Friends of Casco Bay works to improve and protect the health of Casco Bay, an Estuary of National Significance located in the Gulf of Maine. We collect scientific data about the health of our waters. Based on this science, we advocate for policies and actions that will reduce pollution and make Casco Bay and its watershed more resilient to the impacts of climate change. We are home to the Casco BAYKEEPER®, our lead advocate who acts as the eyes, ears, and voice of Casco Bay. We are one of the seven founding members of WATERKEEPER® Alliance, a network that includes more than 300 independent organizations working to protect waters around the world. You can read more about us and our work on our website. We are known as an exceptional place to work. We have nine full-time employees and one seasonal staffer. We balance our ability to leverage collaborative efforts, funds, and volunteers, with the capacity and capabilities of staff — a talented team, each dedicated to our mission. We work to improve and protect the health of this special place for everyone. We are committed to creating a culture and practices that integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work.

Laudholm Trust is a member-supported, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 to serve as partner to the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Trust raises funds and develops community partnerships on behalf of the Wells Reserve, which advances coastal stewardship through education, conservation, and research.

Maine International Trade Center (MITC) is Maine’s leading source for international business assistance. MITC offers customized consulting, research, and an extensive network of connections across Maine and around the world to help businesses expand global markets for their products and services. A public-private partnership, MITC activities are supported by nearly 300 businesses and organizations, corporate sponsors, and the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD). MITC members include manufacturers, service providers, and educational institutions located in all 16 Maine counties. While our members support the organization through annual membership dues, MITC provides assistance to any Maine business whether members or non-members. We work with both exporters and importers.Leveraging overseas synergy, MITC also works to increase international student attraction and foreign investment. A public-private partnership, MITC is funded through Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), corporate contributions, and membership dues of nearly 300 businesses and organizations. MITC members include manufacturers and service providers, economic development and government agencies, educational institutions, and trade assistance organizations. We work with both exporters and importers.

We use books, poetry, and big ideas to bring people together to discuss issues of importance. We’re a program partner, grantmaker, and connector of people and communities. Our connections strengthen our society and help shape the future of Maine.

The Mitchell Institute's mission is to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education. Each year, a $10,000 Mitchell Scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior from every public high school in Maine. Selection is based on academic promise, financial need, and community impact. The Mitchell Scholarship Program has awarded $17 million in financial assistance to more than 3,000 Maine students since 1995. Through both experience and evidence-based research, we learned that college student success depends on more than hard work and financial aid. Additional support and guidance—both during and after college—increases Scholars’ chances of attaining a degree and finding meaningful employment in Maine. The Mitchell Institute offers Mitchell Scholars a suite of programs and resources that encourage a partnership with each Scholar, every step of the way, allowing us to meet and help Scholars where they are. Today, Scholars and Alumni alike say that the combination of financial and personal support makes a world of difference for them and their families, and our data show that the more we engage with a given Scholar, the more likely they are to graduate on time in their post-secondary education. The Mitchell Institute’s approach works: 85% of Mitchell Scholars complete college and achieve a degree, compared with 58% of students nationally. 89% of Mitchell Scholar Alumni are working in career-related jobs—nearly two-thirds of them in Maine—and 40% have completed or are pursuing graduate degrees. The Mitchell Institute strengthens the involvement of a new generation of civic-minded and committed citizens, all the while creating educational opportunity for Maine's young people. 25 years since the Institute started awarding Scholarships, our mission—and Senator Mitchell’s vision—are more integral to Maine’s future vitality than ever.

United Way of Androscoggin County works to achieve community-wide change that improves the Education, Income, and Health for residents of Androscoggin County. Our efforts are multifaceted and incorporate innovation, advocacy, and collaboration. We address the underlying root causes of the community's most pressing problems, while making sure people get the short-term help they need.

Demont Associates provides philanthropic counsel and related services to not-for-profit organizations. We offer an attentive group of consulting professionals committed to volunteer-driven fundraising and advancement programs. Our team approach to each assignment affords each client maximum expertise, optimum accountability, and prompt and reliable service.

Defend Our Health is a Maine-based nonprofit organization that works to create a world where all people are thriving, with equal access to safe food and drinking water, healthy homes, and products that are toxic-free and climate-friendly.

The mission of the Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) is to enrich the quality of community and personal life in Maine by strengthening the leadership, voice, and organizational effectiveness of our state’s vital nonprofits. Advancing: MANP serves as a strong voice for the sector, researching, defending and promoting the sector’s impact in Maine, and empowering our members to do so as well. We develop and deliver training and resources to staff and volunteers of nonprofits across the state so that they can legally and effectively lobby on behalf of issues important to their missions. Connecting: MANP strives to create a vibrant community of nonprofits representing different regions, mission areas, and sizes. We connect leaders to one another and help organizations find and develop new talent. We facilitate connections across sectors, and convene nonprofit leaders to discuss critical issues facing the sector. Strengthening: MANP fosters a skilled, efficient and innovative sector. We provide guidance on management best practices and legal compliance, and offer high-quality trainings, resources and tools that enhance organizational governance and the recruitment, retention and professional development of nonprofit employees. We work to build the capacity of the sector to develop their existing and emerging leaders.

The Grassroots Fund plays an integral role in supporting local action and connecting and sharing trends from grassroots groups and the community. Our participatory grantmaking and Guiding Practices - Rooted Innovation, Shifting Power in Decision-making, Equity in Participation, and Centering a Just Transition - ensure that groups grounded in their community are receiving funding for projects and work that are most needed and will have the largest impact - especially groups that traditionally find barriers to accessing resources. We're also working to fostering collaboration among groups to build networks of support and innovation that will allow the region to thrive. The Grassroots Fund knows that it can be difficult for small, nimble grassroots groups, working directly with their community to find funding and other support resources, that's why we strive to make grants as accessible as possible by supporting ad-hoc groups with no 501c3 status, in addition to traditional tax exempt groups and work intimately with each groups that needs assistance. Our grantee network has over 2,200 unique groups, which work across the spectrum of social and Environmental Justice issues and is continuing to grow.

GoodWork is a not-for-profit organization that provides high-value customized incubator services including executive coaching, access to successful business professionals and nonprofit leaders, expert training, resources, programs and professional development and peer to peer support and networking, to start-up and early-stage nonprofits to help bring their innovative ideas to fruition. Located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, GoodWork currently serves the communities of Strafford and eastern Rockingham Counties, with plans to expand the geographic region we serve as the model is tested and proven. Developing a mission, putting together marketing and fundraising plans, and submitting all the necessary paperwork required to achieve tax-exempt status can be daunting tasks that emerging nonprofits may struggle with on top of establishing credibility, building their network and finding affordable office space. GoodWork provides a solution to that challenge. Startup, early-stage and small to mid-size nonprofits often have little to no technology, legal, human resources and operational expertise in house. The cost for top-notch service in each of these critical areas can be out of reach for these organizations. At GoodWork, incubator participants have access to pro bono professional consultation and support. GoodWork incubator participants go through a rigorous intake and assessment process that informs the development of a report that includes recommendations for optimization, a slate of goals and deliverables, suggested cohort learning opportunities and a timeline for completion of measurable outcomes. Accepted incubator participants will engage in the incubation process for up to two years. Upon entry participants will begin working with an executive coach, professional partners and a mentor. The GoodWork team of skilled and experienced coaches, professional partners and mentors facilitate learning and guide nonprofits on the path towards success.

LEA is a regional non-profit organization, funded by members, focused on protecting lakes and water quality in western Maine. LEA’s mission is to preserve and restore the exceptional water quality of Maine’s lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands and the integrity of their watersheds.