FALMOUTH — The Maine Women’s Fund has announced the 2019 annual grants totaling $132,550 to 14 nonprofit organizations dedicated to transforming the lives of women and girls.

The Grants Committee received letters of interest from 59 organizations of various sizes and from all areas of the state. Each committee member reviewed the requests and participated in a group discussion, then the Grants Committee invited 25 of those organizations to submit detailed proposals.

After further assessment, 14 organizations were selected for funding based on strengths of the program and organization; the clearly identified need for the programs; the diversity of geographic area and populations reached through the program; and opportunities to make the greatest impact across the Maine Women’s Fund six funding areas: education, financial skills and literacy, health care, leadership, personal safety and policy.

Lewiston-Auburn area organizations winning awards included:

• The YWCA of Central Maine, Lewiston, $10,000 to be a pilot site for the national STEM program, Curated Pathways to Innovation;

• Tree Street Youth, Lewiston, $10,000 to support a program to improve the conflict resolution skills of teenage girls;

• Maine Community Integration, Lewiston, $10,000 to expand the robust cultural enrichment program designed to meet the needs of African immigrant girls, called Isku Filan (Strong Girls); and

• ArtVan, Bath, $6,300 for the mobile program that partners with neighborhood housing for low-income families in Bath, Brunswick, Lewiston, Auburn and Biddeford.

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