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Maine · Private foundation

Elsie & William Viles Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$860k
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
46
Grants FY2025
30
Organizations funded FY2024
33%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$5,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$159,800
Organizations funded a year
24 to 30
FY2020 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
2
Total assets, FY2025
$21M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 33% of the organizations Elsie & William Viles Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 12% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 88% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $100k went to new ones.

50%100%’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’21’22’23’24
Arts & CultureHealthHuman ServicesEducationEnvironmentYouth DevelopmentOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving46$860k43%
FY202430$813k33%
FY202330$797k47%
FY202226$743k31%
FY202124$686k46%
FY202027$677kn/a
99% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Health$1.0MAnimals$933kArts & Culture$586kEducation$576kEnvironment$554kReligion$427kFood & Nutrition$134kPublic Benefit$112kOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2020 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Kennebec Valley Humane Society$874,000614%
Viles Arboretum$434,500631%
South Parish Congregational Church$424,5006n/a
State of Maine$424,5006n/a
The Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges$135,00062%
Augusta Food Bank$115,00061%
Augusta School Department$112,4506n/a
Children's Center Early Intervention & Family Support$85,00051%
Boys&Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley$60,00040%
Kennebec Historical Society$42,825510%
Show all 72 grantees
All grantees of Elsie & William Viles Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Kennebec Valley Humane Society$874,000614%
Viles Arboretum$434,500631%
South Parish Congregational Church$424,5006n/a
State of Maine$424,5006n/a
The Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges$135,00062%
Augusta Food Bank$115,00061%
Augusta School Department$112,4506n/a
Children's Center Early Intervention & Family Support$85,00051%
Boys&Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley$60,00040%
Kennebec Historical Society$42,825510%
Friends of Baxter State Park$35,00062%
The Kennebec Land Trust$22,50021%
Sportsman's Alliance of Maine$20,50051%
Vaughan Woods and Historic Homestead$20,00014%
Kennebec Valley Family Dentistry$20,00011%
Peace Ridge Sanctuary$14,00030%
The Theater at Monmouth$14,00013%
Pineland Suzuki School$12,75837%
Young Mens Christian Association$12,50021%
Arnold Expedition Historical Society$12,0001n/a
Augusta Downtown Alliance$10,00017%
Spectrum Generations$10,00010%
United Way of Kennebec Valley$10,00010%
Victoria Mansion$10,00012%
Pine Tree Society Inc$10,00010%
The Susan L Curtis Foundation$9,90020%
Maine State Music Theatre$9,40030%
Neighbors Driving Neighbors$8,99928%
Hubbard Free Library$8,50015%
Gardiner Library Association$8,50022%
Hallowell Foodbank Inc$8,2003n/a
Midcoast Conservancy$7,50011%
Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals$7,50020%
Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries$7,50011%
Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail Inc$7,500140%
The General Henry Knox Museum$7,5001n/a
Winthrop Public Library Foundation$7,500210%
Winthrop Food Pantry$7,50011%
7 Lakes Alliance Inc$6,0001n/a
Kennebec Valley YMCA$5,00010%
The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation$5,00014%
Coastal Kids Preschool$5,00010%
Worromontogus Lake Association$5,0001n/a
LifeFlight Foundation$5,00010%
Penquis Cap Inc$5,00020%
Rooted in Trees$5,0001n/a
Chebeague Island Historical Society$5,0001n/a
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Inc$5,00010%
Johnson Hall Inc$5,00011%
Greater Augusta Back to School Program$4,9002n/a
Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec$4,0001n/a
Hardy Girls Healthy Women Inc$4,00012%
Maine Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation$4,0001n/a
Anchor ME Harbor$4,0001n/a
Volunteers of America Northern New England$4,00010%
Augusta Symphony Orchestra$3,0001n/a
Lincoln County Historical Association$3,00021%
Quoddy Tides Foundation$3,0001n/a
Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance$2,50010%
Maine Boys to Men$2,50011%
Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed$2,50010%
The Kita Centerinc$2,50011%
Eastern Area Agency on Aging$2,0001n/a
Mid-Coast Health Net Inc$2,00010%
Women for Healthy Rural Living$1,50010%
Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills Inc$1,50010%
Wild Seed Project$1,50010%
Gateway Milbridge$1,50011%
Vision Hallowell$1,4231n/a
Turner Public Library Portland Trust Company Manager$1,35011%
Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine$1,00010%
Midcoast Literacy$1,00011%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 18 recipients with no EIN on record ($1.4M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Elsie & William Viles Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 2 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 54 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetKennebec Valley Humane Society: $874,000 over 6y, 14% of budgetViles Arboretum: $434,500 over 6y, 31% of budgetThe Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges: $135,000 over 6y, 2.5% of budgetAugusta Food Bank: $115,000 over 6y, 0.9% of budgetChildren's Center Early Intervention & Family Support: $85,000 over 5y, 0.8% of budgetBoys&Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley: $60,000 over 4y, 0.5% of budgetKennebec Historical Society: $42,825 over 5y, 10% of budgetFriends of Baxter State Park: $35,000 over 6y, 2.2% of budgetThe Kennebec Land Trust: $22,500 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetSportsman's Alliance of Maine: $20,500 over 5y, 0.9% of budgetVaughan Woods and Historic Homestead: $20,000 over 1y, 4.1% of budgetKennebec Valley Family Dentistry: $20,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetPeace Ridge Sanctuary: $14,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetThe Theater at Monmouth: $14,000 over 1y, 2.7% of budgetPineland Suzuki School: $12,758 over 3y, 7.2% of budgetYoung Mens Christian Association: $12,500 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetAugusta Downtown Alliance: $10,000 over 1y, 7.1% of budgetSpectrum Generations: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetUnited Way of Kennebec Valley: $10,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetVictoria Mansion: $10,000 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetPine Tree Society Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetThe Susan L Curtis Foundation: $9,900 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetMaine State Music Theatre: $9,400 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetNeighbors Driving Neighbors: $8,999 over 2y, 8.2% of budgetHubbard Free Library: $8,500 over 1y, 4.7% of budgetGardiner Library Association: $8,500 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetMidcoast Conservancy: $7,500 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetMaine State Society for the Protection of Animals: $7,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetMaine Center for Coastal Fisheries: $7,500 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetFriends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail Inc: $7,500 over 1y, 40% of budgetWinthrop Public Library Foundation: $7,500 over 2y, 10% of budgetWinthrop Food Pantry: $7,500 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetKennebec Valley YMCA: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetThe Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation: $5,000 over 1y, 3.5% of budgetCoastal Kids Preschool: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetLifeFlight Foundation: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetPenquis Cap Inc: $5,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCoastal Maine Botanical Gardens Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetJohnson Hall Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetHardy Girls Healthy Women Inc: $4,000 over 1y, 1.6% of budgetVolunteers of America Northern New England: $4,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLincoln County Historical Association: $3,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetMaine Mathematics & Science Alliance: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMaine Boys to Men: $2,500 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetFriends of the Cobbossee Watershed: $2,500 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetThe Kita Centerinc: $2,500 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetMid-Coast Health Net Inc: $2,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetWomen for Healthy Rural Living: $1,500 over 1y, 0.4% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 54.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Maine Community Found…Kennebec Savings Bank…Davis Family Foundati…Bangor Savings Bank F…Elmina B Sewall Found…Fisher Charitable Fou…Onion FoundationMorton-Kelly Charitab…Stephen & Tabitha Kin…Libra FoundationReny Charitable Found…Simmons Foundation - …
Maine Community Foundation IncME82.1× affinity49 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Maine Community Foundation Inc · Kennebec Savings Bank Foundation · Davis Family Foundation · Bangor Savings Bank Foundation · Elmina B Sewall Foundation · Fisher Charitable Foundation · Onion Foundation · Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust · Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation Inc · Libra Foundation · Reny Charitable Foundation · Simmons Foundation - PerkinsThompson

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Elsie & William Viles Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Elsie & William Viles Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Elsie & William Viles Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Elsie & William Viles Foundation

How much does Elsie & William Viles Foundation give?
Elsie & William Viles Foundation reported 46 grants totaling $860,100 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 24 and 30 organizations a year over FY2020 to FY2024.
What does Elsie & William Viles Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2020 to FY2025, its largest causes are Health (22%), Animals (20%), Arts & Culture (13%).
Who are Elsie & William Viles Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2020 to FY2025: Kennebec Valley Humane Society ($874k), Viles Arboretum ($435k), South Parish Congregational Church ($425k).
Does Elsie & William Viles Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 33% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Elsie & William Viles Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as Elsie & William Viles Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Maine Community Foundation Inc, Kennebec Savings Bank Foundation, Davis Family Foundation.
Where is Elsie & William Viles Foundation based?
Elsie & William Viles Foundation is based in ME.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 90 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home