By Eric Russell - Bangor Daily News

...The Maine Community Foundation, headquartered in Ellsworth, is celebrating this fall the 20th anniversary of its three inaugural county committees in Washington, Aroostook and Piscataquis counties.

The county committees initially formed to give Mainers interested in philanthropy in these rural parts of the state a place to pool their resources.

Over the last 20 years, those dividends have paid off immeasurably, according to MCF President Henry Schmelzer. "We’re so much different from other charitable groups where all the assets typically come from a single family," Schmelzer said in a recent interview. "We account for more than 800 charitable organizations combined, and our reach tends to be more at the grass-roots level."

That means philanthropists who only have a small amount to give likely will be helping startup nonprofits that need exactly that small financial boost. "A small grant can often be incredible leverage for a group that’s just starting," said Carl Little, MCF’s director of communications. "And it’s often a good backing for other donors in the future."

In almost every Maine community, there is a citizens group that needs a grant for a feasibility study or for initial overhead costs.

For instance, in Washington County a few years back, a group of residents in Calais formed to explore creating a skate park for the area’s youth. The group contacted…MCF’s committee in Washington County…. MCF helped get the skate park started, and today it’s one of the area’s most popular youth attractions.

…In the Piscataquis County town of Dover-Foxcroft, when a group of residents banded together to expand and restore the Center Theatre, the Maine Community Foundation was there.

The once-abandoned movie theater, which had been closed since 1973, has undergone extensive renovations and is now thriving. Last month it received a $50,000 grant from Preserve America Communities, a national initiative through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but it was MCF that helped get the ball rolling.

"It’s always a good discussion when we’re trying to decide which grants to support," said Stephanie Bunker, who represents the Piscataquis County committee of the MCF. "These county committees have such a knowledge of the county, so it’s easy for us to say, ‘Does it need our support?’, ‘Will it help the community?’ and ‘Will it survive without our support?’" As far as the Center Theatre went, those questions were easy to answer, Bunker said.

In Aroostook County, the Maine Community Foundation recently provided the initial grant to help Fort Kent Community High School improve its stage lighting and sound capabilities. The result was the first full-scale production of a musical at the school in 20 years.

In fact, if money has been handed out recently in a community in Maine, there’s a good chance MCF was behind it. But more than that, "Our program really seeks to fund projects that are building off the strengths of a particular community," said Peter Taylor, director of grant-making services for the Maine Community Foundation.

The MCF’s philanthropy starts with Maine residents, businesses and organizations that align with the foundation, which in turn becomes a steward for their assets. That money is pooled together with others and invested by the MCF and its financial team.

Currently the Maine Community Foundation has about $187 million set aside in an endowment, representing an increase of 86 percent over its assets in 2000. While that money continues to grow, the foundation awards grants on the interest earned.

Since 1983, the MCF has awarded more than $80 million in grants and scholarships and the number increases each year. In 2005 alone, the MCF doled out $16 million across the state.

Schmelzer, who has been the foundation’s president for the last six years, said the county committees have really allowed MCF to reach parts of the state that need it most…. "They give us a network of people right there in the community. Without that, we’d be working in the dark," Schmelzer said.

…"Everyone can be a philanthropist. We’re just here to help people pool their resources," Taylor said. Added Little, "It starts small, but eventually you have something to work with."

Full Story at the Bangor Daily News