Larry Gross, executive director, Southern Maine Agency on Aging, and Kathryn Davis, president and CEO of the United Way of York County, share ideas at a Program for Nonprofit Effectiveness peer learning session held at the offices of the Maine Health Access Foundation in Augusta in June 2010. Photo courtesy of Common Good Ventures
Three Maine nonprofits, Southern Maine Agency on Agency, United Way of York County, and Washington County Children’s Program, have successfully completed the three-year Program for Nonprofit Effectiveness. A partnership between Common Good Ventures (CGV) and the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF), the program provides technical and financial assistance to nonprofits seeking to increase their ability to deliver services.
CGV and MaineCF are currently working with three partners selected for the program in 2009: College for ME--Androscoggin, Literacy Volunteers of Maine (LV Maine), and Broadreach Family Services. Focused on increasing access to higher and post-secondary education in Maine, the three organizations are receiving grant funding from MaineCF and dedicated management coaching from CGV.
College for ME--Androscoggin is a network of more than 30 business, education, community, and government groups dedicated to doubling the number of county residents who hold college degrees by the year 2015. The statewide LV Maine supports 14 community-based groups that provide free, confidential literacy services to Maine adults. Broadreach Family Services and MSAD 5 have partnered to create the Rockland After-School Alliance (RASA), which serves over 700 youth per year.
“These organizations are working hard to lower barriers to post-secondary education, which is a mission we share,” said Meredith Jones, MaineCF president and CEO. Andrew Watt, CGV president, added, “From a competitive selection process we are excited to have identified these organizations committed to providing more Mainers with educational opportunities through collaboration.”
The Program for Nonprofit Effectiveness was established in 2002 to strengthen nonprofit organizations by providing technical and financial assistance to organizations seeking ways to deliver their programs or services more effectively and to increase their social impact.