The Onion Foundation is a grantmaking organization committed to providing grants for art education and environmental conservation efforts in Maine. In 2022, it made just shy of $3 million in grants to groups including Fractured Atlas, Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, and Maine Conservation Alliance. ¹

Background

Onion Foundation is a grantmaking nonprofit dedicated that provides grants to support art education and environmental conservation efforts in Maine. ²

The foundation was established in 2014 by Fritz and Susan Onion to encourage conservation and responsible management of Maine’s natural resources, alongside advancing music and arts initiatives throughout the state. ³

Staff

Susan Onion is the co-founder of the Onion Foundation. Susan also sits on the advisory board of Pluralsight One. ⁴

Fritz Onion is a co-founder of the Onion Foundation. Fritz also sits on the advisory board of Pluralsight One. ⁵

Diana Morris is the executive director of the Onion Foundation. Prior to working at the foundation, Diana founded and directed the Baltimore, Maryland, office of George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. ⁶

Nat May is the arts program officer at the Onion Foundation. Nat previously worked as the first executive director of SPACE in Portland, Maine. ⁷

Projects

The nonprofit runs an environmental program aimed at expanding outdoor recreational opportunities for Maine residents. The program offers grants to other nonprofits providing environmental education programs to youths in Maine. ⁸

The foundation, in collaboration with the Maine Philanthropy Center, the Quimby Family Foundation, and several other organizations, established two community assistance relief funds to offer support and resources to the Lewiston-Auburn area following a 2023 bowling alley shooting in Maine. ⁹

Onion foundation also operates an arts program that offers grants to organizations hosting arts-education-related events in Maine. ¹⁰

Donations

Between 2015 and 2023, the foundation disbursed over $27,000,000 in grants to various organizations. ¹¹ In 2023, it allocated $1,567,350 to arts-related programs and $4,809,600 to environmental and special opportunity programs. ¹²

Financials

Onion Foundation’s financial records indicate that in 2023, the nonprofit reported negative revenue of -$4,328,584 after it made losses on the sale of assets. ¹³

1. Onion Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/471289795.
2. “Mission.” Onion Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.onionfoundation.org/mission.
3. “About Onion Foundation.” Onion Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.onionfoundation.org/about-onion-foundation.
4. “Susan Onion – Director – Onion Foundation .” LinkedIn. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-onion-28366ab7.
5. “Fritz Onion – Pluralsight.” linkedin. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/fritzonion.
6. “Arts Program Index Page.” Onion Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.onionfoundation.org/arts.
7. “Nat May – Arts Program Officer – Onion Foundation.” linkedin. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielmay.
8. “Environment Program.” Onion Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.onionfoundation.org/environment.
9. “Philanthropic Statement in Response to the Mass Shooting in Lewiston.” Maine Philanthropy Center, November 1, 2023. https://www.mainephilanthropy.org/news/philanthropic-statement-response-mass-shooting-lewiston.
10. “Arts Program.” Onion Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.onionfoundation.org/arts.
11. “Onion Foundation 2015 Grants.” Onion Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.onionfoundation.org/2015-grants.
12. “Onion Foundation 2022 Grants.” Onion Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.onionfoundation.org/2023-grants.
13. Onion Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022, Part I Line 12 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/471289795.