Biddeford and Mechanics Savings
Westbrook, ME · EIN 85-1674412. Reported 163 grants totalling $908,805 to 74 recipients across tax years 2020-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Biddeford and Mechanics Savings did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $4,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $2,500 and $5,000; the smallest was $500 and the largest $42,437. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Way of Southern Maine | Portland, ME | $97,437 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| My Place Teen Center | Westbrook, ME | $82,001 | 6 | 6 | 2025 |
| Trinity Jubilee Center | Lewiston, ME | $55,000 | 6 | 6 | 2025 |
| Safe Voices | Auburn, ME | $49,999 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| United Way of Androscoggin County | Lewiston, ME | $34,136 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Sweetser | Saco, ME | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Tedford Housing | Brunswick, ME | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Mainely Character | Portland, ME | $27,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Tree Street Youth | Lewiston, ME | $23,333 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank | Auburn, ME | $23,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| St Mary's Health System | Lewiston, ME | $21,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of Southern Maine Foundation | Portland, ME | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Biddeford Food Pantry | Biddeford, ME | $17,500 | 6 | 6 | 2025 |
| Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program Inc | Brunswick, ME | $17,500 | 6 | 6 | 2025 |
| Saco Food Pantry | Saco, ME | $17,500 | 6 | 6 | 2025 |
| Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center | Biddeford, ME | $17,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| United Way of York County | Kennebunk, ME | $16,699 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Church Community Outreach Services | Kennebunk, ME | $16,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| First Congregational Church of Scarborough (food Pantry) | Scarborough, ME | $15,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| High Street Congregational Church (food Pantry) | Auburn, ME | $15,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Waterboro Community Pantry | East Waterboro, ME | $15,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Westbrook Community Food and Resource Center | Westbrook, ME | $15,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Drop-in Center | Poland, ME | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| University of New England | Biddeford, ME | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Community Dental | Portland, ME | $14,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Opportunity Alliance | South Portland, ME | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Windham Food Pantry and Clothes Closet | Windham, ME | $11,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Avesta Housing Management Corporation | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Ecology Education Inc (aka the Ecology School) | Saco, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pleasant Street Drop-in | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Presumpscot Regional Land Trust | Gorham, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Locker Project | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Stroudwater Christian Food Pantry | Portland, ME | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project | Portland, ME | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Androscoggin Home Healthcare & Hospice | Lewiston, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Brunswick Housing Authority | Brunswick, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pine Tree Society | Auburn, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Preble Street | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Prosperityme | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern Maine Agency on Aging | Biddeford, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Rotary Foundation | Sherman Avenue, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Thornton Academy | Saco, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Unitersity of New England | Biddeford, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Valo | Freeport, ME | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| City of Windham Food Pantry and Clothes Closet | Windham, ME | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Outreach Services | Kennebunk, ME | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| United Way of Greater Portland | Portland, ME | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| York County Community College Foundation | Wells, ME | $2,700 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine | Portland, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City Theater | Biddeford, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Lewiston School Departments | Lewiston, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Falmouth Food Pantry | Falmouth, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Gorham Food Pantry | Gorham, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Heart of Biddeford | Biddeford, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| South Portland Food Cupboard | South Portland, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Standish Food Pantry | Standish, ME | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bon Appetit Community Meal Program | Biddeford, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Central Maine Community College Foundation (aka Cm Education Foundation) | Auburn, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Windham | Windham, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Community Concepts | Lewiston, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| First Congregational Church of Scarborough | Scarborough, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Habitat for Humanity International Inc (ein 01-0460969) | Topsham, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Habitat for Humanity York County | Kennebunk, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| High Street Congregational Church | Auburn, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Junior Achievement of Maine | Portland, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Project Grace | Scarborough, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Tedford Housingwarm Thy Neighbor | Brunswick, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| United Way of Mid Coast Maine | Bath, ME | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Waterboro Food Pantry (aka Waterboro Community Pantry) | East Waterboro, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors | Windham, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| York County Community Action | Biddeford, ME | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of Waterboro Public Library | East Waterboro, ME | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Salvation Army National Corp | Alexandria, VA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Scarborough Economic Development Corporation | Scarborough, ME | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
31 of 74 (42%) received money in more than one year over the 6 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 77%, across 5 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- United Way of Southern Maine
$17,437 support for local initiatives; $25,000 Keep ME Warm heating program - United Way of Androscoggin County
Support for local initiatives - Ecology Education Inc (aka the Ecology School)
Support for youth initiatives - St Mary's Health System
$5,000 to support health initiatives; $4,000 support for food and hunger issues - Opportunity Alliance
To support health, housing, hunger, and youth programs - Good Shepherd Food Bank
$5,000 for Paws for a Cause; $2,000 for the Stone Soup Food Pantry
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 97 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 37 | $118,098 | $2,000 |
| 2021 | 26 | $185,707 | $4,500 |
| 2022 | 22 | $120,000 | $4,500 |
| 2023 | 23 | $135,834 | $5,000 |
| 2024 | 26 | $182,500 | $5,000 |
| 2025 | 29 | $166,666 | $5,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
99% of its giving went to organizations in Maine. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
Get funders for your state and cause by email
We email you funders that gave to organizations in your state and cause, up to five at a time each week and never the same one twice, from their own IRS filings. Free. The weekly email has not started yet.
Unsubscribe in one click from any email. We never sell or share your address. To match on your organization and typical grant size too, keep a private profile.
Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $4,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Maine.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Biddeford and Mechanics Savings's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 6 returns (tax years 2020-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 100 Larrabee Road 400, Westbrook, ME, 04092. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 85-1674412 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.