CAMDEN — United Midcoast Charities has announced its 2020 grant application cycle, which includes a number of updates from past years.

UMC’s competitive grant process is open to 501(c)(3) organizations and groups with fiscal sponsorship. United Midcoast Charities' grantmaking is focused on making maximum impact in Knox and Waldo counties in its focus areas of Food, Housing, Health and Safety, and Economic Security. Of special interest are proposals that take a coherent approach to making a lasting difference in a social problem, and those where the service population is part of program design and implementation.

UMC provides grants to nonprofits for general operational budgets and programming. Program grants are reviewed on an annual basis, but new for 2020 is a two-year grant cycle for general support grants. UMC does not fund capital projects, endowments, or private schools.

The 2020 application period opens March 3 with a deadline of 5 p.m. on March 31. All applications must be completed online at unitedmidcoastcharities.org.

Call program coordinator Kelly Carey with any questions about your proposal. Prospective applicants are encouraged to enroll in the Learn with UMC workshop Grantseeking: Goals & Objectives, being offered Friday, Feb. 28, at 3 p.m., in the Picker Room of the Camden Public Library. Visit unitedmidcoastcharities.org/events to register.

To expand the diversity in UMC’s grantmaking and to incorporate community perspectives into the process, United Midcoast Charities announces the new role of Community Grant Reader as part of the 2020 grant review process. All residents of Knox and Waldo county are welcome to participate as community grant readers, especially those with living/lived experience in the focus areas. The grant reader process will take place entirely online, so internet access is required to participate. Readers will each be assigned three applications, and should plan on taking about four to six hours to complete their reviews during the month of April. Email kelly@unitedmidcoastcharities.org or sign up on UMC’s website by March 20 to express your interest in becoming a community grant reader.

United Midcoast Charities, founded in 1942, is a 501c3 community-supported nonprofit whose mission is to energize Midcoast Maine nonprofit agencies through finance and guidance, supporting a network of resources stronger than any single organization. UMC’s primary areas of focus are food, housing, health and safety, and economic security. Since 2017, UMC has awarded grants totaling $1.5 million to more than 50 agencies as part of their community-led competitive grants program.

For more information visit www.unitedmidcoastcharities.org.