Giving Tuesday Now: Maine businesses, nonprofits step up to meet critical needs
Courtesy / Town & Country FCU
Cooper is one of many pooches that Old Dogs, New Digs of Cumberland helps to place. The nonprofit received a contribution Sunday from Town & Country Federal Credit Union as part of Town & Country's "Nonprofit a Day in the Month of May" effort.
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Today, May 5, is Giving Tuesday Now, which is being celebrated internationally as a "day of giving and unity" in response to needs created by the COVID-19 crisis. Mainebiz checked in with a few businesses across the state to see how they are responding.
At Town & Country Federal Credit Union in Scarborough, employees are busy with their "Nonprofit a Day in the Month of May" initiative.
Every day this month, the Scarborough-based credit union is asking visitors to its Facebook page to share the name of a nonprofit serving Cumberland or York counties.
From those, it will select a nonprofit at random to make a $100 contribution to, and highlight the services it provides to the community. That adds up to 31 nonprofits in a month, with a new one selected every day at 9 a.m. from the previous day's suggestions.
Nonprofits selected so far include Old Dogs, New Digs, of Cumberland; the South Portland Food Cupboard; Portland-based Ruth's Reusable Resources; and Project G.R.A.C.E. (Granting Resources and Assistance through Community Effort, of Scarborough.
"The response has been great so far," spokesman Jon Paradise told Mainebiz on Monday. "We've received over 100 nonprofits to consider. A wide range as well, from animal organizations to food pantries to recovery centers and arts organizations. We are really pleased to have an opportunity to highlight and support nonprofits all month long."
Noting the precarious situation many nonprofits find themselves in during the ongoing crisis, Town & Country President and CEO David Libby said, "Nonprofits play a crucial role in providing services to our communities and we believe it’s important to not only provide financial support but to also build awareness about the challenges that many non-profits are facing right now."
Machias expands grant program
Machias Savings Bank is also active on the fundraising front.
After awarding $100,000 in Rapid Response Program grants to 42 community-focused nonprofit organizations across Maine, the bank plans to expand the program with another $200,000 in grant funding.
Applications opened on May 1 to qualified nonprofits working directly with the COVID-19 outbreak and its physical and financial consequences in Maine.
Funding will be split to focus on two priority groups: nonprofits that are building resilience for Maine's people, and nonprofits serving the business community.
“Our funding is really focused on Mainers that are struggling to keep food on the table and keep their small businesses open right now,” said Melissa Denbow, Machias Savings Bank's vice president of corporate giving and community relations, in a news release. "We are committed to our communities every step of the way.”
More information and grant applications can be found here.
Maine Community Foundation news
Throughout the crisis and otherwise, fundraising is a constant at Maine Community Foundation, which announced Monday that it has awarded $18,100 in grants to support five organizations providing hospice service programs in York and Cumberland counties.
Recipients include the Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care, to produce 12 legacy documentaries at the Dempsey Center in South Portland as part of an expanded effort to assist cancer patients at end-of-life, and the Hospice Help Foundation, to help impoverished hospice patients gain access to essential items.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine Community Foundation said its staff has worked remotely with available committee members to expedite reviewing proposals.
The next deadline for the Hospice Fund Grant proposals is Feb. 15, 2021.
Maine Community Foundation also recently announced $101,802 in grants awarded through its Cumberland County Fund, including $7,250 to In Her Presence, a Portland-based nonprofit organized and led by immigrant women living in Maine.
It will use its grant money to prevent loneliness among elder immigrant and refugee women through the "Aging Excellence" program.
Other recipients include Avesta Housing Development Corp., which was awarded $9,000 to promote stabilization for formerly homeless residents in affordable housing; the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, awarded $8,000 to establish a food processing program that reduces food waste, increases pre-prepped fruits and vegetables for guests, and reduces the purchase of canned goods; and Portland Ovations, which will receive $8,500 for an initiative aimed at increasing access to performing arts.
All grant applications go through the foundation’s Community Building Grant Program and are reviewed by a committee of local leaders, and the next deadline is Feb. 15, 2021.
Application forms, guidelines and a complete list of Maine Community Foundation grants are available online.
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