Maine Community Foundation Donor Services
The purpose of the Maine Community Foundation is to bring people and resources together to build a better Maine. We value the experience, ideas, and resources that the donor community brings to strengthening Maine communities.
As a philanthropic partner, the community foundation can:
- Introduce you to nonprofit organizations working in your interest areas
- Help you think through your charitable passions and priorities
- Share the strategic ideas that we’ve learned as a statewide grantmaker
- Provide you with professional grant and gift processing, as well as investment services.
The Maine Community Foundation staff is made up of experienced grantmakers and community leaders. As grantmakers, we analyze and recommend funding for thousands of projects in Maine each year, in many different areas, such as education, the environment, arts and culture, social and community services, civic engagement, and community development. We also work with a committed and knowledgeable network of community volunteers who help us review grant proposals. As a donor, you can access this wealth of information, both online through our Giving Together portal and also in conversation with your dedicated staff contact, which in turn can help inform your giving.
Because we are a public charity, your gifts receive the best tax advantages available under current laws.
Services for all donor advisors
For all donor advisors the Maine Community Foundation will:
- Provide accurate and timely information about gifts made to the community foundation
- Process grant requests in a timely fashion
- Maintain an investment program that preserves and enhances the real value of the funds over time
- Provide you with a dedicated staff contact to address your questions and/or requests
- Help you understand the needs of Maine communities (as desired)
- Match your interests with existing grant opportunities in Maine (as desired)
- Offer you the opportunity to collaborate with other advisors and donors
- Help craft a plan to involve your children or successor advisors in philanthropy (as desired)
- Respect your rights as a donor.
Additional services for advisors of large or highly active funds
The Maine Community Foundation offers the following services for donor-advised funds with an annual balance of $250,000 or more (or for those advised funds making grants of more than $50,000 annually):
- Conduct in-depth research on nonprofits in which you are interested and help you evaluate specific programs
- Attend and/or facilitate grantmaking meetings with your family and/or other advisors
- Develop a customized analysis of the grants you have made over time.
Keep track of your fund and recommend grants online
All donors with advised funds have the option of using the Maine Community Foundation Fund Connection. It offers secure internet access to information about funds, including current grants, contributions, and fund balances, as well as historic grant and contribution reports. Donor advisors may also submit grant recommendations through the Fund Connection. For more information or to establish a Fund Connection account, call 207-667-9735.
