Ways to Give
Your gift to the Maine Justice Foundation will ensure access to fairness and justice for low-income and vulnerable Maine people. If you have questions about making a gift, please email Linsey MacDougall, Director of Development & Operations.
Gifts to the Maine Justice Foundation can be mailed to:
Maine Justice Foundation
124 State Street, Suite 2
Augusta, ME 04330
The Maine Justice Foundation has been awarded a coveted four-star rating by Charity Navigator! Charity Navigator rates over 160,000 U.S. nonprofits based on their financial health, efficiency, governance and transparency. We are proud to have earned their highest rating. Learn more here about Charity Navigator and their rating criteria.
Click here to view our Donor Bill of Rights.
Types of Gifts
Gifts of Cash
Your gift of cash made with a check or credit card is the easiest way for you to give.
Become a Member
By becoming a member, you will join a dynamic and inclusive group that champions fairness in all aspects of life, from the justice system, the workforce, in education, and beyond. Click here to join the Fairness & Justice Alliance.
Real Estate
Your real estate property can be an exceptional gift that offers you tax benefits. You can make an outright gift of real estate. Please contact us to discuss options for a gift of real estate.
Gifts of Stock
Gifts of stock offer you more benefits than giving cash. With gifts of publicly traded stocks and bonds, you can claim a federal income tax charitable deduction for the full appreciated value of the securities. You will pay no capital gains tax on the transaction. Please speak with your attorney or financial advisor for further information about tax benefits of gifts of publicly traded securities.
Tangible Property
Your valuable artwork, books, equipment, or other tangible personal property can result in a charitable deduction and a valuable gift to the Foundation. Please contact us to discuss options for a gift of artwork or other tangible property of value.
Endowment Funds
You can create a legacy of your commitment to justice for all by supporting an existing fund or establishing a new fund at the Maine Justice Foundation.
Types of Endowment Funds:
Unrestricted: Distributions from the fund will be determined through the Foundation’s grants review process, which is managed by the Grants Committee of the Board of Directors.
Field of Interest: You may identify an area of interest, e.g., geographic area, specific population, types of services, legal issues, for which grants will be made.
Designated: You designate the Foundation or specific non-profit organization(s) that provide(s) legal or other services, consistent with the Foundation’s mission, to receive the annual distribution from the fund.
View Our Existing Funds
The minimum amount to start an endowed fund is $100,000 and is subject to approval from the Maine Justice Foundation (“MJF”) Board. The current spending policy, which is set by the MJF Board, determines the amount of distribution each year.
“It is not charity that is wanting in the world, but justice.”
Mary WollstonecraftAdvancing Justice Through the Campaign for Justice
The six providers that the Campaign for Justice supports provide legal assistance to an average of 30,000 adults and children annually.
That means over a quarter million Maine people have been helped since 2004 when the Campaign was founded.
A Gift Through Your Will Or Trust
Gifts through your will or trust (bequests), allow you to make a sizeable gift after your lifetime without impacting your income now. These are wonderful legacy gifts that will honor your commitment to justice for generations to come. These gifts can be easy to make, such as adding simple language to your will or making the Foundation the beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy.
Sample Bequest Language to Use
“I give and bequeath to The Maine Justice Foundation, a nonprofit corporation (EIN # 22-2559133), located at 124 State Street, Suite 2 Augusta, Maine 04330, or its successor [a sum of money, percentage of my estate, or description of the gift].
- To add to an existing fund at The Maine Justice Foundation: "I request that this gift be added to the (name of fund) Fund.”
- To create a new fund at The Maine Justice Foundation: "I request that this gift be used to establish a new fund (name of fund) to support (name nonprofit, field of interest, unrestricted grant making or operations of the Foundation) in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation creating The Maine Justice Foundation, as now or hereafter amended.”
- PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ESTATE ATTORNEY FOR ASSISTANCE IN MAKING A GIFT TO THE MAINE JUSTICE FOUNDATION IN YOUR WILL OR TRUST.
Life Insurance Policies
You can make the Foundation owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
Change Of Beneficiary Form
Name the Maine Justice Foundation as a beneficiary of a part or all of your bank accounts, brokerage account, or certificates of deposit.
Retirement Plans
During Your Lifetime
If you are age 70½ or older you can make tax-free gifts totaling up to $100,000 from your traditional IRA account directly to qualified charities.
Estate Distributions
Name the Maine Justice Foundation as a percentage or full beneficiary of your traditional IRA or other retirement plan. Be sure to consult with your plan administrator or your financial advisor before making any changes in the distribution of your retirement plan.