A goal set in 1986 is fulfilled: Maine Community Foundation now has permanent endowments to benefit nonprofit organizations in all 16 Maine counties with the launch of the Kennebec County Fund.
MaineCF has been active in Kennebec County from early on. In the last 10 years alone, more than $11 million in grants from competitive and donor-advised funds have been directed to community-building programs and projects in the county while just over $400,000 in scholarships have supported Kennebec County students.
So, what is new? For one, a committee of local volunteer advisors who understand the region’s assets and challenges will help direct funds where they will make the greatest impact. These advisors also help raise philanthropic dollars to support nonprofit organizations in the county.
Community leaders began work in 2018 to create this fund for the future. “This effort is bringing the county together – from Waterville to Gardiner, from Wayne to Unity – to address the needs of the region,” says steering committee member Charles “Wick” Johnson, CEO of Kennebec Technologies in Augusta. “Our goal is to inspire philanthropy in Kennebec County and strengthen nonprofit organizations that are helping to build communities.”
Contributions to the Kennebec County Fund will be matched up to $250,000 until the end of 2020.
MaineCF in Kennebec County
Kennebec County Fund launched: 2018
Total assets benefiting Kennebec County: $3 million
Grants and scholarships awarded in 2019: $72,090
2020 match to grow the Kennebec County Fund: $250,000
A sampling of 2020 Kennebec County grants:
- Boys & Girls Club of Augusta, for a teen driving program, designed to enhance driver’s education and help teenagers become better, safer drivers
- Capital Area New Mainers Project, to increase visibility and expand programming by creating a welcoming community hub at the Augusta Multicultural Center
- New England Music Camp Association, for an Orton Family Heart & Soul coordinator who will also work on the Community Development Plan for the Belgrade Lakes.
To learn more about the Kennebec County Fund, please contact MaineCF Foundation Officer Cate Cronin, at ccronin@mainecf.org.
Grantee Spotlight: Waterville Creates!
Founded in 2014, Waterville Creates! (WC!) is the brainchild of area arts and cultural institutions, including the Waterville Opera House, Maine Film Center, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville Public Library, Common Street Arts, and Waterville Main Street. WC!’s mission is to strengthen Waterville as a vibrant creative center, increase access to the arts, and advance community and economic development goals.
In April, Waterville Creates! received a $10,000 MaineCF grant to develop a unified website for its organization, which merged with the Maine Film Center and the Waterville Opera House in 2018. These funds will allow it to take a critical next step to better serve arts patrons throughout Kennebec County and beyond with a user-friendly website for arts and cultural program information, which is currently spread across multiple sites.
“Waterville Creates! is firmly committed to providing accessible arts opportunities for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and incomes,” says Shannon Haines, WC! president and CEO. The Maine Community Foundation, Haines notes, is “one of the few resources that we can consistently turn to for funding not just for vital community programs but, perhaps even more importantly, for initiatives that build our organizational capacity.”
Haines welcomes the creation of a designated Kennebec County Fund. “It means that there is not only a permanent endowment to support the incredible work of local nonprofits, but also a dedicated group of advisors who understand the local landscape and are working on our behalf to direct funds where they will be most useful.”
Photo: Waterville Creates! launched online offerings during the pandemic, including this Virtual Art Club for All by Education and Outreach Coordinator Serena Sanborn, who demonstrates how to make a kitchen still life. They also distributed supplies for art projects in Waterville. Photos Sijie Yuan
