Quality of Place Initiative

Welcome to the Environmental Funders Network e-newsletter.

The term “quality of place” conveys the essential relationship between Maine’s environmental well-being, its economic prosperity, and the overall quality of life. Through financial support, collaborative grantmaking, and learning opportunities, the EFN is bringing nonprofits, governmental agencies, business, and philanthropy together to implement sustainable quality of place strategies. Learn more.

Coming Up Next from EFN

The network is accepting letters of interest for a second round of funding. Requests from any nonprofit, government agency or collaboration working in Maine are due by August 13, 2010. Selected applicants will be asked to submit full proposals in the fall. Guidelines for letters of interest can be found here.

Grantees on the Ground:

Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund

On July 1, the Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund, in partnership with the Environmental Priorities Coalition, will release “Investing in Maine’s Environment: A Trail Map to Prosperity 2010-2015” at news conferences in Portland and Augusta. The report offers a five-year plan for protecting the good health, good jobs, and quality of life that Maine’s environment provides. The “trail map” provides specific steps that will help Maine policymakers position the state as a leader in environmental investment.

“Through the Quality of Place Initiative, EFN provided the essential resources to bring this project together. We facilitated multi-organization work teams, conducted polling, and reached out to new constituencies to produce a report that reflects a strong consensus within Maine’s diverse environmental community.” -- Maureen Drouin, Executive Director, Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund

Who's in the Network:

Gioia Perugini

A program officer for Jane’s Trust, Gioia Perugini is a founding member of the Environmental Funders Network. She continues her EFN involvement through service on the Quality of Place Grantmaking and Advisory Committee. When not traveling to and from Maine, Gioia is associate director of Select Client Services at Hemenway & Barnes, LLP, in Boston.

Trustees and staff of Jane’s Trust have deepened their understanding of critical environmental issues in Maine through the EFN. Committed to supporting collaboration, the trust awarded a challenge grant to the Quality of Place Initiative to provide incentive for other funders to join the donor collaborative. Learn more about the Environmental Funders Network.

From Around the State ...

Thoughtful tourism development takes into account the preservation of quality of place, and place-based tourism promotes a sense of pride in communities and benefits local economies. At its best, tourism also helps keep Maine’s historical and cultural sites vibrant and alive, creates recreational opportunities, and contributes to the conservation, protection, and sustainability of the environment. The tourist industry also adds millions of dollars to Maine’s general fund to support education and social and natural resource programs.

Visit Maine - Maine Office of Tourism | Maine Tourism Association

... And Across the Nation

The New England Governors’ Conference, an informal alliance that has been in existence since colonial days, works to promote regional economic development. Over the past few years the group has been working on initiatives to protect quality of place and bring sustainability and economic growth to the six-state region.

A few reports worth reading:

Our Mission

The Environmental Funders Network helps to identify and create ways to improve and sustain Maine’s natural environment. We accomplish our mission by identifying opportunities for individual or joint funding of initiatives, providing opportunities for education and sharing of information to gain a deeper understanding of trends, challenges, and solutions, and encouraging networking. Learn more.

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