Following a press conference to announce a $1 million gift to the Washington County Fund, members of the Washington County Committee join MaineCF staff and friends outside the Tides Institute and Museum of Art in Eastport. From left: Jude Valentine, Tides Institute; Heidi Leighton, Cobscook Bay Resource Center; Hank Schmelzer, president, MaineCF; Cherie Galyean, MaineCF regional coordinator; Karen Raye, Washington County Committee; Will Hopkins, executive director, Cobscook Bay Resource Center; J. Scott Whitney, chair, Washington County Committee; Hugh French, director, Tides Institute; Linda Godfrey, Washington County Committee; and Davis Pike, MaineCF Board director. Photo: Carl Little
At a press conference held May 28, 2008, at the Tides Institute and Museum of Art in Eastport, Henry Schmelzer, president of the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF), announced a gift of $1 million to the Washington County Fund, a permanent charitable endowment that supports nonprofits in Washington County.
"This grant from the Belvedere Fund at the Maine Community Foundation will have a considerable impact on the philanthropic landscape in the county," Schmelzer stated.
The late Deborah Pulliam (1952-2007) established the Belvedere Fund at the foundation in 2000 as a means to fulfill her philanthropic goals. She was especially dedicated to the Downeast region.
One of the first county committees established by MaineCF, the Washington County Committee, which oversees the Washington County Fund, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006. Since its establishment, the committee has supported over 120 nonprofits in the county with more than $375,000 in grants, which have gone to a variety of fields including the arts, the environment and community development.
With the addition of the Belvedere Fund grant, the Washington County Fund's assets will total $1.6 million. "The $1 million will substantially increase our grantmaking capacity," said Scott Whitney, chair of MaineCF's Washington County Committee, at the press conference. Hugh French, director of the Tides Institute and Museum of Art, and Will Hopkins, executive director of the Cobscook Bay Resource Center, offered testimonials on the impact of MaineCF grants to their organizations over the years.
A statewide organization celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Maine Community Foundation partners with donors and nonprofits to strengthen Maine communities. For further information, visit www.mainecf.org or call 1-877-700-6800.
May 29, 2008