Sustainability Grant Program (Natural Resources Council of Maine)

Sustainability Grant Program is a grant from the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) that funds waste reduction and sustainability initiatives across Maine communities. Grants of up to $2,000 are available to schools, organized nonprofit committees, municipalities, and community libraries to help them reach sustainability goals through waste prevention, source reduction, and resource diversion from landfills.

A specialized Sustainable Maine Libraries Grant supports Maine libraries in creating or expanding community repair workshops and Libraries of Things. The program accepts applications beginning in June 2026, with 2026 deadlines throughout the year and notifications within three weeks of each deadline.

NRCM Sustainability Grants Skip to primary navigation NRCM Sustainability Grants The Natural Resources Council of Maine’s Sustainable Maine program encourages individuals, communities, and the state to adopt practical, effective measures that conserve and protect our natural resources.

To help advance sustainable community initiatives throughout the state, NRCM is offering grants of up to $2,000 for schools, organized nonprofit committees, municipalities, and community libraries to help them reach their sustainability goals. The Sustainability Grant Program encourages communities to adopt innovative, practical , and effective measures to reduce waste.

This grant program helps schools , municipalities, and other nonprofit entities share the tools, knowledge, and skills to prevent waste at the source , and divert valuable resources from the landfill. The *New* Sustainable Maine Libraries Grant Program provides resources to Maine libraries for the creation or expansion of community repair workshops and Libraries of Things .

These pro jects build community , promote intergenerational learning, and promote resource lending, which can help individuals save money and live more sustainably. We will begin accepting 2026 grant applications in June 2026. Deadlines for 2026 grants are: After each deadline, grant applicants will be notified about their status within three weeks.

A Hall-Dale Middle School Environmental Club member empties one of the smaller composting buckets into "Pink Piggy," their large compost bucket that a local farmer takes each day.

Apply for Sustainability Grant Apply for Sustainable Maine Libraries Grant With limited funds available for projects, requests will be considered based on these criteria: Relevance to NRCM’s Sustainable Maine Program; initiative must contribute to a sustainable community through at least one of the following: Addressing prevention or reduction of waste at the source Implementing reuse or repair infrastructure Beginning or expanding recycling and/or food waste recovery programs Providing education related to sustainable practices Increasing accessibility to sustainable practices within your school or community Demonstrated ability to carry out the project plan Need for funding to reach the goals of the sustainability initiative For community initiatives, preference will be given to sustainability initiatives undertaken by start-up groups or mature organizations if the initiative itself is new.

Past Sustainability Grant Project Highlights Bring Your Own Bag Midcoast is a robust group of local activists in Brunswick and Topsham who were successful in banning foam food containers and regulating single-use disposable bags.

NRCM’s seed grant funds were used to purchase reusable cloth bags for distribution to needy families and children, and to print and pay postage for postcards to Topsham residents urging them to come to the annual town meeting. Brunswick's Town Council voted to ban foam food containers and plastic bags. Topsham’s voters banned foam food containers and supported a fee on plastic and paper shopping bags.

Food Fuels Learning’s Sustainable Practices Action Group is a diverse group composed of schoolteachers, administrators, nonprofits, waste service providers, parents, and community members. Together, they partnered with the Portland Public Schools’ Nutrition Department and Facilities Department to explore the costs and opportunities of switching from single-use plastic cutlery to reusable silverware at Rowe Elementary School.

NRCM’s seed grant was used to purchase reusable silverware and additional supplies. For more information about this project, check out our Rowe Elementary School silverware pilot project case study . South Portland Waste Reduction Committee is a municipal advisory committee tasked with assisting the City of South Portland in their efforts to become a zero-waste community.

With funds from NRCM’s Sustainability Grant, the group collaborated with the South Portland Public Library to host their first ever Repair Fair, encouraging community members to bring electronics, clothing, jewelry, furniture, and other gear in need of mending. At their kickoff event, more than 100 people brought items to be repaired by skilled volunteers at no cost.

The success of this event has encouraged the City to plan future events to promote repair and keep useful items out of the waste stream, a goal which is aligned with South Portland’s Climate Action Plan. Thank you for your interest in NRCM's sustainability grants! For more information, please contact NRCM Sustainable Maine Program Manager Vanessa Berry at vberry@nrcm.

org. Natural Resources Council of Maine 3 Wade Street, Augusta, Maine 04330 Phone: 207. 622.

3101 Toll Free: 800. 287. 2345 NRCM Careers & Internships NRCM recognizes and honors the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe, collectively the Wabanaki Nations.

Wabanaki translates as “People of the Dawn. ” The Wabanaki Nations have stewarded Maine for generations, stretching back to before colonial settlers forcibly occupied the area. NRCM’s office in Augusta is on the unceded territory of the Penobscot Nation, and all of us in Maine are on unceded lands once overseen by Wabanaki people.

Let us remember this history and move forward with a commitment to justice and alignment with Wabanaki Nations in Maine. ( Read full land acknowledgement. )