Waves of eager immigrants – from refugees fleeing conflict to retirees retreating from cities – make Maine a very special place.
I’ve only been here a short time as MaineCF’s interim president and CEO, but I’ve never seen anything close to the sense of community among those attracted to this vast state. Maine’s pronounced sense of place is palpable in the connections between people and their shared affection for this place they’ve all chosen to call home.
Sterling Speirn, MaineCF Interim President and CEO
While Mainers may live miles, towns, or counties apart, they are more united than neighbors in a densely packed city. It’s not surprising to learn Maine ranks near the top nationally for contributions of time from volunteers. That’s such a gift for us as a place-based foundation, rooted here as an ally and champion for all people.
As MaineCF nears its 40th year, we’re embracing our own time of transition as we all adapt to change and invent the next new normal. In the coming months, MaineCF will welcome a new president and identify strategic organizational goals to help guide our future work.
“Togetherness” is the theme of the Bethel Mural Project’s colorful work at The Gem theater. The project was funded in part by a grant from MaineCF’s Maine Expansion Arts fund to Bethel Area Arts and Music. Students in Telstar Middle School’s community art classes brainstormed ideas for the theme and worked for months with muralist and painter Ryan Adams of Portland. Volunteers spent weeks last summer working eight hours a day to paint about 8,000 square feet. Photos courtesy The Gem
Meanwhile, our commitment to Maine people thrives with the support of generous donors and volunteers. I was fortunate recently to see firsthand how a grassroots commitment to community can change lives. Last May, after months of fundraising, the Families First Community Center in Ellsworth hosted a grand opening in a renovated Victorian house. It’s home now to four families (with room for two more), who can build stability in their own apartments and learn life skills to break the cycle of homelessness. The folks who made it happen, with MaineCF and other grant support, are some 180 people from across the state who care – from youth groups to retirees who volunteered their help to the nonprofit’s small staff.
We hear such stories time and again about people who come here to contribute, forge friendships, and find new meaning in their lives. That’s a precious resource as we assess how we at MaineCF can work with our partners to tackle Maine’s emerging challenges and opportunities – climate change and broadband expansion, education, and an entrepreneurial economy – to name a few. We don’t have to solve problems like climate change for the world. But we do need to identify how Maine can thrive.
The late Anne Jackson, who we salute on the back cover of this Maine Ties, was one of those people who came to Maine and left a legacy of commitment to lifelong learning, philanthropy, and friendship. She brought strong leadership as MaineCF’s board chair and devoted decades of service to many other nonprofit boards. And, in a final act of generosity, she left MaineCF not only ideas for the future but a gift without restrictions that will help us respond quickly to future challenges.
A $2.5 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and husband Dan Jewett to our Maine Expansion Arts fund will lift spirits when we need it most. Her donation will double grant awards this year to arts organizations and programs that reach rural communities and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.
There’s nothing we can’t tackle with our collective aspirations and the support of such generous people who want to give back to communities. With the alchemy of philanthropy and a passion for Maine, we can realize big dreams in the face of big challenges.
Sterling Speirn, Interim President and CEO
Maine Community Foundation
