The Natural Resources Council of Maine’s Sustainable Maine program encourages individuals, communities, and the state to adopt practical, effective measures that conserve and protect our natural resources. To help advance sustainable community initiatives throughout the state, NRCM is offering grants of up to $2,000 for schools, organized nonprofit committees, municipalities, and community libraries to help them reach their sustainability goals.
- The Sustainability Grant Program encourages communities to adopt innovative, practical, and effective measures to reduce waste. This grant program helps schools, municipalities, and other nonprofit entities share the tools, knowledge, and skills to prevent waste at the source, and divert valuable resources from the landfill.
- The *New* Sustainable Maine Libraries Grant Program provides resources to Maine libraries for the creation or expansion of community repair workshops and Libraries of Things. These projects build community, promote intergenerational learning, and promote resource lending, which can help individuals save money and live more sustainably.
Grant Program Deadlines:
- July 18, 2025
- September 12, 2025
- December 5, 2025
After each deadline, grant applicants will be notified about their status within three weeks.
Project Criteria
With limited funds available for projects, requests will be considered based on these criteria:
- Relevance to NRCM’s Sustainable Maine Program; initiative must contribute to a sustainable community through at least one of the following:
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- Addressing prevention or reduction of waste at the source
- Implementing reuse or repair infrastructure
- Beginning or expanding recycling and/or food waste recovery programs
- Providing education related to sustainable practices
- Increasing accessibility to sustainable practices within your school or community
- Demonstrated ability to carry out the project plan
- Need for funding to reach the goals of the sustainability initiative
For community initiatives, preference will be given to sustainability initiatives undertaken by start-up groups or mature organizations if the initiative itself is new.
Past Sustainability Grant Project Highlights
- Bring Your Own Bag Midcoast is a robust group of local activists in Brunswick and Topsham who were successful in banning foam food containers and regulating single-use disposable bags. NRCM’s seed grant funds were used to purchase reusable cloth bags for distribution to needy families and children, and to print and pay postage for postcards to Topsham residents urging them to come to the annual town meeting. Brunswick's Town Council voted to ban foam food containers and plastic bags. Topsham’s voters banned foam food containers and supported a fee on plastic and paper shopping bags.
- Food Fuels Learning’s Sustainable Practices Action Group is a diverse group composed of schoolteachers, administrators, nonprofits, waste service providers, parents, and community members. Together, they partnered with the Portland Public Schools’ Nutrition Department and Facilities Department to explore the costs and opportunities of switching from single-use plastic cutlery to reusable silverware at Rowe Elementary School. NRCM’s seed grant was used to purchase reusable silverware and additional supplies. For more information about this project, check out our Rowe Elementary School silverware pilot project case study.
- South Portland Waste Reduction Committee is a municipal advisory committee tasked with assisting the City of South Portland in their efforts to become a zero-waste community. With funds from NRCM’s Sustainability Grant, the group collaborated with the South Portland Public Library to host their first ever Repair Fair, encouraging community members to bring electronics, clothing, jewelry, furniture, and other gear in need of mending. At their kickoff event, more than 100 people brought items to be repaired by skilled volunteers at no cost. The success of this event has encouraged the City to plan future events to promote repair and keep useful items out of the waste stream, a goal which is aligned with South Portland’s Climate Action Plan.
Thank you for your interest in NRCM's sustainability grants!
For more information, please contact NRCM Sustainable Maine Program Manager Vanessa Berry at vberry@nrcm.org.
Sustainability grants are not to exceed $2,000. We have limited funds available for projects, so requests will be considered if they meet the following criteria:
- Relevance to NRCM’s Sustainable Maine Program; initiative must contribute to a sustainable community
- Strength of the group’s organizing skills; demonstrated ability to carry out the project plan
- Need for funding to reach the goals of the sustainability initiative
For community initiatives, preference will be given to sustainability initiatives undertaken by start-up groups (less than two years in existence) or mature organizations if the initiative itself is new (less than one year in the making).
Highlights from Past Sustainability Grant Recipients
- Bring Your Own Bag Midcoast is a robust group of local activists in Brunswick and Topsham who were successful in banning foam food containers and regulating single-use disposable bags. NRCM’s seed grant funds were used to purchase reusable cloth bags for distribution to needy families and children, and to print and pay postage for postcards to Topsham residents urging them to come to the annual town meeting. Brunswick's Town Council voted to ban foam food containers and plastic bags. Topsham’s voters banned foam food containers and supported a fee on plastic and paper shopping bags.
- Food Fuels Learning’s Sustainable Practices Action Group is a diverse group composed of schoolteachers, administrators, nonprofits, waste service providers, parents, and community members. Together, they partnered with the Portland Public Schools’ Nutrition Department and Facilities Department to explore the costs and opportunities of switching from single-use plastic cutlery to reusable silverware at Rowe Elementary School. NRCM’s seed grant was used to purchase reusable silverware and additional supplies. For more information about this project, check out our Rowe Elementary School silverware pilot project case study.
- South Portland Waste Reduction Committee is a municipal advisory committee tasked with assisting the City of South Portland in their efforts to become a zero-waste community. With funds from NRCM’s Sustainability Grant, the group collaborated with the South Portland Public Library to host their first ever Repair Fair, encouraging community members to bring electronics, clothing, jewelry, furniture, and other gear in need of mending. At their kickoff event, more than 100 people brought items to be repaired by skilled volunteers at no cost. The success of this event has encouraged the City to plan future events to promote repair and keep useful items out of the waste stream, a goal which is aligned with South Portland’s Climate Action Plan.
Thank you for your interest in NRCM's sustainability grants!
For more information, please contact NRCM Sustainable Maine Program Manager Vanessa Berry at vberry@nrcm.org.
