THE BETTERMENT FUND  
    Created by the will of William Bingham 2nd


Trustees: William B. Winship • Carolyn S. Wollen • William P. Clough III • Carol Berg Geist • Andrew L. Tansey • Martin J. Grohman
 

 

Bank of America N.A.
c/o Christine O’Donnell, NY1-100-28-05
One Bryant Park
New York, NY 10036
Tel: 646-855-1011
Fax: 646-855-5463
betterment@ustrust.com

   

THE BETTERMENT FUND

 2008 Grantmaking Summary (PDF)

January 1, 2008December 31, 2008

Total Number of Grants 84
           Total Number of Capital Grants 12
           Total Number of Program Grants 72
Total Grant Payments Made $1,887,000
          Total Capital Grants $595,000
           Total Program Grants $1,292,000
                   Average Program Grant Payment $17,944
                   Range of Program Grant Payments $2,000 - $75,000


DESCRIPTION OF GRANTS

I. CIVIC AND COMMUNITY – GRANT PAYMENTS TOTALING:

                        $405,000

 

Bethel Historical Society
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

Carrabassett Valley Public Library
Capital Building Campaign

 

$15,000

 

 

Coastal Enterprises
Expenses for CEI Investment Notes Program

 

$40,000

 

 

Cobscook Bay Resource Center
Operating Support

 

$20,000

 

 

Franco-American Heritage Center
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

Good Shepherd Food Bank
Matching Challenge Grant

 

$25,000

 

 

Good Will-Hinckley, successor to Four Square Foundation
Bridge to Independence, Support for Former Foster Children

 

$10,000

 

 

Growsmart Maine
General Operating Support

 

$20,000

 

 

H.O.M.E., Inc.
General Operating Support

 

$25,000

 

 

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
Capacity Building

 

$15,000

 

 

Legal Services for the Elderly
Elder Access to Justice Project in Washington and Aroostook Counties

 

$25,000

 

 

Maine Housing & Building Materials Exchange
New Retail Warehouse

 

$15,000

 

 

Mano en Mano/Hand and Hand
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

Mountain Counties Heritage, Inc.
Operating Support for Maine Woods Consortium

 

$25,000

 

 

Orono Public Library
Capital Campaign

 

$15,000

 

 

Outsource Works
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

Quebec Labrador Foundation
GIS Capacity Building in Western Maine

 

$25,000

 

 

United Way of Eastern Maine
Heating Fuel Assistance

 

$5,000

 

 

United Way of Greater Portland
Language Access for New Americans Operating Support

 

$25,000

 

 

Unity Barn Raisers
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

Waterville Public Library
Capital Campaign

 

$15,000

 

 

Western Maine Community Action, Inc.
Keeping Seniors Home

 

$15,000

 

 

Western Mountains Charitable Foundation
Operating Support for Maine Huts and Trails

 

$20,000

 

 

II.  CREATIVE ECONOMY - GRANT PAYMENTS TOTALING:

                          $60,000

 

 

 

 

Brunswick Area Arts & Cultural Alliance, d/b/a Five Rivers Arts Alliance
Marketing Initiative

 

$10,000

 

 

Maine Fiberarts
2009 Tour Map

 

$15,000

 

 

Portland Symphony Orchestra
Marketing Strategy

 

$10,000

 

 

Schoodic Arts for All
Operating Support

 

$15,000

 

 

Tides Institute/Quoddy Tides Foundation
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

 

 

 

III.  EDUCATION - GRANT PAYMENTS TOTALING:

                        $640,000

 

 

 

 

College for Maine - Androscoggin
Raising the Bar: Creating a College-Going Culture

 

$50,000

 

 

Fryeburg Academy
Phoenix Project, Reconstruction of Field House and Performing Arts Center

 

$25,000

 

 

Gould Academy
Faculty Endowment

 

$300,000

 

 

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Student Craft Institute Capital Grant

 

$20,000

 

 

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Student Craft Institute Operating Support

 

$5,000

 

 

Heartwood College of Art
Maine Scholastic Art Award Program Support

 

$5,000

 

 

Literacy Volunteers of Bangor
Teach One, Reach One Project

 

$5,000

 

 

Maine Adult Education Association
Deveopment of State-Wide Web Portal

 

$35,000

 

 

Maine Children's Alliance
Maine School Kids Count

 

$30,000

 

 

Maine Community Foundation
Hank Schmelzer Scholarship Endowment for Nontraditional Adult Students

 

$10,000

 

 

Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center
Maine NEW Leadership Program for Undergraduate College Women

 

$10,000

 

 

Mitchell Institute
Operating Support

 

$20,000

 

 

Opportunity Maine
Operating Support

 

$20,000

 

 

Ruth's Reusable Resources
Operating Support & Membership Subsidization

 

$20,000

 

 

Susan L. Curtis Charitable Foundation
Arts Education Center

 

$10,000

 

 

Thomas College
Bingham Scholars Endowment

 

$75,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV.  ENVIRONMENTAL/CONSERVATION - GRANT PAYMENTS TOTALING:

                         $435,000

 

 

 

Androscoggin River Alliance*
Visioning Conference

* Payment Subsequently Refunded

 

$10,000

 

 

Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments
Mahoosuc Initiative

 

$15,000

 

 

Appalachian Mountain Club
Mahoosuc Initiative

 

$25,000

 

 

Appalachian Trail Conference
Mahoosuc Initiative

 

$10,000

 

 

The Center for Northern Woodlands, Inc.
Succession Strategy

 

$15,000

 

 

Conservation Fund
Androscoggin Valley Conservation Initiative

 

$15,000

 

 

Conservation Law Foundation
Clean Water Maine Initiative

 

$10,000

 

 

Equity Trust
Operating Support for Maine Program

 

$15,000

 

 

Forest Society of Maine
Mahoosuc Initiative

 

$25,000

 

 

Mahoosuc Land Trust
Mahoosuc Initiative

 

$30,000

 

 

Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

Maine Audubon Society
Beginning With Habitat

 

$20,000

 

 

Maine Farmland Trust
Operating Support

 

$15,000

 

 

Maine Tree Foundation
Operating Support

 

$15,000

 

 

Maine Woods Forever
Thoreau Wabanaki Trail Campsite Improvement

 

$10,000

 

 

Natural Resources Council of Maine
Operating Support

 

$10,000

 

 

New England Grassroots Environment Fund
Funding Maine's Community Environmental Grassroots Projects

 

$25,000

 

 

Northern Forest Alliance, by Appalachian Mountain Club, as fiscal agent
Mahoosuc Initiative

 

$40,000

 

 

Open Space Institute
TIMO Analysis in the Mahoosucs

 

$15,000

 

 

RESTORE: The North Woods
Allagash Protection Project

 

$15,000

 

 

Small Woodlot Owners of Maine
Operating Support

 

$15,000

 

 

Trout Unlimited
Western Mountains Riparian Land Protection

$15,000

 

 

The Trust for Public Land
Mahoosuc Initiative

 

$30,000

 

 

The Wilderness Society
Mahoosucs Conservation Initiative

 

$30,000

 

 

 

 

V.  HEALTH - GRANT PAYMENTS TOTALING:

                         $305,000

 

 

 

Bingham Program of Tufts New England Medical Center
Health Coverage Fellowship Program for Maine Journalist Staffing

 

$5,000

 

 

Bingham Program of Tufts New England Medical Center
Staffing for Oral Health Funders Group

 

$10,000

 

 

Consumers for Affordable Health Care Foundation
Toll-free Helpline

 

$15,000

 

 

Eastern Maine HomeCare
Telemedicine Equipment

 

$10,000

 

 

Healthreach Community Health Centers
Electronic Medical Record Initiative

 

$35,000

 

 

HealthReach Network Home Care & Hospice
Remote Testing Equipment

 

$20,000

 

 

LifeFlight Foundation
Night Vision Technology

 

$50,000

 

 

Maine Center for Public Health
Maine Youth Overweight Collaborative

 

$15,000

 

 

Maine Community College System
Health Care Rural Workforce Project

 

$75,000

 

 

Maine Personal Assistance Services Association ("PASA")
Operating Support

 

$15,000

 

 

Medical Care Development, Inc.
Maine Eating Disorders Treatment System

 

$10,000

 

 

Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Inc.
Kids Legal Medical Partnership

 

$20,000

 

 

Sunrise Opportunities, by Community Caring Collaborative, as fiscal agent
Health Worker Curriculum Development

 

$25,000

 

 

 

 

 

VI.  PHILANTHROPY - GRANT PAYMENTS TOTALING:

                        $42,000

 

 

 

 

Institute for Civic Leadership
General Operating Support

 

$20,000

 

 

Maine Association of Nonprofits
General Operating Support

 

$20,000

 

 

Maine Philanthropy Center
Operating Support

 

$2,000

 

 


 2008 Grantmaking Summary (PDF) 

2007 Grantmaking Summary (HTML)  2007 Grantmaking Summary (PDF)


Grant Guidelines and Policies  Current Grant Priorities
Grant Application Cover Sheet Grantmaking Summary