About Maineshare
MaineShare: Supporting Organizations for a More Equitable and Just Maine
Maine is a beautiful state with a rich history and culture. However, like many places in the world, it also faces various social, economic, and environmental challenges that affect its people's well-being. Fortunately, there are organizations in Maine that work tirelessly to address these issues and create positive change. One of these organizations is MaineShare.
MaineShare is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984 with the mission of supporting other nonprofits that promote social justice, environmental protection, and peace in Maine. It operates as a federation of over 40 Member Groups that represent diverse causes such as human rights, animal welfare, education, health care access, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, arts and culture preservation.
The Member Groups of MaineShare are carefully selected based on their commitment to progressive values and their effectiveness in achieving their goals. They range from grassroots community groups to statewide advocacy organizations with decades of experience. Some examples include:
- The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP), which provides free legal assistance to low-income immigrants who face deportation or other immigration-related issues.
- The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), which advocates for policies that protect Maine's air quality, water quality wildlife habitat from pollution and climate change.
- The Preble Street Resource Center (PSRC), which offers emergency shelter food services medical care job training counseling for homeless people.
By supporting these Member Groups financially through workplace giving campaigns individual donations special events grants Maineshare helps them sustain their operations expand their impact reach new audiences collaborate with each other share resources learn from each other's experiences.
One unique aspect of Maineshare is its focus on workplace giving campaigns. It partners with businesses government agencies universities unions non-governmental organizations faith communities to offer employees an easy convenient way to donate part of their paycheck or make one-time gifts to Maineshare's Member Groups through payroll deduction or online giving portals. This not only raises funds for the Member Groups but also raises awareness about their causes and builds a sense of community among donors.
Another unique aspect of Maineshare is its commitment to transparency and accountability. It regularly publishes an annual report that details its financial statements program accomplishments challenges future plans. It also invites feedback from donors volunteers partners Member Groups through surveys meetings social media.
Maineshare's impact on Maine is significant and measurable. According to its latest annual report, in 2020, it raised over $1 million from more than 5,000 donors for its Member Groups. This funding supported various programs such as:
- Providing legal assistance to over 1,000 immigrants facing deportation or other immigration-related issues.
- Advocating for policies that reduce carbon emissions by at least 80% by 2050.
- Serving over 500,000 meals to homeless people in Portland.
- Offering scholarships to low-income students who want to pursue higher education.
Moreover, Maineshare's support goes beyond financial aid. It also provides training workshops networking opportunities technical assistance mentoring advocacy support capacity building services to help its Member Groups become more effective efficient sustainable resilient.
In conclusion, MaineShare is a vital organization that plays a crucial role in making Maine a more equitable and just place for all residents regardless of their background or circumstances. Its focus on supporting grassroots nonprofits through workplace giving campaigns transparency accountability makes it stand out among other philanthropic organizations in Maine and beyond. If you want to make a positive difference in Maine's future consider donating volunteering partnering with Maineshare today!