Dr. Jim Hengerer of Rockland and Steve Kemple of Lincolnville have joined the board of directors of United Midcoast Charities. Both have recently relocated to become permanent residents of the Midcoast and are eager to serve their new communities.
A Learn with UMC Event
We are pleased to announce the next offerings in our free educational series, Learn with UMC: Nonprofit Marketing and Branding 101 on March 8 and Nonprofit Marketing & Branding 102 on April 5. Presenters from United Midcoast Charities’ communication committee will offer an interactive and hands-on series of workshops, drawing on their 190 years of combined experience in the field to help address current marketing needs of local nonprofits.
Please join the United Midcoast Charities’ Communication Committee for a series of two workshops designed to help your organization develop a marketing plan or enhance your marketing efforts. Whether organizations don’t know where to start, or have started and would like some guidance as they take next steps, this workshop series can help.
First in Educational Series
United Midcoast Charities will offer a series of free educational opportunities on topics essential to nonprofit sustainability and impact throughout 2019. This series was developed in response to needs expressed by UMC’s nonprofit grantees and is made possible with support from donors and sponsors. Our goal is that attending nonprofits will emerge equipped to make a stronger impact than ever!
Midcoast nonprofit representatives are invited to register for UMC’s inaugural workshop in the series, Gift Acceptance, Investment & Spending Policies. Join us on Feb. 7 at 9 a.m. at Allen Insurance and Financial, 34 Elm St. in Camden to learn the hows and whys of developing your gift acceptance and investment policies with experienced gift planners, Abe Dugal and Sarah Ruef-Lindquist. This opportunity is open to nonprofit board members and executives who have a hand in developing organizational polices. Space is limited so registration is requested in advance. Call UMC at 236-2299 with any further questions.
Grant applications will be available beginning on Feb. 4 at unitedmidcoastcharities.org for UMC’s 2019 grant cycle. The deadline for all grant applications is Tuesday, March 5. Application information, eligibility requirements, sample qualified programs and the grant cycle schedule can be found here.
UMC is pleased to announce its designation as a “2018 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews of charities and nonprofits. The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is based on the rating and number of reviews UMC received from volunteers, donors and aid recipients. This is the second consecutive year in which UMC has received this honor.
United Midcoast Charities’ mission is to energize Midcoast Maine nonprofit agencies through finance and guidance, supporting a network of resources stronger than any single organization.
The holiday spirit is thriving in the Midcoast, where businesses in the Belfast, Camden and Rockland area have set aside Saturday, December 8 to contribute to United Midcoast Charities (UMC) in support of the work of local nonprofit organizations.
Participating shops have committed to generously donate a portion of their sales to UMC, and all proceeds will be applied toward UMC’s grants – which help food pantries, health clinics, nursing services, homeless shelters and other providers of vital services in Knox and Waldo counties. The Day of Giving events are made possible through lead sponsorship from Allen Insurance & Financial and Horch Roofing with media sponsored by Courier Publications.
Megan Williams, executive director of United Midcoast Charities, has earned a certificate in nonprofit management through the Maine Association of Nonprofits in partnership with MindEdge Learning.
The online certificate program included key management topics for nonprofit organizations such as fundraising, board and volunteer development, budgeting, reading financial statements, leadership, marketing and setting strategic direction. The program offered insight into how nonprofit professionals apply key concepts in their own organizations.
UMC Now Provides Resources for Local Grantseekers
Nonprofit organizations and other grantseekers in Midcoast Maine now have access to a valuable new collection of resources at United Midcoast Charities.
In response to feedback from UMC’s Nonprofit Advisory Council and thanks to support from a generous donor, UMC has become a Funding Information Network partner with Foundation Center, the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide.
“As a Funding Information Network partner, we can now offer organizations and individuals free access to detailed information on grantmakers and how to apply for funding,” says UMC Executive Director Megan Williams. “These resources are open to everyone, not just the agencies that receive grants from us. People can make appointments to come to UMC’s office to search Foundation Center’s three online directories of more than 140,000 U.S. grantmakers, access foundation maps and find proposal writing guides.”
Kelly Carey, administrative coordinator at United Midcoast Charities, recently earned the novice Certificate in Volunteer Management from the Maine Commission for Community Service. This course is designed to equip managers of volunteers with the core competencies needed to adaptively and effectively use volunteers to accomplish a nonprofit mission.
“UMC is excited to implement the skills Kelly gained in its mission to energize and support Midcoast Maine nonprofit agencies with guidance and resources in addition to grants,” said Megan Williams, executive director of UMC.
The commission is built upon the conviction that volunteer service is a key part of thriving communities. The 22 core competencies covered in this certificate were developed in a two-year partnership between the Commission for Public Service and the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service, and was the first of its kind in the United States.
Information on upcoming offerings of the training can be found at VolunteerMaine.org.
We are pleased to announce our 2018 grant awards of $500,000 to more than 40 nonprofit organizations in Knox and Waldo counties. A community celebration, “Grants and Dance,” marked the occasion on Sep. 20 at the Rockport Opera House, where an awards ceremony was followed by dancing to music provided by The Right Track.
Highlights of the event included the announcement of the first “Unsung Hero Award,” given to Kathy Beck of Rockland, a long-time volunteer at the Knox Clinic in Rockland. UMC board members, grant recipients and others in attendance offered Beck their warm congratulations and a hearty round of applause. The award was a cooperative effort between Courier Publications and United Midcoast Charities.
United Midcoast Charities’ grants in 2018 were given in four focus areas, based on UMC’s new strategic plan: Food, Housing, Health & Safety and Economic Security. A complete list of 2018 grant recipients in each focus area is available here.
This community celebration was made possible with support from the following sponsors: Bangor Savings Bank, Grasshopper Shop of Rockland, McLean Borden Cottage, O’Hara Corporation, Café Miranda and media sponsor Village Soup/Courier Publications.
