Our 2025 Grantees
2025 Funded Organizations by Impact Area
UMC’s grants are funded through contributions from individuals just like you and range in size from $5, to $5,000 or more. Click here to donate. Together we can be the tide that lifts all the boats and does the most good.
UMC’s competitive grants process is open to nonprofit agencies serving those who live in Knox and Waldo counties and who’s work falls within on one or more of the following areas of focus: food, housing, health & safety and economic security. For more information about our grant program, click here.
Food
| Name of Organization | Amount | Purpose |
| AIO | $25,000 | Grant allows expansion of Home Delivery service and Weekend Meals for school children. |
| Belfast Soup Kitchen | $25,000 | Support existing programs to provide basic food needs for our neighbors to promote health, wellness. |
| Come Spring Food Pantry | $20,000 | Providing nutritious food to the underserved population in Western Knox County. |
| GBAM Food Cupboard | $3,000 | Replace an aging cooler used to store fresh vegetables used in feeding 1600 people in Knox and Waldo Counties |
| Liberty Area Food Pantry | $5,000 | Secure tables, a freezer and other equipment to move more boxes of food. |
| MCH Inc Meals on Wheels | $20,500 | Deliver 41,000 meals with a daily check-in for homebound older adults and adults with disabilities in Knox County. |
| No Greater Love Food Pantry | $5,000 | Reduce the number of food insecure families in Waldo/Knox County by feeding 1,000 people between Waldo and Knox Counties. |
| St. Bernard’s Soup Kitchen | $6,500 | Feeding the hungry 5 days a week in Rockland. |
| St. George CDC | $10,000 | Support food pantry, the fastest growing need of the St. George CDC |
| Waldo County Bounty | $15,000 | Provide 7,000+ pounds of purchased/gleaned fresh produce for food insecure families in Waldo County |
Housing
| Name of Organization | Amount | Purpose |
| Habitat for Humanity - Waldo | $5,000 | Expanding our repair services helping income-qualified seniors and those with disabilities with home repairs and modification allowing them to remain safely housed. |
| Homeworthy | $25,000 | Critical support for roughly 1,300 Midcoast individuals to triage, address, & prevent homelessness. |
| Midcoast Habitat for Humanity | $25,000 | Funding for the development of affordable, safe, stable housing for up to 70 Knox County residents |
| Midcoast Maine Homeless Coalition | $15,000 | Provide transitional housing for at-risk families to empower families to achieve housing stability. |
| Mid Coast Recovery Coalition | $20,000 | Grant will support a healthy and safe living environment for 60 individuals struggling with addiction. |
| Midcoast Regional Housing Trust | $5,000 | Developing affordable housing in perpetuity to support our workforce and strengthen our community. |
| Waldo Community Action Partners | $15,000 | Ensuring people have access to resources promoting stable, warm, safe, and dry housing. |
Health & Safety
| Name of Organization | Amount | Purpose |
| American Red Cross | $15,000 | Supports emergency response and preparation as well as blood drives, education, and volunteer recruitment. |
| Belfast Public Health Nursing Association | $10,000 | Safety net services to support health and safety for vulnerable Waldo County community members. |
| Camden Area District Nursing Association | $25,000 | Funds allow for the continuation of free or reduced cost care for those that can’t afford it. |
| Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers | $10,000 | Will support companionship to the dying, respite to caregivers, and support to those grieving. |
| Coastal Opportunities | $10,000 | Will provide individuals with intellectual disabilities much needed Day Services. |
| Coastal Recovery Community Center | $7,500 | Allow for the expansion of recovery resources to community members living outside the immediate Rockland area. |
| Finding Our Voices | $15,000 | Brightening lives and futures of local women and child domestic abuse victims/survivors. |
| Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County | $10,000 | Free support and education for 850+ people either at end-of-life, caring for the ill, or grieving a loss. |
| Knox County Health Clinic | $25,000 | Increase access to quality healthcare for 1600 of our neighbors, regardless of age or income. |
| Maine Family Planning | $20,000 | High-quality, affordable, and accessible reproductive and gender-affirming care for local residents. |
| New Hope Midcoast | $23,500 | Provide comprehensive supports for Knox and Waldo County residents affected by domestic abuse. |
| OUT Maine | $20,000 | Expanding support, advocacy, and affirming programs for LGBTQ+ youth in Knox and Waldo counties. |
| Rockland District Nursing Association | $22,000 | In-home nursing services for 220 seniors living independently in Rockland and nearby communities. |
| Sexual Assault Services of Midcoast Maine | $23,500 | Midcoast Children’s Advocacy Centers will support 160 suspected child sexual abuse clients. |
| Southern Harbor Eldercare Services | $12,000 | Care of North Haven senior residents & their families as well as the implementation of an updated electronic record system. |
| The Beacon Project | $12,000 | Assure quality of life, independence, health and safety for island elders and support their families |
| Waldo County Dental Care | $16,000 | High-quality affordable dental care for 2060 low-income children and adults in Waldo County. |
| Waldo County Woodshed | $10,000 | Used to purchase local timber to turn into high-quality firewood for our neighbors in need. |
Economic Security
| Name of Organization | Amount | Purpose |
| Belfast Area Child Care Services Inc. | $24,000 | Support the delivery of quality, affordable child care for working families with infants and children in Waldo County |
| But Still I Am One | $12,000 | Short-term financial support of housing insecure young adults (16-21 years) in Waldo County |
| Penobscot Bay YMCA | $24,000 | 35-45 families will receive financial assistance for child care, camp, and after school care allowing parent can remain employed. |
| Peopleplace Cooperative Preschool | $7,500 | Make high-quality childcare accessible to working families who could not otherwise afford it. |
| Penquis CAP | $5,000 | To assist individuals facing financial insecurity to understand and manage their financial resources through 1:1 coaching, group classes, and referrals. |
| Restorative Justice Project | $15,000 | A men’s mentoring program for successful reentering into the community following incarceration. |
| Waldo County YMCA | $24,000 | UMC grant provides need-based financial aid support for affordable, high-quality childcare programs. |
| Waterman’s Community Center | $7,500 | Help ensure a dependable and affordable childcare is available to working island families. |