Supporting Our Communities with Charitable Giving
For a century, people who value and enjoy the outdoors have turned to L.L.Bean to help them make the best of their adventures. They also look to us to be strong stewards of our natural resources and to support our communities.
Given our rich outdoor heritage, we focus giving on national and local outdoor conservation and recreation organizations. To this end, L.L.Bean has given more than $14 million to local, state, regional and national conservation organizations in the last ten years. We also support Maine communities in education, health and human services, and the arts with grants, product donations and by supporting the volunteer commitments of our employees.
One result of our ongoing support of these efforts is that we receive many more requests than we can fund. Please review the qualification guidelines below before submitting a request.
- Grants are made only to qualified, federal tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations
- Grants are only made within the parameters described in the four categories below.
Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
Primary activities include the maintenance and protection of our natural resources; efforts to engage more young people in activities that are relevant to our product line, such as camping, hiking, cycling, canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing, hunting, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing; and programs that have proximity to L.L.Bean Retail Stores.
Some of our recipients include the National Park Foundation, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, The Student Conservation Association, The Nature Conservancy, Maine Audubon, Trout Unlimited and National Wild Turkey Federation. For a more comprehensive list, click here.
Health and Human Services
L.L.Bean has donated over $6 million to health and human service organizations in the past ten years, primarily through the United Way in communities where we have a physical presence. These donations reflect our confidence in the United Way allocation process and our belief in supporting the physical and emotional well-being of our employees, their families and our neighbors. Because of our significant leadership gifts in this area, we are not accepting requests from health and human service organizations at this time.
Education
L.L.Bean has contributed over $4 million to statewide initiatives in Maine such as Junior Achievement and Jobs for Maine's Graduates, as well as local education partnerships. Our support is limited to the following Maine school systems: Freeport, Portland, Lewiston, Brunswick and Bangor. We do not fund education initiatives outside of Maine.
Culture and the Arts
We support organizations that enrich the cultural development of our local Maine communities, including the Portland Museum of Art, Maine State Music Theatre and the American Folk Festival in Bangor. We only offer support to arts organizations in Freeport, Portland, Lewiston, Brunswick and Bangor, Maine.
Limitations
Company policy, budget limitations and/or federal law prevent L.L.Bean from providing sponsorship or support to:
- Individuals
- Political, sectarian, fraternal or religious organizations
- Treks, sporting events or athletic teams
- Conferences, pageants or fashion shows
- Expeditions or trips by individuals or groups
- Advertising in programs, bulletins, yearbooks or brochures
- Individual schools (public or private), classrooms, teams, teachers or parent organizations
- Film or television productions
- National health organizations and their local affiliates
- Organizations or projects focused outside the US
Discount Requests
We encourage young people to enjoy outdoor recreation. Accredited schools and troops affiliated with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will receive a discount for outdoor equipment that will remain the property of the schools or troops. Restrictions apply; please call 800-458-3058 for information.
L.L.Bean does not offer a "nonprofit organization discount." Discounts based on large quantities may be available through our Direct to Business division. Please call 800-554-4071.
How to Apply
If your organization meets the above criteria and would like to apply for a grant or product donation, please send a brief proposal (no longer than three pages) and include the following:
- An overview of the organization
- Purpose of the project
- Description of the target population and estimated number of people served
- Timeframe for activities
- Dollar amount or product(s) requested
- An itemized budget, including all sources of committed and anticipated funding from individuals or other corporations or foundations
- Proof of 501(c)(3) nonprofit status
Send requests to: donationrequest@llbean.com
Note: For product donations to programs or events, we must receive the request at least four weeks in advance. Proposals from qualifying organizations are accepted throughout the year.
