Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund
Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund
The Immigrant-Led Organizations (ILO) Fund supports immigrant flourishing in Maine. We fund and strengthen the ecosystem of nonprofit, community-based organizations led by and serving Maine’s immigrants, refugees, asylees, migrant farm workers, and those who are undocumented.
Applications are now open for the 2025 Immigrant-Led Organizations (ILO) Fund. Interested organizations are encouraged to download the Funding Opportunity Announcement for full details, eligibility requirements, and application instructions. You can refer to this How to Apply pdf to support your application process. Applications are due May 9th, 2025 by 11:59pm ET.
Maine Initiatives also invites community volunteers to become Readers for the 2025 Immigrant-Led Organizations (ILO) Fund. All are welcome! Download the Reader Opportunity Announcement to learn more and submit your application on our Application Portal by May 14th, 2025. You can refer to this How to Apply to be a Reader pdf to create an account and apply on our Application Portal.
Current Grantees
Purpose
The work of the Immigrant-Led Organizations (ILO) Fund is rooted in a vision of immigrant flourishing in Maine and seeks to ask and answer these questions, in community:
- What does it mean for Maine to be welcoming to new Mainers?
- What does immigrant flourishing require?
- How can we support the dynamic and diverse ecosystem of immigrant leaders and immigrant-led organizations that are doing that work?
The ILO Fund answers these questions by:
- Providing unrestricted, multi-year grant support to immigrant-led and immigrant-serving organizations;
- Each year, the ILO Fund provides approximately $500,000 in multi-year, unrestricted grants to a new cohort of immigrant-led and immigrant-serving organizations. Since 2018, the ILO Fund has made more than $2M in grants to over 40 ILOs.
- Centering and prioritizing immigrant visions, voices, and leadership in all aspects of this program;
- This includes in the grantmaking process, the internal staffing of the ILO program, the Community-Led Needs Assessment, and the Immigrant-Led Community Advisory Committee.
- Highlighting and celebrating the diversity of work being led by ILOs across Maine.
- Strengthening and deepening the ties and connections among and between immigrant communities, leaders, and organizations;
- Engaging and connecting the broader community to these organizations, building relationships that can sustain their work moving forward.
Additional efforts within the Immigrant-Led Organizations Program include Community-Led Needs Assessment, a Technical Assistance Program and a Resource Hub.
Grant Amount & Funding Levels
The ten (10) organizations selected for the 2025 ILO Fund cohort will receive unrestricted, general operating grants of $45,000 paid out over three (3) years, $15,000 per year.
In addition, these organizations are invited to participate in a series of peer learning, training, capacity-building, and community outreach activities over the course of their 3-year grant period, from August 2025 through August 2028.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the 2025 Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund, applicant organizations are:
- Working exclusively or primarily in Maine
- Programming primarily serves and supports immigrant communities
- An immigrant-led organization, group, or coalition
To establish immigrant-led status, organizational applicants are required to meet at least two out of three of the following for at least the past two years:
- Immigrant key staff leaders of the organization - 50% of board and staff are reflective of the community
- Immigrant members on Board of Directors - 50% or more in governing decision-making roles
- Immigrant activists - 50% or more of on the ground, community interfacing staff/volunteers
How to Apply
Applications for the 2025 Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund open March 31st, 2025. Interested organizations are encouraged to download the Funding Opportunity Announcement with full details, eligibility requirements, and application instructions. Applications are due May 9th, 2025 by 11:59pm ET.
See all of our ILO grantees