PREFACE

 “For all its challenges Maine stands within reach of a new prosperity.”

These are the first words of the 2006 report, Charting Maine’s Future: An Action Plan for Promoting Sustainable Prosperity in Quality Places, produced by the Brookings Institution and published by GrowSmart Maine. This statement underscores the report’s overall positive yet realistic vision of the state moving forward. We share that vision.  

The Brookings report also cites statistics indicating that Maine’s population is growing once again and that the state is moving away from a goods production and natural resources economy toward a diverse, innovation-oriented services economy. Although Maine is “suburbanizing,” the researchers note, a sense of place means more to Mainers than ever before.

At the same time, beyond the scope of the Brookings report observations,Maine is part of the world globalization phenomenon, with all of its challenges and opportunities.  Leadership will be key to how Maine capitalizes on these trends.  In his introduction to the 2004 book Changing Maine, public policy expert Richard Barringer points out that the current model of leadership in Maine may not be “adequate to the demands of the historic changes upon us.” MaineCF believes leadership development is a core strategy for strengthening communities across the state.

Many commentators, including Joel Fleishman, author of The Foundation: A Great American Secret; How Private Wealth is Changing the World, believe that we now live in a “Golden Age of Philanthropy.” There is no question that large amounts of wealth exist in the United States and other parts of the world and that the effects of the much talked-about “wealth transfer” will be great. At the same time, Warren Buffet’s highly publicized relationship with the Gates Foundation has enhanced the visibility of philanthropy—and underscored the importance of partnering with organizations that can maximize philanthropic potential. In Maine, where 18 of the largest 20 foundations did not exist two decades ago, philanthropy is also playing a more visible role. How we respond to our own “golden age” will be key to creating a stronger Maine.

Another recent report, On the Brink of New Promise: The Future of U.S. Community Foundations, points out that community foundations have a lot to look forward to in the next generation.  However, the report also suggests that “community foundations will face a far greater challenge than they have in the past to define and act on their distinctive value to their communities.”  We agree with the author’s belief that impact, not asset size, with be the “measure that matters” in the coming era as the “responsibilities and potential for philanthropy are recalculated.”  The first goal of this strategic plan reflects this priority emphasis on impact.

What does this paradigm shift mean for the Maine Community Foundation and the value we bring to our communities?  MaineCF stands on its own “brink of new promise,” challenged to maximize the impact of the varied philanthropic resources it has assembled.  This new strategic plan seeks to align our resources, increase our networks, share our knowledge and expand our organizational capacity, all of these efforts aimed at increasing the impact of our work in Maine.

The activities outlined in “Impact and Involvement: Strengthening the Community of Maine” will be guided by MaineCF’s asset-based, community-building philosophy.  That philosophy is grounded in the belief that communities of all types are more sustainable and vibrant when citizens are engaged and leadership is collaborative.  MaineCF believes that effective and committed leaders, high levels of civic engagement and access to philanthropic resources are critical elements for fostering positive change.

In their essay “Philanthropy’s New Agenda,” Michael Porter and Mark Kramer argue that it is not enough to identify the most important problems. What matters most, they argue, is how a foundation effectively contributes to a solution for the problems it seeks to address.

Looking a few years beyond the five-year scope of this strategic plan, we can expect MaineCF’s asset and donor growth to be substantial. Assuming an annual 8% return on our primary investment pool, annual gifts averaging $30 million and grants averaging $25 million, within ten years our assets would be well over $500 million.  And, if we establish on average 100 new funds per year, MaineCF would have some 1,000 new funds to support and service by 2018, almost a 100% increase over current levels. This substantial number of new donors will require additional staff. We expect larger donor-advised funds ($3 million and up) to grow in number, which will also necessitate new personnel for stewardship. 

To address these growth challenges, “Impact and Involvement: Strengthening the Community of Maine” seeks to provide challenging yet attainable and quantifiable goals.   At the same time, we recognize that the plan is a guide for MaineCF’s work during the next five years, and that unanticipated challenges or opportunities may arise. We will remain nimble while recognizing that the goals and activities in this plan take priority in our overall endeavors.

The Maine Community Foundation finds itself in an excellent position to capitalize on the philanthropic opportunities that exist inMaine. By exercising bold and effective leadership, MaineCF can capitalize on Maine’s enormous potential moving forward. Together, we stand on the brink of new promise.

 

GOALS

Goal 1. MaineCF maximizes the impact of charitable resources to foster sustainable and vibrant communities in Maine.

A hallmark of sustainable and vibrant communities is the presence of nonprofits and community groups that encourage involvement, promote effective leadership and collaborate with other organizations.  Significant factors that may come into play in the building of strong communities include high levels of postsecondary educational attainment, civic engagement, investing in Maine’s communities and environmental stewardship. This plan calls for an increased focus on these four areas, with the goal of making a significant difference in the economic well-being and quality of life in Maine. As with all of MaineCF’s work, donor involvement will be of critical importance in achieving this goal.

Outcomes 

Strategies and Actions 

1. Provide support that increases nonprofit effectiveness
   1. Working with key partners, expand the scope and resources of MaineCF’s Program for Nonprofit Effectiveness; where appropriate, seek opportunities to build the capacity of organizations working on issues related to our four designated focus areas
   2. Evaluate and expand networks-based capacity-building activities
   3. Build on the results of the 2007 statewide grantee perception survey and capacity-building program evaluation to better respond to nonprofit needs
   4. Evaluate community-building grant guidelines and strengthen adherence to them among Maine nonprofits and county committees 
       
2. Promote inclusiveness in MaineCF’s and other organizations’ work
   1. Design, implement and support existing and new field-of-interest funds that support diverse communities
   2. Increase diversity of MaineCF staff and volunteers with a particular focus on historically disadvantaged or under-represented groups
   3. Increase MaineCF staff and volunteer awareness of ways to encourage and support diversity through training and other activities
   4. Develop and support targeted projects (social capital, civic engagement of baby boom generation) as appropriate 
      
3. Align organizational and financial resources to support work in four areas of focus
   1. Leverage grants from donor advisors and funding from other sources to support the Maine Compact for Higher Education (with a particular emphasis on the Employer’s Initiative) and identify and invest in other MaineCF work that supports stated educational outcomes
   2. Increase collaborative funding for specific issues and projects among donor advisors and other funders through the Environmental Funders Network
   3. Pursue additional national and other funding opportunities to support programs aimed at increasing civic engagement among baby boomers
   4. Where philanthropy can make a difference, advance select economic development recommendations for investing inMaine’s communities as proposed in the GrowSmart Maine-commissioned Brookings Institution report 
       
4. Support and enhance the roles of our county and regional committees and networks, with particular emphasis on our four areas of focus
   1. Assess and build MaineCF’s relationships with organizations and networks working in areas of focus
   2. Further align MaineCF’s grantmaking to address critical regional issues in conjunction with county and regional committees and various networks, including our areas of focus where appropriate 
       
5. Identify and implement ways to measure community sustainability and vibrancy
   1. Conduct a community capacity benchmark survey in each Maine region to gauge levels of community involvement, leadership and trust
   2. Work with MaineCF county and regional committees to review survey results and develop plans to enhance community sustainability and vibrancy

  

Goal 2. MaineCF convenes and works with networks of philanthropists, nonprofit organizations and business, government and community leaders to gather, apply and share knowledge.

MaineCF gains knowledge of community issues through interactions with donors, nonprofits, legislators, foundations and community leaders. We want to become more intentional and innovative in how we build, share and apply this knowledge, particularly as it relates to our four areas of focus and to understanding and increasing the impact of our work.

Outcomes  

1. Individuals and organizations turn to MaineCF as a resource on issues and as a convener
2. Donors identify MaineCF as a valued resource of information in support of their grantmaking
3. MaineCF enhances its partnerships with donor advisors and other funders through its work in four areas of focus
4. Stronger, more effective and readily identifiable networks are active in our areas of focus

 

Strategies and Actions  

1. Build internal and external knowledge base for each of the four areas of focus
   1. Create plan for staff to acquire and manage information in areas of focus
   2. Collect issue-specific information to build knowledge base in areas of focus
   3. Identify key partner organizations and knowledge experts in areas of focus 
      
       
2. Connect philanthropists, nonprofit organizations and community leaders through knowledge sharing and convening activities
   1. Identify and use communication strategies to share MaineCF knowledge resources with county committees and other networks
   2. Determine the best use of technology to support knowledge sharing and networking activities among donors, nonprofits and community leaders
   3. Using the results of the 2007 grantee perception survey, determine ways to increaseMaine nonprofits’ understanding of MaineCF’s programs and grantmaking
   4. Explore other mechanisms to build and strengthen networks among philanthropists, nonprofits and community leaders as appropriate 
      
       
3. Evaluate our program work in order to maximize learning and increase impact
   1. Revise and improve system for documenting grant counts, degree of donor engagement, funds leveraged and other indicators of foundation activity
   2. Create indicators for evaluating our success in focus areas over the long term
   3. Track progress of individual programs and initiatives, particularly those that MaineCF has helped launch or that have received significant foundation investment over time
   4. Establish standards for evaluating and reporting on activities associated with the Community-Building Grant Program and other competitive grant programs
   5. Continue to build in-house capacity to conduct due diligence and evaluation, particularly related to donor-advised grantmaking, and provide targeted research in support of grantmaking  

 

Goal 3.  MaineCF nurtures the philanthropic culture inMaine in partnership with other organizations.

We seek partnerships with individuals and organizations to help make the philanthropic culture in Maine more robust.  In particular, we will focus on increasing financial philanthropic support.  

Outcomes  

1. The number of Mainers giving to nonprofit organizations increases
2. Maine moves up in national philanthropy rankings

Strategies and Actions 

1. Partner with the Maine Philanthropy Center to promote philanthropy inMaine
   1. Establish plan to enhance awareness among legislators and other public policy makers of the role of philanthropy and nonprofits in building sustainable and vibrant Maine communities, and involve board members and county committees as appropriate
   2. Collaborate on a report on the state of philanthropy in Maine for our 25^th anniversary
   3. Develop information pieces and/or articles that promote philanthropy inMaine
      
2. Explore establishing an office in Augusta capable of serving as a center for philanthropy to increase visibility of philanthropy in Maine
   
3. Explore potential to create a course on philanthropy to be offered at various senior colleges and retirement centers in Maine

 

Goal 4. MaineCF builds its charitable resources to strengthenMaine communities through increased grantmaking and philanthropic leadership.  

This objective is aligned with our first goal: to maximize the impact of charitable resources.  It addresses goals for asset growth and includes strategies to strengthen our core donor services. 

Outcomes 

1. MaineCF increases assets to $370 million and annual grantmaking to $23 million within five years
2. Planned gift commitments and bequests to MaineCF continue to increase, with some emphasis in our four areas of focus
3. Professional advisors increasingly view MaineCF as a primary partner for themselves and their clients, as measured by greater number of referrals for new funds and bequests
4. More grant dollars are available from new and existing donors to direct toward our areas of focus and our county and regional funds  

Strategies and Actions  

1. Increase staff, board and county and regional advisor involvement in MaineCF advancement efforts
   1. Plan and conduct outreach and information-gathering campaign in every region of the state over five-year period in line with activities outlined in Goal 1 and 2
   2. Pursue philanthropic resources that support work in identified areas of focus and that bolster MaineCF’s ability to provide grants in all geographic areas of the state  

2. Direct increased resources to our outreach work with professional advisors
   1. Create a plan to expand continuing education programming for attorneys, accountants and financial advisors related to charitable giving and the nonprofit sector
   2. Outline targeted marketing efforts to professional advisors, such as satisfaction surveys, visibility at Maine State Bar Association meetings and personal visits 
      
3. Capitalize on new gifts from existing donors and other funders by building relationships, sharing knowledge and delivering superior donor service
   1. Enhance donor services related to grantmaking
   2. Use current and new donor indicators to develop advancement, donor service and engagement goals  
      
4. Expand real estate gift program and increase other planned and unique gifts from current and prospective donors
   
         a.       Develop and implement an expanded program for gifts of real estate, including marketing   and   staffing
   2. Create an advisory council comprised of real estate professionals 
       
5. Raise visibility and awareness of MaineCF’s programs and impact
   1. Create a plan to build upon visibility and messages delivered during 25^th anniversary activities in 2008
   2. Refine messages describing MaineCF’s impact and value, based on its leadership and other activities in Goals 1 and 2
   3. Develop effective communication with donors via the Internet  

 

Goal 5.  MaineCF creates an organizational model for sustainability that anticipates and accommodates growth in the next decade.

This goal requires projections for what MaineCF might look like ten years from now and seeks to create an organizational model that supports our mission. By looking beyond the timeframe of the plan, MaineCF will seek to anticipate and accommodate substantial growth.

Outcomes  

1. Creation of a working business model and operating system that enables MaineCF to excel in 2018
2. Consistently high level of donor services
3. Solid reputation as a responsible steward of philanthropic assets  

Strategies and Actions 

1. Develop an organizational model that will enable MaineCF to operate effectively in 2018
   1. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis of our overall business in order to better manage financial affairs and fulfill mission

b.      Evaluate potential growth and develop a model to accommodate that growth on a staffing and overall cost-efficient basis

c.       Conduct a risk assessment study of MaineCF’s activities and develop appropriate procedures to manage risk

4. Ensure that the new business model integrates the County and Regional Program and capitalizes on its community-building work 
5. Provide services that will best support the needs of donors, volunteers and nonprofit partners in a changing environment 

 

2. Ensure that there is a vital governance structure to support anticipated growth
   1. Retain a consultant to evaluate our governance model and its suitability to address the long-term growth of the organization
   2. Link governance and staffing structures to the extent possible

 

3. Utilize technology to support MaineCF growth, improve access to information and connect  county committees and other networks
   1. Evaluate and utilize available technology solutions (including web-based technology) to support general business needs and to connect donors, volunteers and nonprofit partners 
   2. Continue integrating technology solutions for off-site staff
   3. Respond to increased demands for security, confidentiality, connectivity and oversight

 

4. Plan for MaineCF staff and facility needs during a period of anticipated growth
   1. Develop infrastructure plan and protocols to manage multiple physical and virtual sites
   2. Evaluate the options and secure office space necessary to house up to ten additional staff

 

Maine Community Foundation Strategic Plan 2008 – 2012
Adopted by MaineCF Board, September 21, 2007