests to align with organizational capacity and program scope.

  • Emphasize Equity: Whether applying through the Racial Equity Fund or Community Investment Process, demonstrating commitment to racial equity and service to priority populations (ALICE households, multilingual learners, etc.) strengthens applications.

  • Prepare Required Documentation: Gather appropriate financial documents (audit, review, or Form 990) based on revenue level before application opens—documentation requirements are strictly enforced.

  • Consider Capacity Building First: Organizations under $750,000 budget may benefit from Capacity Building Grants to strengthen racial equity or evaluation capacity before pursuing larger Community Investment grants—this can be strategic staging for long-term funding relationships.

References

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