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Welcome to the Maine Initiatives Blog

December 23, 2021

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Immigrant-Led Organizations Pooled Fund Grantmaking

Immigrant-Led Organizations Pooled Fund Grantmaking Nov 12, 2021 – Maine Initiatives is pleased to announce a new round of grantmaking from the Immigrant-Led Organizations (ILO) Fund to respond to two critical and time-sensitive funding needs: Afghan refugee resettlement arrivals and a recent uptick in asylum seekers, mostly from central Africa, arriving in southern Maine.  Afghan […]

December 23, 2021

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In Memoriam: Dianne ‘Dee’ Clarke

November 11, 2021 The Maine Initiatives community lost a hero this week. Dee Clarke was an advocate, a leader, a survivor, and a powerful voice for justice in our community.  Dee was the founder and leader of one of our grantees, Survivor Speak USA, an organization led by and serving survivors of sex trafficking. Survivor Speak USA is […]

November 01, 2021

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October 2021 Grant Announcements

October 2021 Grant Announcements Over the past two months, Maine Initiatives has been pleased to provide grants to support the following organizations and projects. These grants have been made possible largely through Donor Advised Funds, connecting donors directly with values-aligned organizations to support and strengthen grassroots movements in our state. Solstice Fund Maine Equal Justice […]

October 26, 2021

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Participant Orientation and Q&A – Grants for Change 2021

Our participatory grantmaking process offers participants opportunities for learning, reflection, and engagement on racial justice issues in Maine. We seek to meet participants where they are and give them the tools, information, and opportunity to move towards more profound, more impactful engagement with this work and those leading the efforts. Previously known as Readers, Participants […]

October 11, 2021

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Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2021

Dear friends and relatives, Maine Initiatives invites you to join us in the observance and celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, today, Monday, October 11th. As we do so, we acknowledge and embrace the responsibility and opportunity we all have to honor Indigenous cultures, peoples, contributions, and accomplishments. It was only in 2019 that Maine officially […]

August 12, 2021

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June 2021 eNews

While we are not on the other side of this pandemic yet, we hope you are finding joy and reconnecting(in real life!) with friends, family, and places after many months behind our screens.

March 20, 2021

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A woman smiles while wearing traditional garb.

$445,000 Awarded to Immigrant-Led Organizations in Maine

Announcing the The Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund’s Newest Grantees! POSTED BY: SHIMA KABIRIGI Dear Friends, On behalf of the Immigrant & Refugee Funders Collaborative (IRFC), I am pleased to announce $445,000 in new grants to support 40 immigrant-led and immigrant-serving organizations on the front lines of the COVID-19 response here in Maine. These organizations define resilience. For a year […]

January 19, 2021

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Martin Luther stands at the pulpit and speaks to his audience

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Closing and Thank You

Wow, thank you so much to everyone that participated in yesterday’s 40th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance: A Virtual Teach-In and Call to Action! Rev. Dr. King’s legacy was honored by the 1,600 Mainers that participated in the day’s offerings to learn, connect, and act in support of Black leadership and Black liberation. We hope you […]

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