Gifts to Maine College of Art allow the College to transform the aspirations and values of our students into a creative practice by offering an exceptional art and design education. Supporting this academic mission is achieved by providing our students with excellent financial support, faculty, equipment and facilities.  Annual undesignated gifts, in particular, give MECA maximum flexibility to allocate your funds to the areas of highest priority.  If you wish to designate your gift in support of a particular department or purpose within the College, please indicate your wishes at the time of your gift.  Browse the topics above to explore the different ways donors can support MECA’s academic mission.

Annual undesignated gifts provide a critical source of support for general operating needs and directly help MECA to deliver a consistent level of programs to meet the College’s mission.  Annual Giving runs in conjunction with MECA’s fiscal year, beginning on July 1st and ending on June 30th annually.

Tuition and fees only cover 78% of the actual costs of the faculty, instructional spaces and equipment needed to provide accredited degrees in the studio arts at MECA, and with a modest endowment, the College also relies on tuition dollars to support scholarship programs.  

Annual undesignated gifts provide MECA with unrestricted operating income to help offset the heavy demands on tuition revenue.  Dollars raised are used in the year they are given to support programs for students, for studio supplies and equipment, for the Library and for academic programs such as the Artist Lecture Series.  Each gift makes difference in the quality of services MECA is able to provide to students in all programs: the BFA, MFA, Art Education and Continuing Studies.

Annual Giving is where alumni, parents, faculty and staff, students, foundations, businesses and friends of MECA come together to make a difference in the quality of education the college provides.  Alumni support is especially important to help keep the institution strong and growing. Participation from graduates is a key ingredient in annual rankings and ratings, which, in turn, have an effect on recruitment of prospective students.  For parents, an annual gift often acknowledges the joy of seeing their child thrive and develop as an artist as a result of their MECA education. For individual and corporate friends, the desire to support a nationally respected professionally-accredited school of art and design signifies the important role MECA plays in Portland’s downtown and in Maine’s economy.

View our Annual Report of Giving to see MECA’s most recent list of donors.      

Designated gifts support specific college departments or programs and can be made annually or as one-time gifts.  

Maine College of Art’s educational philosophy is built on the premise that focused individual attention and meaningful collective inquiry produce the conditions in which students’ voices can find strength, clarity, and purpose. Every aspect of life at Maine College of Art contributes to that environment and the College is committed to investing in the studio, academic and administrative departments that support this value.  A designated gift for a specific program helps MECA accelerate opportunities for students by providing resources not annually budgeted from operating funds.

Gifts may be designated for the following purposes:

The MECA endowment is composed of donations made to the College with the understanding that the original value of the gift (the principal) will be invested and a portion of the investment earnings (the distribution) will be used to fund the educational mission of the College. An endowment fund contributes revenue to the operating budget of the College every year, forever. The College must decide how much of these earnings to spend, while retaining enough growth of the endowment to keep pace with inflation and program growth in future years.

Endowment funds are often restricted to a specific purpose by the donor, such as student scholarships, library acquisitions, an endowed professorship for a particular department, or student life enhancements. Other funds are unrestricted and can be used by the College for its current priorities.  

Gifts of any amount may be made to augment MECA’s endowment.  There is a minimum threshold of $50,000 to establish and/or name an endowment fund.

View our current list of endowments and descriptions of Maine College of Art endowed funds.

MECA recently completed a $10.2 million capital campaign. The Campaign to Advance Maine College of Art successfully consolidated all studio, academic and administrative functions into the Porteous Building, developed two residence halls and acquired a 9-acre artist residency site in Stonington, Maine.  

Current capital priorities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Development of additional space for majors in the growing areas of new media, graphic design, photography and illustration.
2. Re-allocation and expansion of studio and production space for the Woodworking & Furniture Design department.
3. Re-envisioning and improvement of the entryway experience to the Porteous Building, including the lobby area, entrance and facade.

Recognition opportunities are available.  Please contact Advancement for further information.