Mainebiz Special Editions

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 17– 2 0 1 8 Supporting Maine nonprofi ts Did you know that one in six Maine workers is employed by a nonprofi t? 95,000 Mainers — 14 times as many as those employed by the state's agricul- tural industry — work in mission-driven organizations that are strengthening the economic and social fabric of our communities. In addition, one-third of Mainers volunteers for a nonprofi t. Every day, Mainers rely on nonprofi ts to protect our environment, nurture our minds, protect our health, and provide opportunities for civic engagement. What's often overlooked is the essential and signifi cant contribution Maine's nonprofi t sector makes to our overall economy. In 2015, Maine's nonprofi t sector paid over $4.3 billion in wages, or 17.5% of the state's total payroll. at is why we often refer to the nonprofi t sector as "partners in prosperity." Government turns to nonprofi ts to provide essential services to citizens and to fulfi ll commitments and programs established by policymakers. Nonprofi ts collaborate with for-profi ts to revitalize communities and participate in regional economic development. Nonprofi ts partner with the business com- munity and with local and state government to identify problems and imple- ment innovative solutions. Because nonprofi ts attract signifi cant private fund- ing, they are uniquely able to augment the government and business sectors' impact on the issues of our times. While there is no typical nonprofi t all are dedicated to three core principles: advancing innovative solutions to address shared challenges, connecting people to opportunities, and strengthening our social fabric through com- munity engagement. Nonprofi ts carry out the work of advancing the common good while investing signifi cant fi nancial and human resources throughout the state. In 2015, Maine nonprofi ts contributed $11 billion to the economy through wages paid, retail and wholesale purchases and professional services contracts. One of our unique challenges in Maine is that 75% of our nonprofi ts have annual budgets under $100,000. As such, they need professional support and resources if they are to function in sustainable ways, which is even harder to do when demand for nonprofi t services continues to grow. at's where the Maine Association of Nonprofi ts steps in. Our job is to strengthen the leadership, voice and organizational eff ectiveness of our state's nonprofi ts. We provide guidance on management best practices and legal com- pliance, and off er high-quality training, resources and tools that enhance orga- nizational governance and the recruitment, retention and professional devel- opment of nonprofi t employees. We are pleased to be partnering again with Mainebiz to provide the Giving Guide, an unqiue opportunity to learn more about some of Maine's nonprofi ts. If it inspires you, contact your local legisla- tors to remind them of the value of the nonprofi t sector in Maine. Jennifer Hutchins Executive Director Maine Association of Nonprofi ts FROM THE GIVING GUIDE PARTNER FROM THE GIVING GUIDE SPONSOR First National Bank is once again honored to be a supporting partner of the MaineBiz Giving Guide. We are truly grateful for the hard work and dedication of Maine's nonprofi t organizations and applaud the contributions each one makes to improve the lives of Maine's citizens on a daily basis. At First National Bank, we understand that our community bank is only as strong as the towns we serve. We are proud to extend our great tradition of customer service beyond the walls of our branches by identifying and funding areas of community need that exist within our market area. Corporate donations, sponsorships and employee volunteerism are the primary ways in which we demonstrate our commitment to a variety of worthy programs that directly serve Maine's towns and citizens. Our local employees meet personally with representatives of nonprofi t organizations to learn about them and how we can help through monetary and volunteer support. In addition to supporting annual fund drives, we have also been privileged to support many local capital campaigns that allow these organizations to continue or enhance their missions. Our employees also lend their time and talents through volunteer work. In 2016, our employees contributed over 10,000 volunteer hours to a wide variety of civic, educational, arts, cultural, religious, health care, professional, social service and youth mentoring organizations. In 2017 we began to focus on issues aff ecting youth in Maine, particularly youth hunger. We want to make sure every child has an opportunity to DREAM BIG and the ability to fulfi ll those dreams. In addition to volunteering in their local communities, our employees are encouraged to participate in two longstanding workplace initiatives. Since 1995, First National has off ered dress-down Fridays to employees who donate to the bank's Casual for a Cause program. Since its inception, our Casual program has donated over $100,000 to employee-nominated nonprofi ts in our market area. Since 2005, we have sponsored First Hoops, an employee-staff ed program at our local high school basketball games. We have brought the program to nine diff erent high schools and donate roughly $2,000 annually to each participating school. At First National Bank we dare our customers to DREAM. We believe our BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD and will work with our local nonprofi ts to make sure that is the case. Tony C. McKim President and CEO e First National Bank

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