What difference do nonprofits make in Maine? Every year the Maine Association of Nonprofits, with support from the community foundation and the Unity Foundation, addresses this question in its “Partners in Prosperity” report. Among the compelling statistics presented in the 2010 edition: Maine nonprofits mobilize approximately 360,000 volunteers each year—roughly the equivalent of the combined populations of Aroostook and Cumberland Counties. The sector’s economic contribution is also impressive: $8.2 billion in 2007, about 17% of the gross state product.
In cooperation with a diverse array of partners, the Maine Community Foundation supports nonprofits through grants, leadership training, and capacity building projects such as the Program for Nonprofit Effectiveness. We also manage endowments for more than 150 nonprofit organizations, including The Iris Network, which provides critical vision rehabilitation services for around 1,000 Mainers every year.
“A healthy and engaged nonprofit sector is essential to both maintaining and improving the quality of life in our state,” write the authors of “Partners in Prosperity.” The Maine Community Foundation is honored to work alongside and support the state’s robust and vital nonprofit sector.