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@maineinitiatives.org 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 […]

Summer in Maine, in vacationland. Finally! Time to gather outside with friends and to visit your favorite swimming spot.   Summertime in Maine…and I keep thinking about the Neo-Nazis setting up shop just north of where I live. Maybe you’ve read about it. It’s not new news, but it’s recently gained statewide and national attention.  Maine […]

Maine Asylum Seeker Crisis SupportMaine Initiatives announces an urgent call to action to donate to the Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund to support the asylum seeker response in Maine. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: lia@maineinitiatives.org May 31, 2023 Immigrant-Led organizations are leading the asylum seeker response in Maine, working on the front lines with the individuals and families […]

Maine’s Outdoor Equity Fund Announces Inaugural GranteesBlack, Indigenous, and People of Color -led organizations receive $300,000 to expand access to the outdoors FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: anthony@nbeconsortium.com April 6, 2023 Maine’s first-ever Outdoor Equity Fund is awarding $300,000 to organizations that advance outdoor access, learning, and experiences for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. This new […]

I recently wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the New York Times in response to an editorial purporting to describe the “woke worldview.” I mention this mostly because it occurs to me that maybe no one reads the letters anymore: apparently, the Comments Section is where the action’s at!  But also […]

Grants for Change 2022 Cohort Bomazeen Land Trust Community Organizing Alliance Generational Noor Maine Black Educators Collective Maine Inside Out Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition Nibezun Sunlight Media Collective The Third Place Wabanaki Alliance Wabanaki REACH Wabanaki Youth in Science We are pleased and proud to announce our 2022 Grants for Change cohort! These organizations above […]

Interested in joining our team? We’re hiring for three new positions to support our growing roster of programs: Communications Associate ILO Program Associate Program Engagement Associate Read on for brief overviews of each position. Full details can be found here. Communications Associate Working with all staff members, the Communications Associate will support and execute communications […]

G4C 2022 Reader Workshop Announcement! We are thrilled to announce that everyone who volunteers to be a Grants for Change Proposal Reader this year will also have the opportunity to participate in a free workshop designed and led by our partners at Groundwater Institute.  We are offering this workshop opportunity based on feedback we have received from community […]

Grants for Change 2022 Applicant Info Session Looking for more information about applying for Grants for Change in 2022? We held an info session on September 15! Here’s the slideshow and recording of that session. Please reach out to the Grants for Change Directors if you have any questions after viewing these.

We are pleased to announce that Maine Initiatives’ 2022 Grants for Change program is LIVE!

Dear friends, I’m happy to announce $365,000 in new grants to 36 Immigrant-led and serving organizations supporting immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers across Maine. Thanks to the Immigrant & Refugee Funders Collaborative and our broader community, the ILO Pooled Fund has provided $565,000 in grants over the last year, targeting resources to acutely impacted communities. […]

“Is there another side of all of this, Phil?” A friend recently asked me this question. By “all of this,” she was referring to the suffering, sorrow, inhumanity, cruelty, violence, loss, death. All of this.  And there has been a lot of it lately. Now I know my friend to be a person full of […]

I am going to be the bearer of bad news today. Normally, I am more of a “love-can-conquer-all-things” kind of guy. But today is not that day. Because I need to tell you: we have a lot of work to do. It is going to be painful and difficult. And it starts here: America is […]

A few words are all I can manage in moments like this.  We know these moments all too well.   And we know these attacks are not isolated moments, but the violent expression of a white-nationalist movement on the rise, the latest tragic expression of the systemic racism in this country.  We know too well that […]

Dear friends:
I am shocked and not surprised by the news today about the pending SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. My shock is an emotional reaction: it hurts my heart. And I shouldn’t be surprised…

Monday, January 17, 2022 is a day of remembrance when we come together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is also a day for looking forward, and re-dedicating and re-committing ourselves to the future we seek to build together: a future of racial, economic, and social justice.  Although normally we would be coming […]

2021 Grants for Change – Over $500,000 to BIPOC-led organizations in Maine Dec 23, 2021 – Maine Initiatives’ Grants for Change Program (G4C) is excited to announce thirty-four (34) grants totaling over $500,000 to organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People/Communities of Color (BIPOC) advancing racial justice efforts in Wabanakiak (Maine). This year’s grants are […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

Thank you to everyone who is serving on the Steering Committee for the 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance. In 2021 this event is being transformed into a Virtual Teach-In and Call to Action and is being organized in association with the NAACP in Maine. To register for the event please visit: bit.ly/MLK40th

Dear Friends, Though the days have become colder and darker, we’re keeping spirits up by heading into the winter season with more virtual opportunities to connect and be in community. For instance, see below to learn more about our upcoming “Racial Justice &… Series” and other pieces of good news, something we can all use […]

Dear Friend, Do you need a dose of joy this morning? One of our Board Members shared this sweet video with us and we can’t get it out of our heads! So, in addition to these updates below we share this delightful song with you that reminds us all to keep going on. In community, The […]

Dear Friend, Our systems are broken. The lack of charges against Breonna Taylor’s murderers is another painful reminder of the way racism is baked into the laws and policies of our country. This denial of justice reflects a pattern of incalculable harm done to Black and Indigenous communities over many generations, and still today. Meanwhile, […]

If you would like to support organizations working on education equity, consider the following organizations: Indigo Arts Alliance Indigo Arts Alliance’s purpose is to build global connections by bringing together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African Diaspora to engage in their creative process with an opportunity to serve as both mentors and mentees. An integral aspect […]

Dear Friend, What has put a smile on your face lately? For us, it’s been the sweet notes we’ve received from community members like you. Just a few weeks ago, an “almost 11 year old” named Lily from Brunswick baked and sold cookies, bars, and cupcakes to raise funds to help those in need during […]

Dear Friend, How is it nearly August?! We hope you’ve been able to enjoy these summer weeks (despite the chaos of the world), and that this July newsletter provides you with some important updates about the ongoing justice work happening across the state. In solidarity, The Maine Initiatives Team IMPORTANT UPDATES: Nonprofit Relief Fund On […]

Dear Friend, It has been a tough month. The pain and frustration caused by the ongoing pandemic and persistent racial injustices have been felt within our community and across the country. But there have also been feelings of hope and possibility. There is no doubt that this is a transformational moment, and that the voices […]

Black Lives Matter Dear Community: Black lives matter. It’s easy to say these words, and ever so important in this moment. But it’s not enough. As a community, we recognize that this is a transformational moment. Now is not the time to rest, but the time to work. Today, we make the following commitments: We […]

Honoring a Community Leader and Dear Friend Dear Community, It is with deep sadness that I write about the passing of Alain Nahimana this past weekend. As many of you know, Alain was a smart, thoughtful, engaging and committed leader. He was a tireless and effective advocate – for immigrants and for justice – both […]

Dear Community: It is with deep pain that we write this today. Pain for George Floyd. Pain for Breonna Taylor. Pain for Ahmaud Aubery. Pain for so many Black lives lost – taken – because we as a community and as a country have not valued Black lives as we should and must. Pain for […]

Dear Friend, Have you been spending more time outside? We are feeling grateful for all the beauty that Maine’s spring season offers us – even in these hard times. While we wish we were seeing all your lovely faces at our annual Changemakers Celebration next month, we are excited to find new ways to connect […]

Dear Friends: Can you believe it’s been over a month that we’ve been living in this strange new reality? Our team is starting to get into the groove of working remotely, and we hope that you are finding some sense of normalcy and self-care during your days. During this time of nearly all virtual communications, […]

DONATE HERE Dear Friend, If you are like me, you are feeling overwhelmed. We are in uncharted territory. Our lives are being disrupted in ways many of us have never experienced and, perhaps, never even imagined. But, the truth is that this crisis brings into sharp focus the central question that is at the heart […]

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for the Changemakers Celebration. It was an amazing evening highlighting 25 years of grantmaking and honoring four inspiring activists with our Watering Can Awards. In case you missed it, check out the video below highlighting our award winners: Dawn Neptune Adams, Pious Ali, Deborah Felder, and Joseph Jackson.  

Thank you to the sponsors who supported this year’s Changemakers Celebration!

Dear Members of the Maine Initiatives Community,  We are pleased and proud to share with you the opening of the 2019 Grants for Change application process. In 2016, Maine Initiatives made a multi-year commitment to prioritizing racial justice and racial equity in all aspects of our work. As we kick off the 2019 Grants for […]

We are excited to share that we will be honoring four inspiring leaders and activists in our community as recipients of this year’s Watering Can Awards! This is our 3rd Annual Changemakers Celebration, and is a special event as it marks 25 years of grantmaking at Maine Initiatives. Join us in honoring these community leaders that are […]

We are pleased to announce that we are hiring a full-time one-year Americorps VISTA member to be our Communications Engagement and Grantmaking VISTA, starting July 2019. Are you looking to get more involved with racial justice in our state? Do you enjoy thinking critically about communications? Do you have ideas about how to engage the […]

September 21, 2018 The Honorable Susan M. Collins United States Senate One Canal Plaza, Suite 802 Portland, ME 04101 Dear Senator Collins: With the character of a Supreme Court nominee so clearly in question, we, the undersigned, are asking you to take a stand. The prevalence of sexual violence in our society is shameful and […]

eNews: June 2018 Advancing economic, social, and environmental justice in Maine. Greetings, June has been an incredibly eventful month for us at Maine Initiatives – and we continue to stay busy. We will be sending out a series of communications in the coming weeks as we ramp up our Grants for Change 2018 program, so expect […]

eNews: May 2018 Advancing economic, social, and environmental justice in Maine. We have been keeping very busy at Maine Initiatives this month! Read on to learn what our Grants for Change Cohort has been up to, as well as updates about our upcoming Changemakers Celebration and our next grantmaking cycle! There’s Still Time to Join […]

Dear Friends: Maine Initiatives exists to advance justice and equity in our state. Over the past year and a half, we have prioritized the specific issues of racial justice and equity in our work and, in so doing, we have come to understand that issues of justice and equity broadly – and racial justice and […]

We are pleased to announce that we are hiring a full-time one-year Americorps VISTA member to be our Communications and Engagement Associate, starting this July. Are you looking to get more involved with racial justice in our state? Do you enjoy thinking critically about communications? Do you have ideas about how to engage the Maine […]

As we head into Changemakers this evening, the Board and Staff at Maine Initiatives wanted to extend a huge thank you to our event sponsors!   Visionary Sponsors Partner Sponsors Margaret E. Burnham Trust Sustainer Sponsors Solstice Fund Anonymous Knack Factory Supporter Sponsors Polychrome Collective MaineShare Northeast Delta Dental Allergy and Asthma Associates Tracy Cooley […]

We affirm that immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers enrich our community economically, socially, culturally, and politically. We reject attempts to divide, isolate, or segregate our communities. We commit to support immigrants, refugees, and asylee communities in our state and the organizations working to ensure their well-being and success in Maine. And so, we establish the […]

If we don’t explicitly reject LePage’s racist assertions, we are complicit. Not just in the implicit violence and culture of fear that these words visit upon people of color in our communities. But in our own diminishment. Racism and hate don’t just hurt people of color. They dehumanize us all. There is plenty of room […]

Have you ever thought about who would you have been if you had been born in a different time? Would you have been the same you: same values, same character, same moral judgments? Or would you have been someone different? And if you were different, would you have been someone unrecognizable, even unadmirable, to your […]

THANK YOU. I’d like to thank everyone who participated in Giving Tuesday yesterday – whether it was supporting Maine Initiatives directly or any of the other wonderful Maine-based nonprofit organizations that are working to make sure our state reflects the motto “the way life should be.” As a social media phenomenon, it was a whirlwind […]

Martin Luther King, Jr. often included in his writing and his speaking a quote from Theodore Parker, a nineteenth century abolitionist. It’s one that President Obama has also been known to cite as well, namely, that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” This hopeful notion is an article […]