Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation supports environment, literacy, community services, and the arts in the state of Maine.
IP TAKE: Pitch an idea for how Stephen and Tabitha King can help a Maine-based nonprofit boost internal capacity. This funder supports a broad range of local groups.
PROFILE: Based in Bangor, Maine and created in 1986, the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation serves as the foundation of novelist Steven King and his wife, Tabitha, who is also a well-known author. The Kings wish to give back to their home community and address the underlying causes of social and environmental problems. It “promotes strengthening and supporting communities and draws upon the values and spirituality of the founders.” Grantmaking includes the environment, literacy, community services, and the arts.
The King Foundation supports a wide range of projects, and it provides a list of things that it will not fund rather than a list of what it does fund. The foundation centers its grantmaking on underlying causes and also the consequences of social and environmental problems. In addition, it focuses its grantmaking on community-building and projects that serve the most community members possible. This funder prefers to award grants for a single year and awards that improve organizational capacity.
Important Grant Details:
King Foundation grants range from $500 to $50,000, and are restricted to community-based initiatives in Maine. To maintain its integrity, the foundation does not permit people working for the foundation to sit on the board of organizations applying for grants or receive any gifts or services from applicants. Per the guidelines, “[g]rant decisions are made by the foundation in its sole discretion and are not subject to review or appeal. The foundation has absolutely no obligation whatsoever to any particular applicant.”
The King Foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits that benefit Maine. Grantseekers must submit their applications online, by mail, or by hand delivery any time before the June 30 or December 31 deadlines. Decisions take up to eight weeks following these deadlines, nonprofits can apply once per year, and must wait two years to apply for additional funding after receiving a grant. Grantseekers can direct general questions to the foundation at 207-990-2910 or via online form. Stephanie Leonard is the foundation administrator and a grantseeker’s best point of contact.
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