OVERVIEW: The Davis Conservation Foundation supports environment, wildlife, conservation, and outdoor recreation in Northern New England.
FUNDING AREAS: Environment, wildlife, conservation, outdoor recreation
IP TAKE: This family funder takes a broad approach to environmental funding within narrow geographic confines. Pitch an idea that helps Maine residents coexist with nature and local wildlife.
PROFILE: Established in 1989, the Davis Conservation Foundation (DCF) is a public charitable foundation of Phyllis C. Davis and H. Halsey Davis of Falmouth, Maine. The couple established this foundation after Mr. Davis retired as the president and chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets and also after they established a more general family foundation in their name. The foundation seeks to “support protection of the environment and conservation of our natural resources.” Funding interests include environment, wildlife, conservation, and outdoor recreation.
DCF’s grantmaking program seeks to support, protect, and advance the physical environment and the natural life forms that inhabit it. The funder regularly supports projects that involve volunteer activities and community outreach efforts that relate to wildlife, habitats, outdoor recreation, and environmental protection. In addition to wildlife, its interests extend to sea life and humans affected by the environment.
Most DCF grants range from $5,000 to $20,000. Grantseekers can learn more about past grantees on the funder’s online grants database. DCF limits grantmaking to Northern New England, with an emphasis on projects that involve the Northern Forest and the Gulf of Maine. The funder awards far fewer grants in Southern New England or beyond the region. This funder does not typically support multi-year grants, annual giving campaigns, deficit reductions, fellowships, scholarships, travel, or loans. DCF prefers awarding single-year grants in order to support more projects.
DCF accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. It uses an online application system and has annual deadlines in April and October. The trustees meet in May and November to consider grant requests that are submitted online. Nonprofits can expect to hear back with a trustee decision within one week of each regular meeting and receive payment within about a month of this notification. Grantseekers should direct general questions to the staff at dcf@davisfoundations.org or 207-846-9132.
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