Maine · Public charity
Island Institute
We boldly navigate climate and economic change with island and coastal communities to expand opportunities and deliver solutions.
- $704k
- Granted FY2025(still arriving)
- 13
- Itemized grants FY2025
- 13
- Organizations funded FY2024
- 38%
- First-time grantees FY2024
- Itemized, FY2025
- $442k
- The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
- Median grant, FY2025
- $15,000
- Largest grant, FY2025
- $180,811
- Organizations funded a year
- 12 to 16
- FY2018 to FY2024
- States reached, FY2025
- 1
- Total assets, FY2025
- $42M
How open it is to new grantees
In FY2024, 38% of the organizations Island Institute funded were first-time grantees, receiving 33% of its grant dollars.
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2024, 67% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $65k went to new ones.
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
How this is measured
The numbers by year
| Fiscal year | Organizations funded | To those organizations | First-time grantees |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025still arriving | 12 | $442k | 50% |
| FY2024 | 13 | $197k | 38% |
| FY2023 | 16 | $1.2M | 25% |
| FY2022 | 12 | $510k | 50% |
| FY2021 | 14 | $923k | 57% |
| FY2020 | 15 | $176k | 73% |
| FY2019 | 12 | $100k | 92% |
| FY2018 | 14 | $137k | n/a |
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2025.
Top grantees
Largest recipients by total granted, FY2018 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke's Lobster Holding LLC | $2,425,136 | 5 | n/a |
| Monhegan Plantation | $82,462 | 6 | n/a |
| Town of Isle Au Haut | $77,500 | 3 | n/a |
| Eastport Energy Committee | $55,229 | 3 | n/a |
| Town of Swans Island | $52,000 | 4 | n/a |
| Town of Frenchboro | $50,461 | 3 | n/a |
| Town of Roque Bluffs | $46,680 | 3 | n/a |
| Hancock County Planning Commission | $43,000 | 4 | 8% |
| Pendleton Yacht Yard | $40,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Islesboro | $40,000 | 4 | n/a |
Show all 63 grantees
| Grantee | Total granted | Years | Share of their budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke's Lobster Holding LLC | $2,425,136 | 5 | n/a |
| Monhegan Plantation | $82,462 | 6 | n/a |
| Town of Isle Au Haut | $77,500 | 3 | n/a |
| Eastport Energy Committee | $55,229 | 3 | n/a |
| Town of Swans Island | $52,000 | 4 | n/a |
| Town of Frenchboro | $50,461 | 3 | n/a |
| Town of Roque Bluffs | $46,680 | 3 | n/a |
| Hancock County Planning Commission | $43,000 | 4 | 8% |
| Pendleton Yacht Yard | $40,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Islesboro | $40,000 | 4 | n/a |
| Frenchboro Congregational Church | $37,883 | 2 | n/a |
| Town of Vinalhaven | $32,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Maine Ocean Farms LLC | $30,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Brooksville | $30,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Town of Southport | $27,500 | 3 | n/a |
| National Lead for America Inc | $26,667 | 1 | 0% |
| Axiom Education & Training Center | $25,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Midcoast Council of Governments | $24,500 | 3 | n/a |
| National Audubon Society Inc | $23,000 | 3 | 0% |
| Town of Georgetown | $20,563 | 2 | n/a |
| Town of North Haven | $20,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Arrowsic Broadband Authority | $20,000 | 2 | n/a |
| Momentum Conservation | $20,000 | 2 | 4% |
| Biddeford Internet Corp | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Matinicus Isle Plantation | $20,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Damariscotta | $19,905 | 2 | n/a |
| FB Environmental Associates | $19,740 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Stonington | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Axiom Education & Training Center | $15,000 | 1 | 2% |
| Greater Portland Council of Governments | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Bristol | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Tremont | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Foundation for a Strong Maine Economy | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Wells National Estuarine | $15,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Vinalhaven Fish Co-op | $13,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Chebeague Island | $12,700 | 2 | n/a |
| Hylan and Brown Boat Builders | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Camden | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Peaks Environmental Action Team | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Long Island Civic Association | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Phippsburg | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Coalition for the Common Good | $10,000 | 1 | 0% |
| Swans Island | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of South Thomaston | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Penobscot | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Greenhead Lobster LLC | $10,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Cumberland | $9,617 | 1 | n/a |
| Kennebec Estuary Land Trust | $9,322 | 1 | 1% |
| Harpswell | $9,245 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Gouldsboro | $8,957 | 1 | n/a |
| Stgeorge Community Development Corp | $8,000 | 1 | 3% |
| Town of Brunswick | $7,930 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Wiscasset | $7,500 | 1 | n/a |
| Lincolnville Public Schools | $6,250 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Searsport | $6,250 | 1 | n/a |
| City of Biddeford Maine | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Machiasport | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Town of Waldoboro | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Downeast Salmon Federation | $6,000 | 1 | 1% |
| Milbridge Public Library | $6,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Frenchboro Historical Society | $5,818 | 1 | n/a |
| Long Island | $5,000 | 1 | n/a |
| Sustainable Cliff Island | $5,000 | 1 | n/a |
Plus 2 recipients with no EIN on record ($15k), not named here.
Where it is load-bearing
Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget Island Institute supplied at peak.
Tap a dot to name the grantee.
How this is measured
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.
Open a dossier: Maine Community Foundation Inc · Center for Technology and Civic Life · Maine Coast Heritage Trust · Elmina B Sewall Foundation · Davis Conservation Foundation · Onion Foundation · National Fish and Wildlife Foundation · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation
How this is measured
About Island Institute
- How much does Island Institute give?
- Island Institute reported 13 itemized grants totaling $442,040, out of $704,475 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 12 and 16 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
- What does Island Institute fund?
- By grant dollars over FY2018 to FY2025, its largest causes are Food & Nutrition (59%), Environment (14%), Community Improvement (9%).
- Who are Island Institute's largest grantees?
- By total granted over FY2018 to FY2025: Luke's Lobster Holding LLC ($2.4M), Monhegan Plantation ($82k), Town of Isle Au Haut ($78k).
- Does Island Institute fund new organizations?
- In FY2024, 38% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
- Which funders back the same organizations as Island Institute?
- Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Maine Community Foundation Inc, Center for Technology and Civic Life, Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
- Where is Island Institute based?
- Island Institute is based in ME.
Play a game based on Island Institute’s filings →