AUGUSTA -- A new grant program is offering grants worth as much as $75,000 each to organizations working for social, economic, and environmental justice.

The granting organization is Maine Initiatives, a public foundation dedicated to "cultivating social justice at the grassroots level," according to a news release, which "has granted more than $1 million to nonprofits addressing the root causes of social issues."

In 2008, the foundation made grants of $40,000 each to Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project in Portland, Maine Fair Trade Campaign in Lewiston, Maine Women's Policy Center in Augusta, and Southern Maine Workers' Center in Portland.

The new program, Grants for Change, will offer grants ranging from small, one-time grants to three-year grants totalling $75,000 each.

"The heart of our work is expanding the opportunities for Maine groups working for grassroots change," Howard Solomon, chairman of Maine Initiatives' grants committee, said in a news release. "Grants for Change does exactly that."

The deadline for applying to Grants for Change is Oct. 3. For information, visit www.maineinitiatives.org or call 622-6294.