Feedback from MaineCF’s grantees goes a long way toward understanding needs in Maine’s communities, challenges nonprofit organizations face during the pandemic, and how we can adapt our grant programs to better meet their needs.
Our new “Reporting Out” shares the experiences of 283 grantees funded from our regular competitive grant programs in 2020. Some snapshots:
- 40% reported the pandemic negatively affected their work. Impacts ranged from supply-chain issues and demands for more programming to mental health concerns and canceled fundraisers
- 13% found some silver linings such as increased access for clients through virtual visits and the value of researching resources and similar nonprofit services to gain insight for new programs
- 34% said their biggest learning was the importance of planning.
MaineCF listened – and made some changes to grant programs. They include:
- Providing general support for some of our competitive grant programs, including Community Building
- Encouraging donors to support proposals through our Giving Together program
- Encouraging MaineCF review committees to fully fund more proposals
- Creating program protocols that ensure safe and supportive environments for people of color or individuals from marginalized groups.
Read the full report, with stories from our nonprofit partners.
