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Financial Assistance · Maine

Money worries,
a place to start.

Find cash assistance, emergency help, tax preparation, financial coaching, and benefits support in Maine.

Find financial support near you

Financial support resources

Choose a town to narrow your options.

  • Benefits & urgent help

    TANF Cash Assistance & ASPIRE Program

    Statewide support

    Maine's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program provides monthly cash benefits to families with children. The ASPIRE program helps TANF participants build skills for employment through job training and education supports.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Phone: Mon-Fri 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
    Who this helps
    Maine residents with dependent children who meet income and asset limits. Must be U.S. citizens or qualified non-citizens. Work requirements apply to most adults unless exempt.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Tax preparation

    CA$H Maine Free Tax Preparation

    Statewide support

    Statewide network of eight coalitions offering free tax preparation through IRS-certified VITA volunteers. Households earning $69,000 or less can get their federal and state taxes filed for free from January through April.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Seasonal: January - April. Call 211 or visit cashmaine.org for site hours.
    Who this helps
    Households that earned $69,000 or less in the tax year. Available to all Maine residents who meet the income threshold.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Money guidance

    New Ventures Maine Financial Programs

    Statewide support

    Free classes and one-on-one coaching in budgeting, credit building, saving, and small business development. A program of UMA with seven locations statewide and online classes.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM; evening and weekend classes available
    Who this helps
    Open to all Maine residents at no cost. No income requirements. All classes and coaching are free.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Benefits & urgent help

    Maine Equal Justice

    126 Sewall Street, Augusta, ME 04330

    Nonprofit legal aid and economic justice organization helping people access public benefits including TANF, SNAP, MaineCare, and General Assistance. Free legal help with denied or terminated benefits.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Who this helps
    Maine residents having trouble accessing public benefits or who have had benefits denied, reduced, or terminated. No income requirements.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Information & Referral Service

    211 Maine

    Statewide support

    Free, confidential 24/7 helpline connecting callers to local resources for financial assistance, housing, food, utilities, healthcare, and more. Text your zip code to 898-211 or search online at 211maine.org.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    24 hours a day, 7 days a week
    Who this helps
    Available to all Maine residents. No income requirements, no identification needed.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Community Action Agency

    Penquis Community Action

    262 Harlow Street, Bangor, ME 04401

    Community Action Agency serving Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Knox counties with financial coaching, matched savings programs, heating assistance, housing counseling, and small business advising.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
    Who this helps
    Residents of Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Knox counties. Most programs are income-based.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Education & Business Financing

    Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)

    5 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330

    Independent state agency helping Maine residents plan and pay for higher education through grants, scholarships, and low-interest loans. Also provides financing programs for Maine small businesses and entrepreneurs.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Who this helps
    Education programs: Maine residents pursuing higher education. Business programs: Maine-based businesses. Free community college: Maine residents who graduated HS in 2023-2025.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Money guidance

    Goodwill NNE Workforce Solutions

    56 Northport Drive, Suite 202, Portland, ME 04103

    Goodwill NNE pairs participants with career advisors and life navigators to help find employment, build skills, and overcome barriers like transportation, child care, and financial challenges.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon, Thu-Sat 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
    Who this helps
    Open to all job seekers including unemployed, under-employed, new to the country, recently laid off, or young adults without a college degree.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Money guidance

    ProsperityME: Center for Financial Education

    175 Lancaster Street, Suite 216A, Portland, ME 04101

    Nonprofit providing financial literacy classes, credit counseling, and debt management. Specializes in serving New Mainers including refugees and immigrants, but open to all.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Who this helps
    Open to all. Specializes in serving refugees, immigrants, and New Mainers.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Money guidance

    Community Concepts

    240 Bates Street, Lewiston, ME 04240

    Community action agency serving Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties. Provides HUD-approved housing counseling, credit counseling, foreclosure prevention, financial coaching, and emergency fuel assistance.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri, call for specific hours
    Who this helps
    Income-eligible residents of Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties. Contact for specific program guidelines.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Community Action Agency & Financial Programs

    Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP)

    101 Water Street, Waterville, ME 04901

    Community action agency serving Kennebec, Somerset, Lincoln, and Sagadahoc counties. Provides financial empowerment programs, energy assistance, housing support, and transportation services.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri, call for hours
    Who this helps
    Income-eligible residents of Kennebec, Somerset, Lincoln, and Sagadahoc counties.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Community Action Agency

    Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP)

    771 Main Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769

    Community action agency serving Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock counties with energy assistance, housing support, workforce development, and emergency financial help for northern and Downeast Maine families.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Who this helps
    Income-eligible residents of Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock counties.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Tax preparation

    York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC)

    6 Spruce Street, Sanford, ME 04073

    York County's community action agency providing free tax preparation, financial independence programs, energy assistance, and emergency support for low-income residents.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri, call for hours
    Who this helps
    Income-eligible York County residents.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Benefits & urgent help

    Salvation Army - Portland

    297 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, ME 04101

    Provides emergency financial assistance for rent and electric bills, plus a food pantry, clothing vouchers, and diapers for low-income Cumberland County residents in crisis.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (closed 12:00 - 1:00 PM)
    Who this helps
    Low-income Cumberland County residents in need.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Benefits & urgent help

    Catholic Charities Maine

    307 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

    Provides emergency financial help, food assistance, and counseling for individuals and families in crisis. Also operates a statewide Parish Social Ministry referral network across Maine.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Who this helps
    Individuals and families in crisis. Contact for specific criteria. Open to people of all faiths.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)

    Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI)

    30 Federal Street, Brunswick, ME 04011

    Maine's largest CDFI providing affordable business loans, first-time homebuyer education, housing counseling, and specialized lending including Riba-Free (Islamic financing) and solar loans.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri, call for hours
    Who this helps
    Small businesses, entrepreneurs, first-time homebuyers. Varies by program.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Community Action Agency & Anti-Poverty Programs

    The Opportunity Alliance

    50 Lydia Lane, South Portland, ME 04106

    Cumberland County's community action agency providing energy assistance, housing stabilization, food access, and economic mobility programs. Also operates Maine's 211 information and referral service.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Mon-Fri, call for hours
    Who this helps
    Income-eligible Cumberland County residents.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Tax preparation

    AARP Foundation Tax-Aide (Maine)

    Statewide support

    Free tax preparation by IRS-certified volunteers at dozens of locations across Maine. Focuses on taxpayers over 50 with low-to-moderate income, but open to all ages.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    February through mid-April, by appointment
    Who this helps
    Focus on taxpayers over 50 with low-to-moderate income, but open to all. No AARP membership required.

    Confirm details with the organization.

  • Benefits & urgent help

    Heart of Maine United Way

    700 Main Street, Suite 1, Bangor, ME 04401

    Serves Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Washington counties. Programs include the Fuel Assistance Fund providing emergency heating grants, Neighbors United supply donations, and community investment in local nonprofits serving basic needs.

    Hours & eligibility
    Listed hours
    Monday - Friday, call for hours
    Who this helps
    Residents of Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Washington counties experiencing financial hardship.

    Confirm details with the organization.

Listings may include nearby communities. Contact the organization to confirm its current location, hours, and who it serves.

Make the next step manageable.

Different programs help with different costs. You do not have to sort them all out alone.

  1. Name the immediate need

    Say which bill or expense you need help with and when it is due. Ask whether the program helps with that specific cost.

  2. Ask for a document list

    Requirements vary. Ask which household, income, bill, or tax records to gather before applying.

  3. Understand the offer

    Ask whether help is a benefit, direct payment, loan, or counseling service, and whether any fees or repayment terms apply.