The hardworking Youth Conservation Corps of the 30 Mile River Watershed Association takes a break from building a set of infiltration steps that uses crushed stone to slow and infiltrate runoff that had been polluting Lovejoy Pond. Top to bottom: Mitchell Root, Connor Firth, Marissa Rossi, Amber Delaney, Rylee Delaney. Photo courtesy 30 Mile River Watershed Association

STATE — Nonprofit and public organizations seeking funding for projects that strengthen communities are encouraged to apply to the Maine Community Foundation’s Community Building Grant Program.

The Western Mountains Committee, a volunteer committee of Franklin and Somerset county residents and community leaders, reviews grants and makes recommendations for funding. The deadline for applying is February 15, 2020. Application, guidelines, and a list of 2019 grants are available at www.mainecf.org.

In 2019, the Western Mountains Committee awarded $68,003 in grants to 11 nonprofits, including:

• 30 Mile River Watershed Association, to build long-term, sustainable funding, and capacity to protect the lakes and ponds
• Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties, to expand free adult and family literacy services to include Jay, Livermore, and Livermore Falls
• Wesserunsett Arts Council, for Kennebec on Fire, a public art project in the Kennebec River.

The Western Mountains Fund was launched in 1992 with a gift from the late H. King Cummings, who was an ardent, early supporter of the Maine Community Foundation. Since that time, the Western Mountains Committee has awarded 429 grants totaling more than $1.9 million.

If you would like more information about the fund, please contact Senior Foundation Officer Laura Reed at 207-564-3236 or lreed@mainecf.org.