Maine Initiatives and the Nature Based Education Consortium are thrilled to announce the 2025 Outdoor Equity Fund Grantees, five community-based organizations dedicated to improving equitable access to nature-based learning opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Maine. This is the third cohort of organizations supported through the Outdoor Equity Fund, joining 20 other grantees who receive multi-year, unrestricted $30,000 grants and access to convenings, training, and peer support within this growing ecosystem. They were selected by the 2025 Outdoor Equity Fund Grantmaking Advisory Committee, a 30-person decision making body with aligned wisdom, lived experience, and expertise in the outdoor and environmental sector. The missions of the 2025 Outdoor Equity Fund grantees highlight the transformative ways nature-based efforts can nourish vital community needs, including cultural preservation, food sovereignty, immigrant flourishing, and healing after incarceration. Abbe MuseumTo illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands. Katahdin KitchenTo nourish our community by serving food that fosters connection and celebrates our cultural heritage. We are dedicated to creating a vibrant community hub that honors the traditional wisdom of the Wabanaki Moon Calendar. La Finca CooperativeTo represent underrepresented communities and provide a pathway for connecting with plants, animals, and one another through our BIPOC worker-owned agricultural cooperative.  Maine Community IntegrationTo create opportunities for New Mainer girls and their families to have meaningful engagement in the Lewiston-Auburn communities while respecting and uplifting their diverse cultures, identities, and traditions. We serve the interests of both immigrants and locals by bridging gaps in mutual understanding in order to create social and systemic change. Reentry SistersTo expand access to college and career pathways for justice-impacted women and gender-expansive people across Maine. Together, we’re building opportunities for education, healing, and leadership after incarceration. “These five organizations, and the twenty-five total groups supported through the Outdoor Equity Fund, are restoring life-lines to our communities and strengthening our connection to mother earth in this critical moment when we need it most,” shared Maine Initiatives Senior Director Julian Rowand. Join us in celebrating and supporting these organizations’ multifaceted and powerful work, blooming at the intersection of outdoor access and racial justice efforts in Maine, unceded Wabanaki Territory. For more information, contact oef@maineinitiatives.org. Top photo: Abbe Museum The Outdoor Equity Fund and cohort program is co-developed and administered by Maine Initiatives and the Nature Based Education Consortium. Since 2022, the Outdoor Equity Fund has committed $750,000 in unrestricted, multi-year grants; convened approximately 70 Grantmaking Advisory Committee Members, and engaged about 150 volunteer Readers in the community-led, participatory grantmaking process.  Maine Initiatives is a community-based foundation supporting social, economic, and environmental justice in Maine through informed, intentional, and collective philanthropy. Our core programs are Grants for Change, the Immigrant Led Organizations Fund, the Outdoor Equity Fund, The Giving Project, and MaineShare. The Nature Based Education Consortium (NBEC) is a diverse, multi-sector network of organizations and individuals focused on building support for equitable access to outdoor spaces and learning opportunities for all Maine youth. NBEC believes that all Maine youth deserve the opportunity to learn in ways that connect them to their community and the natural world. 

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