AUGUSTA – As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the Maine Community Foundation has awarded $25,000 Endowment Challenge grants to 19 nonprofits in Oxford, Franklin, Somerset, Piscataquis, Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock counties to establish new permanent endowments or expand existing endowments.

The challenge grants recognize the foundation’s origins in rural Maine and in Hancock County, where MaineCF has been headquartered since its founding in 1983.

The local winners are: Mahoosuc Land Trust, Bethel; Rangeley Region Health Center Inc., Rangeley; Western Mountains Alliance, Farmington; and Woodie Wheaton Land Trust, Durham.

The 25/25 nonprofit Endowment Challenge is a one-to-one matching opportunity that will require selected organizations to raise $25,000 in new funds within 18 months in order to secure the challenge grant, resulting in $50,000 of new or additional endowment dollars.

Selected nonprofits will also receive technical assistance from MaineCF to help them develop a case for support for their endowment-building campaigns and to explore new advancement opportunities such as bequests and other planned gifts.

The foundation received 57 applications for the grants. A committee of MaineCF county and regional program advisers and staff members made the selections.