Mainebiz Giving Guide

V O L . X X I X N O. X X I I G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 2 3 – 2 0 2 4 10 GIVING GUIDE M aine nonprofits are still experiencing a variety of damaging ripple effects from a pandemic that started in March 2020. Unprecedented fundraising and staffing challenges continue to coincide with increased demand for the vital services they provide. This slow-motion crisis with no clear endpoint has led some in the community to question the fundamentals of how they operate. They wonder if perhaps a reboot or reimagining is in order. Many have made significant changes already. Mainebiz asked leaders of more than a half-dozen Maine nonprofits to describe the biggest challenges they face in 2023. Some problems are new and others perennial, but all have been touched by the pandemic. It has either created or exacerbated them. Those challenges include fewer donations, lower attendance at events and gatherings, groups with similar missions competing for too few workers, growing client waitlists, and a tendency to get pulled in too many different directions, among others. They have led some to call for a new era of cooperation, coordination and collaboration within the state's nonprofit sector, which employs one out of every six Maine workers. The following assessment is from nonprofit leaders, in their own words. Jennifer Hutchins Executive director, Maine Association of Nonprofits Nonprofits face 'unprecedented challenges' Nonprofits across Maine and the U.S. continue to be burdened by unprec- edented challenges as they must balance workforce fluctuations and decreased public and private fund- ing with increasing demand for their programs and services. Since the early days of the pandemic and continuing to today, our nonprofits are often the first to step in and provide immediate support for our communities. As the state's largest network of charitable nonprofits, MANP has identified these key areas that need focus in the years ahead: changing the way we work with government and business; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in order to live up to our commitment to the common good; building a healthy nonprofit workforce; and reimagining strategies to achieve greater impact. We must work together in the face of big economic, social, politi- cal and environmental shifts. It can't remain business as usual. We need new voices, new structures and new solutions to ensure the resil- ience and well-being of all Maine communities. Jason Parent Executive director and CEO of Aroostook County Action Program Nonprofits need to address 'redundancy' A significant challenge Maine non- profits are not doing enough to acknowledge, let alone address, is the unsustainable redundancy and inefficiency that exists in the nec- essary administrative and support systems required to operate numer- ous organizations that serve similar populations and aligned areas of service within the same regions and across our state. is has been an ongoing issue, but one that is more important than ever to mitigate given the exacerbating conditions that come with shortages of qualified personnel and competi- tion for tightening resources in this post-pandemic era. It is not unlike the current chal- lenges we see with the redundant sys- tems found in municipal and school government and other sectors in Maine. Collectively, we must set aside the competitive rivalries and turf war- fare mentality and do more to engage in the difficult conversations of how nonprofits, and other enterprises, do a better job of sharing resources and exploring alternative arrangements Prolonged effects of pandemic F I L E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F M A N P Jennifer Hutchins of the Maine Association of Nonprofits Jason Parent of the Aroostook County Action Program We must work together in the face of big economic, social, political and environmental shifts. It can't remain business as usual. — Jennifer Hutchins Maine Association of Nonprofits We must set aside the competitive rivalries and turf warfare mentality. — Jason Parent Aroostook County Action Program Nonprofit leaders talk about challenges, in their own words. B y J . C r a i g A n d e r s o n PH OTO / C OU R TES Y OF TH E AROOS TOOK C OU NTY AC TI ON PROGR AM

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