A guest blog by Kenneth S. Spirer
As I complete my last term on the Maine Community Foundation Board I have had a chance to reflect on ten years serving this extraordinary Maine institution. The opportunity to have traveled throughout this great state has been a wonderful learning experience. A few observations follow.
Being a statewide organization takes a lot of planning and dedication. The foundation launched its County and Regional Program in 1986 and today volunteer county advisors provide insight into the needs of local communities.
You need a diverse board. Every board should represent its constituents and MaineCF has focused on this goal since the beginning. Diversity of all kinds strengthens the institution.
Be prepared for ups and downs. As anyone observing the financial markets and the nonprofit world can attest, these past ten years have not always been easy. Extraordinary financial volatility and increased community needs have been the norm. To steer a careful course while not losing sight of one’s primary mission is no easy task.
A responsive staff is a key to success as is strong leadership. I have had the honor to work with former CEO Hank Schmelzer and our current CEO, Meredith Jones, as well the late Bob Woodbury, my predecessor as Board chair, and Anne Jackson, our current chair, and I have learned from all of them.
Finally, every nonprofit requires a committed board. You need to roll up your sleeves and be engaged in the work—and not be afraid to work hard. Board members must be the organization’s best ambassadors. And you need to have fun—as I have had, traveling across Maine, enjoying the camaraderie of MaineCF Board and staff.
I leave the community foundation enriched by the opportunity to have participated for almost a decade in its important work. My recommendation: find an organization you believe in and get working.
Spirer was a lawyer with the Securities and Exchange Commission and first vice president and assistant general counsel with Merrill Lynch in New York City. He is a founding board member of Common Good Ventures, a trustee of Maine Audubon and the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and past president of the LARK Society for Chamber Music, which supports the Portland String Quartet.