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Davis Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.4M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.1M
Decision Time
2mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2.4 million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 60 days (approximately 14 days after quarterly trustee meetings)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $50,000
  • Geographic Focus: Southern Maine (priority), other parts of Maine, rarely New England

Contact Details

Website: www.davisfoundations.org/dff Phone: (207) 846-9132 Email: dff@davisfoundations.org Address: 30 Forest Falls Drive, Suite 5, Yarmouth, ME 04096

Staff Contacts:

  • Stefanie Millette, Program Officer: ext. 13
  • Suzanne Muir, Grants Specialist: ext. 16
  • Yvonne Mummé, Chief Finance and Administrative Officer: ext. 12

Overview

The Davis Family Foundation was established in 1986 by Phyllis C. Davis and H. Halsey Davis of Falmouth, Maine, following H. Halsey Davis's retirement as President and Chairman of Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc. With total assets of $89.6 million (2023), the foundation has distributed more than $63.5 million in grants since its inception. The foundation supports educational, medical, and cultural/arts organizations located primarily in Maine, with an overriding goal that is "to make grants where they will do the most good and where our gifts make a real difference." The foundation takes a strategic approach by supporting innovative, research-based projects that promote systemic change, particularly in education, and programs designed to increase the effectiveness or decrease the cost of medical care. The foundation has earned a 3/4 Star rating on Charity Navigator.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates a unified grant program with quarterly deadlines, providing one-year grants across three primary sectors:

  • Education Grants: $10,000 - $50,000 (supports colleges, universities, and innovative educational institutions)
  • Medical/Health Grants: $10,000 - $50,000 (supports hospitals, clinics, medical research, and health organizations)
  • Cultural/Arts Grants: $10,000 - $50,000 (supports organizations promoting music, theater, drama, history, literature, and the arts)

Application Method: Online portal only, with fixed quarterly deadlines on February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1 at 5:00 p.m. EST. If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, submissions shift to the next business day.

Priority Areas

Educational Organizations:

  • Colleges and universities
  • Innovative educational institutions promoting systemic change in education
  • Organizations providing programs to improve academic outcomes for Maine students
  • Organizations working directly with schools (particularly those promoting transformation in the learning experience)
  • Charter school startup funding (limited consideration)

Medical Organizations:

  • Hospitals and clinics
  • Medical research organizations
  • Health organizations with licensed clinicians
  • Programs designed to increase effectiveness of medical care
  • Programs designed to decrease cost of medical care

Cultural/Arts Organizations:

  • Organizations whose primary activity promotes music, theater, drama, history, literature, or the arts
  • Cultural organizations serving Maine communities

Project Characteristics Valued:

  • Innovative and inspirational approaches
  • Research-based methodologies
  • Educator involvement in both design and execution
  • Scalable and replicable models
  • Ultimately sustainable independent of grant funding
  • Projects that transform learning experiences or inspire systemic change

What They Don't Fund

Organization Types:

  • Non-501(c)(3) entities
  • Individuals
  • Religious programs or schools receiving financial support from religious organizations
  • Public K-12 elementary and secondary schools
  • Health organizations without licensed clinicians

Project Types:

  • Fellowships or scholarships
  • Loans
  • Annual campaigns
  • Endowments
  • General operating or administrative expenses
  • Multi-year grants (one-year grants only)
  • Re-granting projects
  • Ongoing care management programs (health sector)
  • Projects located outside New England unless 100% of the project impacts Maine learners

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Rebekah A. Bucci, Chair (unpaid)
  • David J. Bucci
  • Samuel M. DiCapua
  • Edward L. Dilworth III
  • Colleen Bucci Liddy
  • Albert W. Noyes
  • Anne B. Pringle
  • Amanda V. Rand

Staff

  • Yvonne B. Mummé, Chief Finance and Administrative Officer
  • Stefanie Millette, Program Officer
  • Suzanne Muir, Grants Specialist

Foundation Philosophy

The founders' vision remains central to the foundation's work: "to make grants where they will do the most good and where our gifts make a real difference." This philosophy emphasizes meaningful impact over breadth of funding, supporting projects that demonstrate potential for transformative change in Maine communities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Pre-Application Requirements:

  1. Confirm 501(c)(3) eligibility with 509(a)(1) or (2) status
  2. Review all project guidance materials on the foundation website
  3. Gather required documentation before starting the application

Required Documentation:

  • 501(c)(3) determination letter (if obtained within last 24 months)
  • Project budget (one-page table format preferred)
  • Most recent audited financial statements (audits, reviews, or compilations) OR most recent Form 990
  • Balance Sheet (Statement of Financial Position)
  • Income Statement (Statement of Activities)
  • Current year operating budget (12-month fiscal year estimate)
  • Additional documentation if using a fiscal sponsor

Submission Process:

  • Applications submitted exclusively through online portal at www.davisfoundations.org/dff/apply
  • No email or mail submissions accepted
  • No pre-proposal or letter of inquiry required
  • New applicants must register; returning applicants use existing credentials
  • Applications auto-save during completion
  • Email confirmation sent automatically upon submittal
  • Staff welcomes questions via phone: (207) 846-9132

Decision Timeline

Quarterly Schedule:

  • Application Deadlines: February 1, May 1, August 1, November 1 (5:00 p.m. EST)
  • Trustee Meetings: March, June, September, December
  • Notification: Within approximately 60 days from submission deadline (typically 14 days after trustee meeting)
  • Method: Decision notifications mailed to applicants

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly disclose acceptance rates or application statistics. Trustees judge proposals against the funding objectives, on their merits, and in comparison to others received during the same cycle.

Reapplication Policy

For Funded Organizations:

  • Health and Education grantees: Must wait 24 months from the deadline date before submitting subsequent requests
  • Cultural/Arts grantees: Must wait 36 months from the deadline date before submitting subsequent requests

For Declined Applicants:

  • Cannot resubmit the same project within 12 months of the decline

Grant Terms:

  • One-year grants only (multi-year awards are unlikely)
  • Completion reports required within 12 months of receiving funds
  • Simple questionnaire-based report documenting actual income and expenses against original budget

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Foundation

The foundation emphasizes "Keep It Simple" and "Be concise" throughout the application process. Specific guidance from trustees includes:

  1. Focus on Solutions Over Problems: "We want to know how you're going to achieve the results of your project more than why."

  2. Use Data-Driven Descriptions: Include specific data and metrics rather than vague statements about impact or need.

  3. Budget Accuracy is Critical: "Be sure your budget makes sense, it's often the first thing we look at. Be sure your math adds up and it is in line with the action steps you're proposing to take."

  4. External Review: After completing the application, send it to someone unfamiliar with your organization and project to solicit feedback on clarity and comprehension.

Projects They've Recently Funded

Education Examples:

  • Thomas College ($25,000, 2024): Improving teacher education for middle-level students in Maine through curriculum development, field experiences, and professional development opportunities
  • Challenger Learning Center of Maine ($20,000): "Missions for Maine" STEM education program using space exploration themes for grades 4-10, serving 65 schools and approximately 1,950 students
  • Seacoast Waldorf School ($25,000): Educational programming
  • Western Maine Play Museum ($50,000): Educational and cultural programming

Health Examples:

  • St. Joseph Hospital ($12,000): "Creative Change of Behavior for Diabetes Patients with Anxiety and Depression" - pilot program introducing self-management technology (19 participants achieved combined weight loss of 173.7 pounds)
  • Southern Maine Health Center ($18,721): Health services

Cultural/Arts Examples:

  • Berwick Public Library ($10,000): "Online Public Access Catalog Upgrade" - multi-library collaborative project upgrading technology and linking three library catalogs online

Language and Terminology They Use

  • "Systemic change" in education
  • "Innovative and inspirational" approaches
  • "Research-based" programs
  • "Scalable, replicable, and sustainable"
  • "Transform the learning experience"
  • "Increase effectiveness or decrease cost of medical care"
  • "Where they will do the most good and where our gifts make a real difference"

Tips for Standing Out

  1. Demonstrate Innovation: Show how your project introduces new approaches or transforms existing practices rather than maintaining status quo

  2. Evidence-Based Approach: Ground your project in research and include data showing preliminary success or strong rationale for the approach

  3. Sustainability Plan: Clearly articulate how the project will continue after grant funding ends

  4. Educator/Clinician Involvement: For education and health projects, demonstrate that practitioners are involved in both design and execution

  5. Clear Impact Metrics: Define specific, measurable outcomes that show how the project makes a "real difference"

  6. Budget Precision: Ensure your budget is detailed, accurate, and directly aligned with proposed activities

  7. Maine Focus: Emphasize how your project specifically serves Maine communities, particularly Southern Maine

  8. Scalability and Replication: Explain how successful elements of your project could be adopted by other organizations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic alignment is critical: Southern Maine organizations receive highest priority, followed by other parts of Maine. Organizations outside Maine should only apply if 100% of the project impacts Maine learners.

  • One-year grants only: Do not propose multi-year funding or request general operating support. Focus on specific, time-bound projects that can be completed or reach significant milestones within 12 months.

  • Budget scrutiny is high: Trustees review budgets carefully before other application elements. Ensure mathematical accuracy and clear alignment between budget line items and proposed activities.

  • Innovation and systemic change matter most in education: For education grants, demonstrate how your project goes beyond typical programming to transform learning experiences or create systemic improvements.

  • Sustainability is essential: Projects should not be dependent on ongoing grant funding. Show how the project will continue or how learnings will be integrated after the grant period.

  • Reapplication waiting periods are strictly enforced: Plan your grant calendar carefully, especially for arts organizations (36-month waiting period). If declined, wait 12 months before resubmitting the same project.

  • Staff is available for questions: The foundation welcomes phone inquiries before application submission. Use this resource to clarify eligibility or project fit before investing time in a full application.

References

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