UMC staff Megan Williams and Kelly Carey display the 2019 Top-Rated Award.News

UMC named Top-Rated Nonprofit for Third Year

December 11, 2019By

Award based on outstanding reviews

We are pleased to announce UMC’s designation as a “2019 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 third consecutive year in which UMC has received this honor and UMC is one of only 8 nonprofits in Maine to receive the 2019 accolade.

“We are honored to once again be recognized as a Top-Rated Nonprofit,” said UMC Executive Director Megan Williams. “We have more than ever to be proud of! This year culminated a three-year span in which UMC awarded more than $1.5 million in grants in Knox and Waldo counties. We are also providing training opportunities for all local nonprofits through our new Learn With UMC program, and offer open access to a national grants database. “

Individuals who have had experience with UMC’s programs gave the organization positive reviews through the GreatNonprofits website:

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UMC's 2019 GranteesNews

United Midcoast Charities Awards 2019 Grants

September 24, 2019By

United Midcoast Charities (UMC) has announced its 2019 grant recipients. With this year’s awards, UMC’s total giving for the last three years alone tops $1.5 million to nonprofit organizations in Knox and Waldo counties.

UMC held its annual Community Celebration at the Samoset Resort on September 19, bringing community and nonprofit leaders together for an awards ceremony followed by dancing to music provided by The Right Track.

Highlights of the event included the premier of a video highlighting the work of UMC grantees and the announcement of the second annual “Unsung Hero Award.”

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2018 Unsung Hero Awardee, Kathy BeckNews

Nominations now accepted for Community Volunteer of the Year Award

August 7, 2019By

NONPROFITS, tell us about that one amazing volunteer who is quietly going about getting the job done!

Nominations for the “Unsung Hero Award” are accepted under the following criteria:

  • Nominee(s) must be an individual who volunteers in Knox and/or Waldo County, Maine.
  • Nominations must be made by a nonprofit. Employees and paid staff of the nonprofit may not be nominated for work at their organization.
  • Board and staff of United Midcoast Charities and staff of Courier Publications are ineligible for nomination.

Awards are determined by an Award Selection Committee based on award criteria. Award will be presented on September 19 at UMC’s Community Celebration at the Samoset.

To nominate a volunteer for the Unsung Hero Award, please follow this link to the Unsung Hero Award Nomination Form.

ALL NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 2, 2019.

If you have questions, please email Megan Williams, megan@unitedmidcoastcharities.org

The award recipient will be selected from nominations by a panel made up of UMC’s Nonprofit Advisory Council, UMC’s Board Members and Courier Publications Editorial staff. Their decisions are based on reviews of each application and assessment of the following criteria:

IMPACT – How significant is the impact of the nominee’s service on beneficiaries? Tell us about the volunteer’s impact on organizations, their community and others. How has the volunteerism impacted this individual?  Reviewers look at whether the service is exemplary or unique.

INSPIRATION – Tell us how your volunteer stands out from others doing the same or similar things. Do they serve as a strong role model for others, and inspire others to serve?

COLLABORATION – Does this volunteer encourage community members or organizations to work together to solve problems/get things done? How is their service collaborative in nature?

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UMC Earns Second Gold Seal for Transparency

April 30, 2019By

United Midcoast Charities has recently earned a 2019 gold seal of transparency from GuideStar, a leading source of information about nonprofit organizations.

The gold seal, which UMC earned in 2018 and again this year, places UMC in the top .05% of nonprofit organizations listed on GuideStar’s website. UMC’s GuideStar profile shares in-depth information about the organization’s goals, strategies, capabilities and progress. UMC’s recently released annual report is another example of the organization’s values of integrity, transparency, responsibility and service in action, said UMC Executive Director Megan Williams.

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News

Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available

April 22, 2019By

United Midcoast Charities (UMC) is grateful to receive support from many local businesses, including a sponsorship from First National Bank for its July Learn With UMC workshop: How to Search for Grant Funding with FDO.

Pictured here (L-R), Necole Janczura, Business Development Officer with First National Wealth Management, Megan Williams, Executive Director of UMC, and Jake Miller, VP, Sr. Business Development, First National Bank.

Donations from First National Bank and other sponsors will help make possible the 2019 Learn With UMC series of free nonprofit workshops and other UMC community events. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available, but they are going quickly. Click here to view the opportunities and call us to sign up or donate online here.

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News

United Midcoast Charities named Top-Rated Nonprofit for Second Year

December 17, 2018By

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.

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News

Day of Giving in Belfast, Camden and Rockland to Support UMC

November 26, 2018By

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.

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UMC Executive Earns Nonprofit Management Certificate

November 9, 2018By

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.

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