The Edmund S. Muskie Foundation, registered in Portland, Maine, ¹ is a public foundation endowed by a $3 million appropriation from the United States Congress to continue the legacy of Senator and Carter administration Secretary of State Ed Muskie (D-ME), an architect of environmental legislation. ² It was established in 1997. ³

The foundation was active until 2010. ⁴ Its president was Leon G. Billings, ⁵ a former aide to Sen. Muskie. ⁶

Background

Senator Edmund S. Muskie (D-ME) was the principal proponent of the Clean Air Act of 1970, passed to control air pollution from motor vehicles and industry, and the Clean Water Act of 1972, enacted to regulate municipal and industrial wastewater discharges. Both laws have been referred to as pillars of environmental lawmaking. ^{7 8}

The Edmund S. Muskie Foundation (ESMF) was conceived shortly after Sen. Muskie’s death. Its purpose was “to honor and continue his lifelong commitment to preserving the environment and fostering civic responsibility.” ⁹ In 1996, the U.S. Congress appropriated $3 million as an endowment for the foundation. ¹⁰ The organization received IRS approval in 1997. ¹¹

ESMF was active through 2009. Its final grant was $1,010,000 to the University of Southern Maine. In 2010, it relocated its offices from Delaware to Maine, began operating under a new administration, and claimed to be “working to develop a long-range philanthropic plan.” ¹²

Although it continues to be registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it is not required to submit a tax return. ¹³ Its contact address is care of Curtis Thaxter LLC, an independent law firm in Portland, Maine. ^{14 15}

Activities

ESMF’s grants supported three projects: the Archives, scholarships, and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. The Edmund S. Muskie Archives at Bates College houses Senator Muskie’s papers. ESMG funded an online legislative record, speech index, and a collection of 440 oral histories. ¹⁶

ESMF supported scholarships, an annual environmental lecture, and a PhD program focused on civic dialogue at the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine. The School was named in honor of the Senator. ^{17 18}

In 1999, the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators was “formalized as a project” by ESMF which funded it until 2007 when the caucus incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The Caucus was founded in 1996 by Leon Billings, the president of ESMF, who was a Maryland state delegate. He established an informal bipartisan network of state legislators dedicated to “pro-environment” efforts such as wildlife preservation, weather-dependent energy, and efforts to combat air and water pollution. ¹⁹

NCEL monitored “efforts to weaken existing laws or enact anti-environment proposals” alerting members of those activities in order to combat them through “defensive messaging and strategies.” Of particular concern were sharing best practices and offering resources to legislators in the form of remote legislative staff. ²⁰

Funding

ESMF raised funds from 1997 through 2009. It received contributions from “approximately eighteen different sources, including public charities, private foundations, and individuals.” These included the Tides Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Turner Foundation, and the Beldon Fund, all left-of-center grantmaking institution. The $3 million Congressional endowment was invested. ²¹

People

Leon G. Billings was the founding President of ESMG. He served as a Maryland state delegate and as an aide to Senator Muskie, becoming the chief U.S. Senate staffer responsible for writing the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. He founded the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and was active in the organization for 20 years. ^{22 23}

1. Internal Revenue Service. Edmund S. Muskie Foundation. Accessed 22 May 2023. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
2. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon. “Edmund S Muskie Foundation – Nonprofit Explorer – 2003 Form 990.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013. Accessed 23 May 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521991515
3. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon. “Edmund S Muskie Foundation – Nonprofit Explorer – 2003 Form 990.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013. Accessed 23 May 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521991515
4. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon. “Edmund S Muskie Foundation – Nonprofit Explorer – 2009 Form 990.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013. Accessed 23 May 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521991515
5. “The Edmund S. Muskie Foundation.” Accessed 22 May 2023. https://muskiefoundation.org/
6. National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. “2017 Annual Report.” Accessed 28 May 2023. http://www.ncelenviro.org/articles/2017-annual-report/
7. Goldstein, Joel K. “Edmund S. Muskie: The Environmental Leader and Champion.” 67 Me. L. Rev. 271 (2015). Accessed 23 May 2023. https://digitalcommons.mainelaw.maine.edu/mlr/vol67/iss2/57
8. Lipez, Kermit V. “Rediscovering Senator Edmund Muskie.” 67 Me. L. Rev. 217 (2015). Accessed 22 May 2023. https://digitalcommons.mainelaw.maine.edu/mlr/vol67/iss2/56
9. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon. “Edmund S Muskie Foundation – Nonprofit Explorer – 2005 Form 990.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013. Accessed 23 May 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521991515
10. “GovInfo – Congressional Record – October 4, 1996.” Accessed 28 May 2023. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CREC-1996-10-04.
11. Internal Revenue Service. Edmund S. Muskie Foundation. Accessed 22 May 2023. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
12. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon. “Edmund S Muskie Foundation – Nonprofit Explorer – 2009 Form 990.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013. Accessed 23 May 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521991515
13. “Edmund S Muskie Foundation – GuideStar Profile.” Accessed 23 May 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/52-1991515
14. Internal Revenue Service. Edmund S. Muskie Foundation. Accessed 22 May 2023. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/
15. “Sophisticated. Affordable. Personal. • Curtis Thaxter.” Accessed 27 May 2023. https://curtisthaxter.com/
16. Archives. “Home,” August 5, 2020. Accessed 26 May 2023. https://www.bates.edu/archives/
17. “About Us – Muskie School of Public Service.” Accessed 28 May 2023. https://usm.maine.edu/muskie-school-public-service/about-us/
18. Herald, Richard Barringer. Special to the Press. “Off Campus: Muskie School Reinvents Itself While USM Struggles with Budget Crisis.” Press Herald (blog), November 10, 2014. Accessed 28 May 2023. https://www.pressherald.com/2014/11/10/off-campus-muskie-school-suffers-while-usm-budget-crisis-goes-unsolved/
19. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon. “National Caucus of Environmental Legislators – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013. Accessed 23 May 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/680633254
20. National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. “2017 Annual Report.” Accessed 28 May 2023. http://www.ncelenviro.org/articles/2017-annual-report/
21. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon. “Edmund S Muskie Foundation – Nonprofit Explorer – 2009 Form 990.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013. Accessed 23 May 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521991515
22. National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. “2017 Annual Report.” Accessed 28 May 2023. http://www.ncelenviro.org/articles/2017-annual-report/
23. Sirgo, Henry, “Billings, Leon oral history interview” (1998). Edmund S. Muskie Oral History Collection. 40. Accessed 24 May 2023. https://scarab.bates.edu/muskie_oh/40