Open Foundations · Maine

Onion Foundation

Wayne, Maine · EIN 471289795. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $4.4M across 245 grants in 2024, a median of $15K each.

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$4.4M
paid in 2024
245
grants paid
$15K
median grant
18%
to first-time recipients
$63.6M
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
Onion Foundation
Address
2 Great Falls Plaza Box 7, Auburn, ME, 04210
Phone
2072210272
Form the request should take
To submit an application, applicants may go to the Foundation's online grant portal to set up an account: https://www.onionfoundation.org/for-grantees Onion Foundation offers grants through its Arts Program and its Environment Program. Please review the appropriate program page to learn more about our strategies and find what is right for your organization and project. Our Grants Awarded pages have information about projects and organizations that have received grants from Onion Foundation. If your organization is a good match, consider contacting us to discuss your application and proposal. We encourage new applicants to discuss their ideas and plans with foundation staff before applying.
Submission deadline
Application links are posted on the program pages when the application period is open.
Restrictions on awards
To apply for and receive a grant, your organization must be a 501(c)3 public charity as designated by the IRS, operate under a fiscal sponsor that is a qualified 501(c)3 public charity, be a public education institution, or be a Maine governmental unit. We strongly encourage fiscally sponsored applicants to discuss their proposal ideas with a program officer before writing their application.

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, IRS filing object id 202503119349101955. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2024 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

educationartsmaineyouthlearning

Biggest grants in 2024

The 15 largest of the 245 grants paid in 2024, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1Momentum ConservationME$625,000To provide technical and financial support to land trusts
2Maine Association of NonprofitsME$88,000To support the Cultural Alliance of Maine's arts and for culture advocacy
3Maine Environmental Education AssociationME$75,000To conduct a landscape analysis of Maines Youth Climate Movement
4New Learning JourneyVT$75,000To support the First Light program in increasing access to land and water for Wabanaki people
5Maine Mathematics and Science AllianceME$71,000To support the professional development of educators
6Mayo Street ArtsME$57,500To provide general support
7Maine AudubonME$52,500To expand science-based environmental education to Lewiston and Bangor schools
8Maine InitiativesME$50,000To support the Maine Outdoor Equity Fund
9Space GalleryME$42,500To support a weekend-long gathering for the Maine dance community
10Maine LakesME$41,000To provide general support
11Maine GearshareME$40,000To provide general support
12President and Trustees of Bates CollegeME$40,000To support the Bates Dance Festival
13Wabanaki Public Health and WellnessME$40,000To support the ongoing development and sustainability of its fundraising team
14Out MaineME$35,000To support an arts retreat at Haystack for Maine LGBTQ+ high school students
15Appalachian Mountain ClubMA$30,000To support the Maine Woods Community Youth and Environment Program

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
2020234$3.4M
2021246$3.3M
2022249$2.9M
2023208$3.3M
2024245$4.4M

Where the money went

Share of 2024 grant dollars by recipient state
Maine95%
Massachusetts2%
Vermont1%
New York1%
New Hampshire0%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

Alene OnionTrustee (start 2024) · 2024
Frederick OnionTrustee · 2024
Susan OnionTrustee · 2024

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

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