Fairfield-based foundation opens grant application period to benefit children’s health in Maine

FAIRFIELD — The Sadie and Harry Davis Foundation, based in Fairfield, has opened this year’s application period for its Children’s Health Small Grant program.

The application period opened April 15 and is scheduled to close May 31.

While the foundation modified the application process last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is mostly back to normal, according to Emilie Knight, the foundation’s director of small grants.

The small, family run foundation focuses on children’s health in Maine. Three generations of the Davis family are involved in running and making decisions about the small grant program.

“The mission is to improve the health outcomes for children in the state,” Knight said.

The funding goes to a variety of recipients, according to Knight. It could help health centers buy equipment meant for treating children. Or it could help support a martial arts program. Anything that helps give children better health.

Last year, several organizations focused on access to food.

Grants are typically between $3,000 and $15,000, according to Knight. The number of recipients and total amount awarded vary each year.

Knight said the Davis family, with strong ties to Fairfield and central Maine, usually gathers in Maine to make decisions concerning grants. Over the past year, however, things have been in flux due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have changed things quite a bit in the last few years, in the context of COVID,” Knight said.

Last year, the pandemic caused the family to condense its schedule for reviewing and approving grant applications. What is normally a six-month process was squeezed into six weeks to get organizations money needed as quickly as possible.

“We said, ‘Let’s just make this as easy as possible,’ because that was kind of the theme in philanthropy: To make the money more accessible, get it out there and just help people,” Knight said.

Normally, the application process had two steps, with a letter of inquiry and an application. Last year, the organization stopped requiring a letter of inquiry, a change that will be continued this year, according to Knight.

Knight said the foundation has typically looked for organizations with innovative ideas and structures. With COVID-19 endangering many people and organizations, however, the Davis family is now placing less emphasis on innovation and more on helping organizations survive the pandemic.

This change has driven change to some of the foundation’s policies. In the past, for example, organizations that were awarded grants could not apply for additional funding for three years. That restriction has been lifted for this year.

“I think we learned a lot reflecting on last year,” Knight said.

Another change is an updated website that allows organizations to collaborate on grant application.

Knight said after the application period has closed for this year, she will work with the Davis family to review the requests. Their decisions will be announced in August.

Knight said the Davis family has been awarding the grants for 13 years. This year’s awards are expected to bring the family’s total benevolence through the grants to more than $1 million.

“In the big scheme of things, it’s not anything too grand,” Knight said. “But for this little program, that means a lot to the family and kind of keeps them rooted in Maine. It’s a significant year.”