Five Piscataquis County nonprofits have been awarded a total of $40,850 in grants from the Maine Community Foundation for initiatives designed to enhance access to the outdoors and recreation.
The Piscataquis County Fund is a permanent endowment that supports projects and nonprofits that strengthen communities in the county. It is the least populous of Maine’s 16 counties, but is an under-the-radar real estate hot spot, according to the Mainebiz Real Estate Insider.
Applications for fund awards go through the foundation’s Community Building Grant Program and are reviewed by a committee of local leaders. The next proposal deadline is Feb. 15, 2021.
Application, guidelines and a complete list of 2020 grants can be found on the Maine Community Foundation’s website.
MCF Piscataquis County Fund recipients
- Appalachian Mountain Club: $10,000 to expand hands-on outdoor programming for students in Piscataquis County by offering a native Atlantic salmon-raising and -stocking program
- Moosehead Trails: $7,000 to expand the Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit Hiking Challenge by including a volunteer incentive program dedicated to trail maintenance and stewardship
- MSAD #41: $10,000 to provide play and athletic equipment to support outdoor recreation and exercise at the new middle school
- Piscataquis Regional YMCA: $10,000 to expand the second-grade swimming program to offer lessons in three new school districts: $10,000
- RSU 68: $7,350 to rebuild a nature trail near the school that would support inter-generational use by students and community members