Mainebiz Giving Guide

V O L . X X X N O. X X I I G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 2 4 – 2 0 2 5 8 GIVING GUIDE » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 6 At Starboard Leadership Consulting, we empower nonprofit leaders with expert fundraising guidance. By leveraging our strong relationships with government, financial institutions, corporations, foundations, and individual philanthropists, we help you secure the resources needed to achieve your mission. BANGOR 84 Harlow St. (207) 947.4501 ELLSWORTH 140 High St. (207) 374.5833 Grow Your Fundraising Partner with Starboard Leadership Consulting to elevate your fundraising efforts and create a lasting difference in your community. r u d m a n w i n c h e l l . c o m we are all going to work longer. So, let's do it dif- ferently, right? Let's have gap years and sabbati- cals. ere are nonprofits in Maine that are already offering sabbaticals to all employees. is is the key here, that nonprofits have the ability to be flexible and offer flexible work environments in a way that a lot of other businesses can't. e ones who don't think they can are not thinking outside of the box, because we're going to have to be creative, this is the wave of the workforce future." Retirements, both forced and voluntary, are caus- ing major shifts in the leaderships of Maine's non- profit sector. is results in organizations needing to quickly shift and adapt their already tight work- forces to fill the role of a leader. Maurer advises that having a plan is essential to maintaining a calm and unified transition. "Some of these leaders have been in charge for 15 or 20 years, sometimes longer, so that's a lot of insti- tutional memory that's walking out the door and it can be hard to fill the shoes of a nonprofit leader who may have had a hand in creating the nonprofit, it's been that person's brainchild and now they're stepping away. So, succession planning is really an important aspect for nonprofits," Maurer explained. While focusing on the workforces of nonprofits and beyond, the Maine Council on Aging is work- ing hard to rework the narrative of aging in the workforce which typically has a negative connota- tion. By eliminating biases and myths such as older workers being more expensive to hire or not being able to be trained in certain fields, Maurer hopes that all Maine employers will be open to hiring older workers. Currently, 23% of Maine's population is over 65 meaning that there is a huge, untapped pool of workers who already have career experience, possess developed skillsets, and are ready for a new chapter in their lives. "I'm really trying to attract everyone into the jobs that we have in Maine. I want to hire the best person, and that person might be 22 or they might be 82, and any Maine employer who isn't doing the same is missing the boat," Maurer says. Megan Walton, CEO of Southern Maine Agency on Aging, echoed Maurer's sentiments regarding the impact of longevity and the increasing relevance that older workers will have in the future, especially with younger generations having less children to create a future workforce. Walton believes that instead of pitting younger workers against older workers, employers should see the benefit of seeing a cohesive team built of people with different life experiences and levels of knowl- edge. e diversity of these backgrounds enriches organizations. "Today's young workers are becoming the older workers of tomorrow. I think what we are all trying to do as workers and employers is to build culture and community where people want to stay at work, or maybe find different opportunities at different points in life, and the only way we can do that is if we have really inclusive work practices across non- profit organizations. is is about seeing the whole person and figuring out how to retain people for a long time in the way that they want to be retained and contribute," she said. Federal programs such as the Senior Commu- nity Service Employment provide work training for older individuals while also providing financial incentives for employers willing to give work oppor- tunities to older populations. While the numbers demonstrate a future need to tap into Maine's older worker population, Wal- ton wants organizations to recognize the gaps that those over the age of 60 are already filling on work- forces. is is especially true for older volunteers who provide necessary services at nonprofits simply for the passion of helping others since they do not draw paychecks. "At my agency alone, we have over 400 volun- teers, the majority are over the age of 60, and these are volunteers really do incredible direct service work with older adults in our community. e Agencies on Aging statewide have over 1,450 vol- unteers that we oversee collectively. People really want to give back. People really want to take care of their neighbors. People really want to keep an eye on individuals in their own community and make sure they get what they need. So, while we have this serious labor shortage, I think we also have some really unique cultural elements of Maine that set us up well to address the challenges that are coming our way." S l o a n e P e r r o n , a M a i n e b i z f r e e l a n c e w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z PH OTO / C OU R TES Y OF TH E M AI NE C OU NC I L ON AGI NG Meg Walton is CEO of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging. This is about seeing the whole person and figuring out how to retain people for a long time in the way that they want to be retained and contribute. — Megan Walton Southern Maine Agency on Aging

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