ELLSWORTH – The Androscoggin County Committee of the Maine Community Foundation recently awarded $15,000 in grants to five Androscoggin County nonprofits.

Among the funded programs is the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore, an interactive museum that is collaborating with several small museums in the region to develop a collaborative volunteer management model.

The model will help each participating museum to effectively build and utilize their volunteer base toward long-term sustainability.

Other grant awards went to:

The SHARE Center, Auburn, to support a volunteer program that reaches out to individuals with special needs, at-risk students and others.

Lewiston Public Schools, for after-school tutoring of high school students, particularly immigrant students.

Museum L-A, Lewiston, for a project to research and create a timeline to document of significant events in the textile, shoe and brick-making industries in Lewiston-Auburn from 1840 to the present.

New Beginnings Inc., Lewiston, to develop a parent education program and support group in collaboration with community partners.

A committee of local residents and business leaders reviews grants and makes recommendations for funding twice a year. The next deadline for applying is May 15. Application and guidelines can be found at www.mainecf.org.

The Androscoggin County Fund’s advisory committee is spearheading an effort to increase charitable resources for the region through a challenge grant from the Betterment Fund. Those who would like to contribute to the campaign, which runs through Oct. 15, should contact Ann Bartoo at [email protected] or call 353-0600.