As a partner in philanthropy, the Maine Community Foundation can help donors support their favorite programs and organizations, identify and evaluate new giving opportunities, and research current issues facing Maine communities.

MaineCF's staff is comprised of skilled grantmakers and community leaders. The grant-making process at the foundation is predicated on our mission to be a community foundation.

We assist the nonprofit sector in Maine not only with grants, but also with technical assistance and advice.

As grantmakers we analyze and recommend funding for thousands of projects within Maine each year, in many different areas such as education, conservation, community economic development and the arts.

We work with many community volunteers who help us review proposals, and we benefit from their perspective. As a donor to MaineCF, you can access this wealth of information and thereby make the most of your charitable giving.

Individual Consultation for Grantmaking

Staff members are available to:

• Help you identify and focus and/or re-evaluate your philanthropic interests and optimize the impact of your grantmaking
  
• Help you craft a plan to involve your children and grandchildren in philanthropy
  
• Assist you in determining the appropriate type of giving arrangement at MaineCF that will fulfill your charitable goals
  
• Conduct research on a topic or nonprofit in which you are interested, and help you evaluate specific programs
  
• Share best practices from MaineCF's 24 years of grantmaking experience
  
• Provide you with post-grant evaluation of the effectiveness of a grant, where feasible
  
• Identify other donors with common interests with whom you might partner in grantmaking

Connecting to Community Issues

Many fund advisors request summaries of proposals we receive as part of our competitive grant programs.These referrals provide advisors with opportunities to review the types of organizations seeking funding and learn more about the issues facing Maine communities. If you would like to receive proposal summaries, please contact us.

Additionally, as staff get to learn more about donor interests, they are able to bring innovative funding ideas to your attention.

Donor Networking

The Maine Community Foundation provides a variety of networking opportunities for donors and fund advisors to connect to other funders and charitably minded individuals.

We do this through our annual meeting, roundtables that we develop in partnership with other organizations, such as the Maine Philanthropy Center, and special initiatives and events where we gather donors to address particular issues of concern or interest to them.

Visit the Events section for more information about upcoming MaineCF events.

Partnerships and Convening

Community foundations are in a unique position to bring people together. We are not political, we have no ax to grind, and we represent people of substance in the community.

MaineCF can often bring constituents together who would not otherwise meet, and we can help them look at issues and become aware of new ways to think about them.

Visit our Initiatives section to find out about some of MaineCF's current partnerships and initiatives.