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John T. Gorman Foundation

Annual Giving
$8.5M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.0M
Decision Time
2mo

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John T. Gorman Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $8,467,235 (990-PF 2023)
  • Total Assets: $214,146,299 (990-PF 2023)
  • Grant Range: Up to $25,000 (Direct Services Grant Program)
  • Decision Time: Approximately 7 weeks
  • Geographic Focus: Maine statewide
  • Application Method: Annual application period (typically late February - late March)

Contact Details

Address: 200 Middle Street, Suite 804, Portland, ME 04101

Phone: (207) 518-6784

Email: info@jtgfoundation.org

Website: https://www.jtgfoundation.org

Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

Overview

Founded in 1995 by John Thomas (Tom) Gorman, grandson of L.L. Bean, the John T. Gorman Foundation is a private foundation with a mission to make Maine a more equitable place where all children and families can thrive. With assets of $214 million (as of 2023), it ranks as Maine's third-largest charitable organisation. The Foundation received transformational growth when Tom Gorman passed away in 2010, leaving a significant gift to expand its impact.

The Foundation advances ideas and opportunities that can improve the lives of people in Maine, particularly those experiencing poverty, with a special interest in strengthening children and families and helping communities provide them with the supports and opportunities they need to thrive. In 2024, the Foundation received the Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for its decade-long support of the Lewiston Tree Street Initiative, which has yielded 196 new affordable housing units and significantly reduced juvenile arrests.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

1. Direct Services Grant Programme (DSGP)

  • Amount: Up to $25,000 per grant
  • Total Annual Funding: $1.5 million (2024), with 79 grants awarded
  • Application Method: Annual application period (typically opens late February, closes late March)
  • Focus: Provides funding to non-profit organisations addressing or connecting people in Maine experiencing poverty to basic needs supports including food, shelter, clothing, physical and mental health services, transportation, English language classes, case management support, and domestic violence services
  • Grant Types: Both programme/project funding and general operating support (general operating support limited to organisations whose sole mission is to serve Maine residents experiencing poverty)

2. Strategic Investments (Invitation-Only)

  • Method: Generally invitation-only
  • Focus: Comprehensive strategies and initiatives that improve child and family wellbeing through whole-family or two-generation approaches
  • Key Areas: Education, social capital, physical/mental health, wealth and assets, and employment navigation and supports
  • Purpose: Designed to prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and demonstrate models that can be taken to greater scale through practice and policy change
  • Note: Organisations are welcome to contact the Foundation with ideas aligned with their strategic focus at info@jtgfoundation.org

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on:

  • Basic Needs Support: Food insecurity, housing assistance, transportation, and access to physical and mental health services (half of 2024 DSGP grants focused on food and housing)
  • Two-Generation Approaches: Programmes that support both children and their caregivers simultaneously
  • Whole-Family Support: Services addressing multiple dimensions of family wellbeing including education, employment, health, and economic stability
  • Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Programmes that build family resilience and reduce childhood trauma
  • Vulnerable Populations: Elderly residents, low-income children, youth transitioning to adulthood, and families experiencing poverty
  • Systemic Change: Initiatives that can shift systems and be scaled through policy and practice changes

What They Don't Fund

Whilst specific exclusions are not explicitly listed on their website, the Foundation's strategic focus indicates they prioritise:

  • Organisations serving people in Maine (geographic limitation)
  • Direct service organisations addressing poverty-related needs
  • Programmes with demonstrated capacity for whole-family or two-generation approaches (for strategic investments)

Organisations should contact the Foundation directly to discuss alignment before submitting unsolicited proposals.

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Nicole Witherbee, President & CEO

  • Appointed February 2022 after serving 10 years as Chief Programme Officer
  • Oversees foundation's programmes, research, and evaluation
  • Key philosophy: "You can't make change for a child if the caregivers don't have the tools and resources they need."
  • Emphasises flexibility, rapid pivoting, and risk-taking: "We have the ability to be flexible, pivot quickly, and take risks."
  • Measures success through systemic change: "If something isn't working, let's change it until it does."

Michael Bevilacqua, CFO & Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer Beck, Vice President, Programmes

  • Noted that 2024 saw a "record number of applications" for the Direct Services Grant Programme

Board of Directors

Shawn O. Gorman, Chairman of the Board

  • Nephew of founder Tom Gorman
  • Also serves as Chairman of the Board of L.L.Bean, Inc. (appointed 2013)

Board Members:

  • Maggie Christie Keohan (also on Investment Committee)
  • Anne Dinsmore
  • Martha ("Meg") Greene
  • Rebecca Hatfield
  • Maura Mathy
  • John B. ("JB") Sullivan (also on Investment Committee)

Investment Committee

  • Geoffrey Swift (Chair) - Vice President for Finance & Administrations, Treasurer, Bates College
  • Maggie Christie Keohan - Region Head, Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs & Co.
  • Jim Geary - Financial Director, Albert B. Glickman Family Foundation
  • Heather Myers - Partner, Non-Profit Practice Leader, Aon
  • J.B. Sullivan - Principal & CEO, Portland Global Advisors, LLC
  • Nicole Witherbee - President & CEO

Staff Team

The Foundation employs a dedicated team of 10 staff members including:

  • Andrew Colvin, Communications Director
  • Jessica Drescher, Senior Research Associate
  • Elyse Pratt-Ronco, Director, Stakeholder Engagement
  • James Patefield, Grants and Data Associate
  • Leigh Arsenault, Senior Programme Associate
  • Jean Cousins, Programme Associate
  • Jennifer Rice, Executive Assistant

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Direct Services Grant Programme (DSGP):

  1. Monitor Announcements: Watch the Foundation's website, social media, and newsletter for annual DSGP announcements (typically opens late February)
  2. Application Period: One-month application window (typically late February - late March)
  3. Submission Deadline: Applications typically close at 5:00 PM EST on the final day
  4. Online Portal: Applications submitted through the Foundation's online grant portal

For Strategic Investments:

  • Contact info@jtgfoundation.org with a brief description of your proposal including:
    • The issue you are seeking to address
    • Your approach and rationale
    • Cost of implementation

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be a non-profit organisation serving Maine residents
  • For DSGP: Must address or connect people experiencing poverty to basic needs supports
  • For general operating support: Must be an organisation whose sole mission is to serve Maine residents experiencing poverty

Decision Timeline

  • Application Opens: Late February (typically)
  • Application Closes: Late March (typically)
  • Decision Notification: Approximately 7 weeks after deadline (mid to late April)
  • Notification Method: Direct contact to applicants

Success Rates

  • 2024 DSGP: 79 grants awarded from a "record number of applications" (specific success rate not disclosed)
  • 2022 DSGP: 90 grants awarded totalling $1.5 million
  • 2021 DSGP: 71 grants awarded totalling $1 million

The Foundation has increased both the number and total amount of DSGP grants over recent years, indicating growing capacity and reach.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies are not publicly disclosed. Organisations interested in reapplying should:

  • Contact James Patefield, Grants and Data Associate
  • Email info@jtgfoundation.org for guidance
  • Review each year's application guidelines when the DSGP opens

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment

For Direct Services Grants:

  • Clear focus on serving people experiencing poverty in Maine
  • Direct connection to basic needs (food, housing, health, transportation, etc.)
  • Demonstrated track record of service delivery
  • Capacity to serve vulnerable populations effectively

For Strategic Investments:

  • Demonstrated capacity for whole-family or two-generation approaches
  • Focus on preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  • Alignment with one or more of five key wellbeing areas: education, social capital, physical/mental health, wealth and assets, and employment navigation
  • Potential for systemic change and scalability
  • Evidence-based or innovative approaches that can inform practice and policy

Foundation Philosophy

The Foundation values:

  • Flexibility and Innovation: "We have the ability to be flexible, pivot quickly, and take risks"
  • Systems-Level Thinking: Success measured by shifting systems, not just individual projects
  • Two-Generation Approaches: Supporting both children and caregivers simultaneously
  • Long-term Partnerships: Decade-long investment in initiatives like Lewiston Tree Street demonstrates commitment to sustained impact
  • Learning and Adaptation: "If something isn't working, let's change it until it does"

Recent Grant Examples

2024 DSGP Recipients:

  • Maine Highlands Senior Center of Dover-Foxcroft: $15,000 for Helping Hands with Heart/Maine Highlands Integrated Response Network Unmet Needs Fund
  • Piscataquis Regional Food Cupboard of Dover-Foxcroft: $25,000 for general operating support
  • Good Shepherd Food Bank: $250,000 to address food assistance needs

Strategic Investment Examples:

  • Bangor Housing's Moving Families Forward: Helps parents along career, education, and asset-building pathways; provides families access to services to improve overall wellbeing; offers quality afterschool and summer programming through a connected Boys & Girls Club
  • Mercy Hospital's McAuley Residence: Uses two-generation model to serve women in substance use recovery and their children, with housing, counselling, parent coaching, and family-centred education and career development pathways
  • Lewiston Tree Street Initiative: Ten-year investment yielding 196 new affordable housing units, reduced lead exposure for young children, and significant drop in juvenile arrests

Key Terminology

The Foundation frequently uses these terms, which applicants should understand and incorporate where relevant:

  • Two-generation approaches
  • Whole-family support
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  • Basic needs supports
  • Equity and economic mobility
  • Systems change
  • Family wellbeing and resilience
  • Community partnerships

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Know Your Lane: The Foundation has two distinct pathways - the open Direct Services Grant Programme (up to $25,000) and invitation-only Strategic Investments. DSGP applicants should focus on direct service delivery for basic needs, whilst organisations with innovative two-generation models should reach out to discuss strategic partnership opportunities.

  2. Emphasise Whole-Family Impact: Whether applying for DSGP or exploring strategic investments, demonstrate how your work supports entire families, not just individuals. Use the Foundation's language around two-generation approaches and acknowledge that "you can't make change for a child if the caregivers don't have the tools and resources they need."

  3. Focus on Basic Needs for DSGP: Half of 2024 DSGP grants went to food and housing programmes. If your organisation addresses fundamental needs (food, shelter, health care, transportation, domestic violence support), clearly articulate this in your application.

  4. Demonstrate Organisational Capacity: With increasing application volume (2024 saw record numbers), show concrete evidence of your ability to serve vulnerable Mainers effectively and manage grant funds responsibly.

  5. Think Beyond Direct Service: For strategic investments, show how your work can contribute to systems change and be scaled through practice and policy. The Foundation seeks partnerships that can shift how Maine serves children and families, not just individual programme funding.

  6. Build Relationships: The Foundation values long-term partnerships (see their decade-long Lewiston investment). Consider reaching out early to discuss alignment, attend their events or presentations, and engage with their research and publications.

  7. Be Prepared for Competition: With 79 grants from a record number of applications in 2024, DSGP is competitive. Submit a strong, focused application that clearly demonstrates impact, organisational capacity, and alignment with Foundation priorities. Apply during the one-month window and ensure all materials are complete before the 5:00 PM EST deadline.

References

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