The Simmons Foundation is a Maine non-profit corporation and a private charitable foundation based in Portland, Maine.
It was founded in 1959 to "...conduct, carry on, advance and promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational works..." as well as helping "poor and needy" persons to "...become self-supporting, acquire education or training, perform useful or creative work or become useful citizens...."
To this end, the Simmons Foundation encourages requests for support by "agencies or institutions" which can help meet these goals.
The Foundation requires that an applicant be a 501 (c)(3) organization or an agency of the government or its subdivisions. The Foundation may provide funding for direct services, start-up assistance for new, appropriate organizations, matching funds for certain campaigns for such agencies, and scholarships to programs that meet the granting criteria. It does not give grants or scholarships to, or on behalf of, specific individuals.
Requests for further information about grants go through the Clerk of the Foundation, Timothy Benoit, Esq., c/o Perkins/Thompson, P.O. Box 426, Portland, ME 04112, telephone (207) 774-2635.
An applicant can also download an application form by going to the Application Process page of this site.
State of Maine
Certificate of Organization of a Corporation, under Chapter 54
of the Revised Statutes, and Amendments thereto.
The undersigned, officers of a corporation duly organized at 41 Bowdoin St. in the city of Portland, State of Maine, on the sixth day of November, A.D. 1959, hereby certify as follows:
The name of said Corporation is Simmons Foundation Inc.
The purposes of said Corporation are to conduct, carry on, advance and promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational works; to acquire funds and property for the accomplishment of such works by gift, rent, bequest, devise, purchase or otherwise, and to hold, manage, invest and reinvest the same; to establish, maintain and support, in whole or in part, agencies or institutions to perform such works; to make donations, gifts, contributions and loans, and otherwise give financial assistance to corporations, funds, foundations, associations and trusts organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes, and to or for the benefit of deserving poor or needy persons who have become in need of financial assistance because of misfortune, illness, advanced age or other adversity, or who with such assistance may be aided to become self-supporting, acquire education or training, perform useful or creative work or become useful citizens, and any other deserving poor or needy persons; provided, however, that no part of the net earnings of the Foundation shall inure to the benefit of any private member or individual, that it shall not carry on propaganda, or otherwise attempt, to influence legislation, and that it shall not participate, or intervene in any way, in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Said Corporation is located in the town of North Yarmouth, County of Cumberland, State of Maine.
The number of officers is seven and their names are as follows:
Pres.-- Mabel G. Kennedy
Vice Pres. -- Elizabeth G. Woodward
Executive Sec. -- George D. Woodward
Clerk -- Royden A. Keddy
Sec. -- Elizabeth G. Woodward
Treas. -- Elizabeth G. Woodward
Assistant Treas. -- George D. Woodward
Trustees -- Mabel G. Kennedy, Elizabeth G. Woodward, George D. Woodward, Charles S. Munson, Rolland E. Irish, Carl Beyer, Royden A. Keddy
Witness our hands this sixth day of November, A.D. 1959
