NORWAY – As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the Maine Community Foundation will award nine $25,000 grants to nonprofits in seven rural counties.

Nonprofit organizations in Oxford, Franklin, Somerset, Piscataquis, Aroostook, Washington and Hancock counties have until June 15 to apply for consideration.

Peter Taylor, director of grant-making services at the foundation, said all nonprofits are eligible to apply, although the grants are aimed at nonprofits looking to create new endowments or with endowments of $250,000 or less.

Taylor said the grants will be awarded competitively, and their applications will be reviewed by a volunteer committee made up of the foundation’s board of directors and existing committees in each of the counties.

Once the nonprofits are selected to receive $25,000, they will have 18 months to raise the matching funds.

According to its Web site, the Maine Community Foundation was founded in 1983 and awarded over $16 million in grants and scholarships in 2007.

Grant recipients in Oxford County included the Child Health Center, Norway Memorial Library, the Oxford County Agricultural Society, the Oxford Hills Community Education Exchange, and the Western Maine Art Group.

Recipients in Franklin County included the Franklin County Children’s Task Force, Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District, Healthy Community Coalition, Kingfield Elementary School, Literacy Volunteers Serving Franklin and Somerset Counties, Opportunity Center of North Franklin County, Peace in Our Families, and the Farmington Department of Parks and Recreation.

For more information, call 1-877-700-6800 or visit the foundation’s Web site at www.mainecf.org. Questions about application procedures should be directed to Bethany Murray, competitive grants associate, at [email protected], or to Taylor at [email protected].