January is a time for new beginnings. Renewal. As we kick off the new year, I am very excited to announce that here at Maine Initiatives we are embarking on a new era in our organizational leadership.

Maine Initiatives announces its 2023 Grants for Change Cohort, awarding $540,000 in new grants to 12 community-based organizations whose work advances racial justice in Maine.

Those of you who know me will know that I am committed to bringing the language of love into our public discourse because I believe that this is part of advancing justice: wresting love out of the private domains of home and hearth and bringing it into the complex realities of building beloved community.

For the past couple years, I have facilitated a senior seminar at a local university. The seminar focuses on “Citizenship”, and encourages students to be involved in community service learning, to gain understanding of local politics through attendance at a city or town government meeting, and to practice civil discourse with classmates around social issues and current events.

All Maine Initiatives’ in-person events follow COVID-19 protocols aligned with current recommendations from the CDC.  Masking is currently optional. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at all events, as a safety precaution for anyone who wants it. We strive to host events with outdoor seating options when possible, weather permitting.  Maine Initiatives asks that […]

September, sneakily, is a month of new beginnings. Back-to-school. Autumn. Football season. Pumpkin spice extravaganza.  [There is a lot going on. And the weather (finally!) decided to feel like summer all of a sudden.] In the midst of all of this excitement, I want to invite you to join our fall Grants for Change (G4C) […]

Does your employer provide you opportunities to support Maine-based organizations you believe in? If not, tell them about MaineShare. MaineShare leads an annual workplace giving campaign that allows employees to donate $10 a paycheck (or $3, or $5, or $25) to support a coalition of grassroots and justice-focused nonprofits in Maine. Employees have multiple options […]

The Grants for Change program at Maine Initiatives invites proposals from BIPOC-led and -serving community-based organizations who further the racial justice movement in Maine.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: lia@mi.slickfish.com July 21, 2023 Grants for Change is now accepting applicant proposals for its 2023 cohort. Grants for Change at Maine Initiatives is a participatory grantmaking program […]