MES Foundation
MES Foundation is a nonprofit based in Alfred, Maine that awards merit- and need-based college scholarships to Maine students. Founded in 1993, it has distributed over $2.39 million to 142+ recipients since 2017 via its AwardSpring application platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersAlfred, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MES Foundation does
MES Foundation is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alfred, Maine, that administers merit- and need-based college scholarships exclusively to students from Maine. Founded in 1993 as Maine Education Services, the organization underwent a strategic pivot in 2015 to concentrate solely on scholarship administration and rebranded to MES Foundation in April 2016. Since 2017, it has disbursed more than $2.39 million across 142+ scholarship recipients, with annual grant outflows reaching approximately $300,000 in both 2024 and 2025.
The organization's sole product is scholarship grants — discretionary awards selected on the basis of academic merit and financial need. The underlying application infrastructure is built on AwardSpring, a third-party SaaS platform that handles application intake, document submission, and reviewer workflows. There is no other notable technology stack, proprietary platform, or data product described. The organization does not sell products or services; it distributes donated funds through a structured, criteria-based selection process.
MES Foundation is a 501(c)-style nonprofit with 11-50 employees. Its revenue model relies on charitable contributions and donations rather than commercial sales or pricing. The go-to-market is effectively inbound: Maine students discover and apply through the AwardSpring portal, while the foundation's credibility with donors is anchored by its 30+ year operating history and cumulative disbursement record. Geographic scope is intentionally limited to the state of Maine, and the foundation shows no signals of expansion beyond its current mission.
MES Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MES Foundation
- Legal name
- MES Foundation
- Website
- https://mesfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MES Foundation is a nonprofit based in Alfred, Maine that awards merit- and need-based college scholarships to Maine students. Founded in 1993, it has distributed over $2.39 million to 142+ recipients since 2017 via its AwardSpring application platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MES Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Scholarships
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Merit-Based Scholarships (Academic Excellence) (EDAIAOAA)
Keywords
Where MES Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alfred
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MES Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Scholarship Grant Disbursements: MES Foundation operates as a nonprofit scholarship provider, distributing funds raised through private donations and grants to Maine students based on merit and financial need.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
MES Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MES Foundation is a nonprofit organization that disburses merit- and need-based scholarships to Maine resident students pursuing post-secondary education at accredited colleges and universities. The foundation administers two scholarship programs—the Richard H. Pierce Memorial Scholarship (20 renewable $5,000 awards per year, up to four years) and the MES Foundation Scholarship—funded through private donations and grants. Applications are submitted through the AwardSpring online platform, with awards determined on the basis of demonstrated financial need and distinguished academic merit.
Product overview
MES Foundation operates as a scholarship organization offering two primary scholarship programs: the Richard H. Pierce Memorial Scholarship and the MES Foundation Scholarship. The organization shifted focus in 2015 from student loan administration, college access, and outreach activities to concentrate exclusively on providing college scholarships to Maine students. The Richard H. Pierce Memorial Scholarship offers 20 renewable $5,000 awards annually (up to 4 years), while the MES Foundation Scholarship provides additional award opportunities. Both programs are administered through an online application platform and target Maine residents seeking post-secondary education at accredited institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Richard H. Pierce Memorial Scholarship
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $2.39 million awarded to Maine students since 2017, with 142+ students receiving support
Companies that use MES Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
MES Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
MES Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Local Maine SchoolscoreMES Foundation collaborates with local schools and community organizations throughout Maine to spread awareness about college scholarship opportunities and reach eligible students.
- Community OrganizationscoreMES Foundation works with community organizations across Maine to help disseminate information about scholarship opportunities to students and families who may benefit from financial assistance for higher education.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights1 record
MES Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: National scholarship provider for high-achieving students with financial need, offering renewable multi-year awards. Comparable in mission (merit + need-based renewable scholarships) but at much larger scale and broader geography.
- Horatio Alger Association: National nonprofit providing scholarships to high school students with financial need. Similar mission and renewable award structure, though serving a national applicant pool rather than a single state.
- UNCF (United Negro College Fund): Major national scholarship and financial aid provider for students. Operates at a much larger scale, but comparable in mission as a donor-funded scholarship intermediary for higher education access.
- Scholarship America: National nonprofit operating on a similar scholarship administration model at much greater scale. Operates the Dollars for Scholars network of local volunteer-driven scholarship affiliates, comparable to MES Foundation's local school partnerships.
Direct peers
- Maine Community Foundation: Direct peer as a Maine-based community foundation that distributes grants and scholarships to Maine residents. Highly comparable state-level grantmaking scope and donor-driven model.
- Cocke County Foundation / local community foundations (representative): Small community foundations in the U.S. operate a similar model of pooling local donations to fund regional scholarships. Represent the long tail of state-or-county-level foundations that compete with MES Foundation for local donor dollars.
Regional players
- Vermont Student Assistance Corporation: Vermont-based nonprofit helping state residents plan and pay for higher education, including scholarship administration. Comparable state-focused scholarship-and-aid mission and direct-to-student delivery model.
- New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: State-level community foundation serving New Hampshire residents with scholarships and grants. Mirrors MES Foundation's model in a neighboring New England state with similar regional, donor-funded scholarship programs.
Emerging players
- QuestBridge: Nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students with scholarships and admissions at top colleges. Comparable in serving need-based college scholarship recipients, with a stronger national platform and college partner network.
Others
- CFEngine / AwardSpring (peer technology user): Provider of the online scholarship application platform used by MES Foundation and many similar community foundations. Included as an ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MES Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceMES Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MES Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
MES Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MES Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MES Foundation
What does MES Foundation do?
MES Foundation is a nonprofit organization that disburses merit- and need-based scholarships to Maine resident students pursuing post-secondary education at accredited colleges and universities. The foundation administers two scholarship programs—the Richard H. Pierce Memorial Scholarship (20 renewable $5,000 awards per year, up to four years) and the MES Foundation Scholarship—funded through private donations and grants. Applications are submitted through the AwardSpring online platform, with awards determined on the basis of demonstrated financial need and distinguished academic merit.
Is MES Foundation a public or private company?
MES Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MES Foundation founded?
MES Foundation was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MES Foundation based?
MES Foundation is headquartered in Alfred, United States, in the North America region.
How does MES Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: scholarship Grant Disbursements.
Who are MES Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Horatio Alger Association, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and Scholarship America. Direct peers are Maine Community Foundation and Cocke County Foundation / local community foundations (representative). Regional players are Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. QuestBridge is listed as an emerging player. CFEngine / AwardSpring (peer technology user) is listed as an others.
Does MES Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for MES Foundation.
What industry is MES Foundation in?
MES Foundation's product category is Higher Education Scholarships. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.