PORTLAND/ELLSWORTH — The Equity Fund of the Maine Community Foundation seeks grant proposals for projects that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) programs in Maine. Applications for project grants supporting the LGBTQ community in rural and other under-served communities are particularly encouraged, as are proposals for capacity-building support.

The deadline for applications is Sept. 15. A new online application is available at www.mainecf.org.

Last year, the Equity Fund distributed $39,559. The eight grants ranged in size from $3,039 to the maximum award amount of $7,500. Among the organizations that received funding were the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, which will use the award to catalog and preserve its collection of LGBTQ materials; and Maine TransNet, to help build organizational capacity.

For more information about the Equity Fund, including a complete list of 2011 grants, visit www.mainecf.org or contact Lelia De Andrade, director of competitive grantmaking, at [email protected] or by calling 877-700-6800, ext. 2209.

In response to questions about the use of the word “queer,” please note that this is an accepted term for a specific identity within the larger gay community. For more information about why the LGBTQ community uses this word, see www.ndsu.edu/safezone/faq.