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President And Trustees Of Bates College (Carignan Fund for Community Programs)

Annual Giving
$38.5M
Grant Range
Up to $0.0M00
Decision Time
2mo
Success Rate
33%

President And Trustees Of Bates College

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Approximately $38.5 million in grants (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program; Carignan Fund typically announces in spring
  • Grant Range: Up to $2,000 (Carignan Fund for Community Programs)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Lewiston-Auburn, Maine area

Contact Details

Harward Center for Community Partnerships Bates College 2 Andrews Road Lewiston, ME 04240

Website: https://www.bates.edu/harward/

Community Partner Grants Contact:

  • Jenna Dela Cruz Vendil '06, Associate Director of Democratic Engagement
  • Email: jvendil@bates.edu

Overview

The President And Trustees Of Bates College (EIN: 01-0211781) is the legal entity governing Bates College, a private liberal arts institution founded in 1855 in Lewiston, Maine. While primarily an educational institution, Bates College serves as a significant grant maker through its Harward Center for Community Partnerships. The college's primary grant-making vehicle is the James W. Carignan '61 and Sally Larson Carignan '62 Fund for Community Programs, established in 2007. Since its inception, this endowed fund has distributed over $150,000 to local community organizations. The fund honors James W. Carignan '61, former dean of the college, and his wife Sally Larson Carignan '62, recognizing their decades of service to Bates, the Lewiston-Auburn community, and the state of Maine. Under the leadership of President Garry W. Jenkins (installed as ninth president in May 2024), Bates maintains its commitment to community engagement through reciprocal and sustained partnerships.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Carignan Fund for Community Programs: Up to $2,000 per organization

  • Purpose: Supports programming that fosters new or strengthens existing connections between Bates College and the Lewiston-Auburn community
  • Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies in the Lewiston-Auburn area
  • Application Method: Annual application cycle with online submission; information for next cycle typically available by mid-November
  • Recent Distribution: In 2024-25, awarded $16,322.50 to five organizations

Priority Areas

The Carignan Fund focuses on:

  • Community needs: Programs addressing immediate community needs such as food security, housing, and transition support
  • Refugee and immigrant services: Recent grants prioritized organizations supporting refugees and asylum seekers
  • Youth development: Programs providing no-cost services to youth in Lewiston and Auburn
  • Sustainable initiatives: Long-term programs that address ongoing community challenges
  • Partnership potential: Projects that create or strengthen connections between Bates College and community organizations

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the fund parameters suggest:

  • Organizations outside the Lewiston-Auburn area
  • Projects without clear community benefit
  • Initiatives lacking potential for Bates College partnership or student involvement
  • Programs that do not align with the Harward Center's core values of reciprocity, equity, and mutual benefit

Governance and Leadership

College Leadership

President: Garry W. Jenkins (installed May 2024)

  • Ninth president of Bates College and first Black president
  • Former dean of University of Minnesota Law School
  • Nationally respected legal scholar and champion of the liberal arts

Board of Trustees Chair: Gregory (Greg) Ehret '91

Senior Leadership Team:

  • Malcolm S. Hill, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
  • Joshua G. McIntosh, Vice President for Campus Life
  • Geoffrey S. Swift, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer
  • Eric F. Foushee, Vice President for College Advancement
  • Tracey A. Reeves, Vice President for Communications and Marketing
  • Leigh Weisenburger, Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

Harward Center Leadership

Jenna Dela Cruz Vendil '06, Associate Director of Democratic Engagement, states: "the Carignan Fund is part of a larger ecosystem of relationships and programs that connect Bates with the off-campus community in mutually beneficial ways."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through an online portal made available by the Harward Center for Community Partnerships. The application process includes:

  1. Application Availability: Information about the upcoming grant cycle typically becomes available by mid-November (e.g., 2026 cycle information available November 2025)
  2. Submission: Online application form
  3. Application Deadline: Typically early March (e.g., March 8, 2024, at 5 p.m. for the most recent cycle)
  4. Grant Amount Request: Applicants can request up to $2,000

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be a nonprofit organization or governmental agency
  • Must serve the Lewiston-Auburn community
  • Proposed program must demonstrate potential for fostering connections with Bates College

Application Content:

  • Description of the identified program
  • Demonstrated or potential impact on intended participants/recipients
  • Explanation of how the program will foster new or strengthen existing connections between the organization and Bates College
  • Budget for how grant funds will be used (may support existing, emerging, or new programs, including program personnel)

Decision Timeline

  • Application Period: Typically opens in late fall/early winter
  • Deadline: Early March
  • Decision Announcement: Spring semester (typically April-May)
  • Award Distribution: Following announcement

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, in the 2024-25 cycle, the fund received 15 applications and awarded grants to 5 organizations (approximately 33% success rate for that year). Note that in other years, as many as 7 organizations have received funding from a similar applicant pool.

Reapplication Policy

There is no publicly stated restriction on reapplication. Organizations may apply in subsequent years regardless of previous outcomes. The annual cycle allows for regular opportunities to seek funding.

Application Success Factors

The Carignan Fund selection process has unique characteristics that applicants should understand:

Student-Led Decision Making

All grant decisions are made by Bates students, not administrators or trustees. The student selection committee:

  • Comprises 6-12 Bates students with diverse community engagement experience
  • Any Bates student can apply to serve on the committee
  • Members receive specialized training on philanthropy, power dynamics, and equity-minded evaluation
  • The Harward Center provides administrative support but does not make final decisions

According to student committee members, "proposals that were clear, specific, and sustainable were more likely to be approved."

Evaluation Criteria

Applications are evaluated on two primary factors:

  1. Impact: Demonstrated or potential impact on intended participants/recipients
  2. Partnership Potential: Potential for fostering new or strengthening existing connections between the applicant organization and Bates College

Alignment with Harward Center Values

Understanding the Harward Center's core values is critical for success:

Place: The Center prioritizes engagement with Lewiston and Maine, working to address systemic inequities while recognizing institutional privilege.

Partnership: Built on trust, reciprocity, deep listening, mutual benefit, and long-term accountability to community partners.

Power Reimagined: Commitment to "dismantling of white supremacy and other exclusionary modes of power," recognizing that service efforts can perpetuate inequities. The Center values lived experience and cultural humility.

Potential: Cultivates spaces nurturing belonging, equity, growth, and joy.

Recent Funding Patterns

The 2024-25 grants prioritized organizations supporting refugees and asylum seekers who had recently lost federal funding, suggesting the committee responds to urgent community needs. Recipients included:

  • Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services
  • Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
  • Asylum Seekers Resettlement Program
  • St. Mary's Nutrition Center
  • Trinity Jubilee Center

These grants addressed immediate needs for more than 100 newly resettled refugees.

Key Success Factors

  1. Clarity and Specificity: Clear, specific proposals with concrete outcomes
  2. Sustainability: Demonstrate how the program will be sustainable beyond the grant period
  3. Student Involvement Potential: Highlight opportunities for Bates students to participate or learn
  4. Asset-Based Approach: Focus on community strengths rather than deficits
  5. Equity Focus: Show understanding of power dynamics and commitment to equitable practices
  6. Responsiveness to Need: Address genuine, pressing community needs
  7. Relationship Building: Demonstrate commitment to long-term partnership with Bates College

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Student decision-makers: Remember that your application will be evaluated by trained Bates students, not professional grant-makers. Write clearly and avoid excessive jargon.
  • Partnership is paramount: The fund explicitly seeks to strengthen connections between community organizations and Bates College. Clearly articulate how your organization will partner with the college and involve students.
  • Values alignment matters: Demonstrate understanding of the Harward Center's commitment to reciprocity, equity, power-sharing, and anti-racist practices.
  • Be specific and concrete: Student evaluators have indicated that clear, specific proposals perform better than vague or overly ambitious ones.
  • Think sustainability: Show how the grant will support lasting impact, not just a one-time event.
  • Small grants, big impact: With awards up to $2,000, focus on specific, achievable objectives rather than comprehensive program overhauls.
  • Community context: Understanding current Lewiston-Auburn community needs and demonstrating responsive programming will strengthen your application.

References

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