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NOVEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER
#GIVINGTUESDAY
Margot Milliken: Outstanding Philanthropist
Grantee News
Fund and Related News
RESOURCES

EVENTS:
Click on purple links for more information.
 
November 7, 2013 Portland   
MANP's Community Catalyst Celebration honoring Maddy Corson. Registration info here.

November 7, 2013 Association of Fundraising Professionals of Northern New England will recognize Margot Milliken, a founder of the Maine Women's Fund, as 2013's Outstanding Philanthropist at its Annual Conference. More info here. 

November 19, 2013 Film screening and panel discussion of Girl Rising. Presented by the World Affairs Council of Maine. 5PM at Talbot Lecture Hall, Luther Bonney, USM Portland Campus.
More info here.

December 5, 2013 Girl Scouts of Maine 17th Annual Women of Distinction Gala, featuring 2014 honoree Meredith Strang Burgess (CEO of Burgess Advertising & Marketing). More info here.  

GRANTS 
launched a new global campaign to bring financial inclusion to low-income communities. $200 million over five years will support financial programs that will provide vital knowledge, tools and services to underserved individuals, families, businesses and communities. 
Deadline: Open

Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Awards fellowships to female scientists from developing nations to help them pursue advanced graduate degrees and postdoctoral fellowships in scientific disciplines.
Deadline: November 15, 2013  
 
AAUW 
Accepting Applications for
Community Action Grants. Deadline: January 15, 2014
 
American Honda Foundation Invites applications for STEM programs. Deadline: Rolling
 
Pollination Project Seed Grants for Social Entrepreneurs
Individuals working to make their community and the world a better place in the areas of arts and culture, community health and wellness, the environment, and justice. Deadline: Open

Kellogg Foundation
Invites applications for programs that engage youth and communities in learning opportunities.
Deadline: Open

May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust
Seeks proposals for youth development programs.  
Deadline: Open

Wellpoint Foundation
Healthy Generations is a multi-generational health initiative with a goal to improve the health of communities by focusing resources on improving nine key health care concerns.
Deadline: Open  
    
OPPORTUNITIES:     

Maine Women's Fund Resource Development Training for past and current grantees. November 22, 2013, and 2014 dates. Click here to register.  

 

Axiom Technologies offers free computer classes.  Click here for a list of classes and registration details.  

Nancy Strojny, Portland Chapter Chair for SCORE, needs women to volunteer as business coaches. Contact 508-272-0763  or

Patricia Rice, Bangor Chapter Chair for SCORE needs women to volunteer as business coaches. Contact 207-942-0103 or
Hardy Girls Healthy Women parenting webinar series. Jan. 7, 2014, 1PM-2:30PM: Operation Transformation: Transcending Media Messages to Become a World Changer. Register here.

We invite you to visit the
resources section of our website.
JOIN US ONLINE 
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It's that time of year...we're looking ahead to the approaching holidays and the New Year, and looking back: the Fund's 2012-2013 Report to the Community is hot off the press. The report tells the stories of the organizations that are helping Maine women and  girls overcome challenges to economic security, and recognizes the volunteers and donors who made this work possible. If you do not receive the report in the mail and would like to, please let us know.
 
The Fund experiences first-hand the generosity of so many thoughtful supporters in the last months of the calendar year. This year, for the first time in the Fund's history, there are new ways to give that can fit nicely into your financial and philanthropic plans:
  • Charitable Gift Annuities pay a fixed amount of income for life, while providing for a current income tax deduction and future charitable gift.  
  • Donor Advised Funds give donors the opportunity to become directly involved in grantmaking to support economic security for women and girls. They can also be a valuable tool for teaching the next generation about philanthropy. 
  • Qualified Charitable Distributions of up to $100,000 from an IRA by donors age 70½ and older are free of income tax.  
These are just three examples of how the Fund strives to provide options that serve donors' needs. Visit the How to Give section of our website. The Fund's staff is glad to help you explore the options that work best for you. Please email me or call 207-975-5165 to learn more. 
 
This month and next, volunteers across the state are convening community members in each county to talk about the unmet needs of women and girls. The Fund will use this information to sharpen the focus of its grantmaking on the varying regional needs of Maine's communities, and you can help. Click here for the date and time of the meeting in your county and to register to attend.  

Our grantees are coming together for technical assistance in building their financial resources and improving sustainability. Workshops will take place in November, January, March and May hosted by Bangor Savings Bank at its locations in Biddeford, Portland, Augusta and Bangor. The next session for grantees is November 22, 2013. Topics will  include: building an organizational culture to support fundraising; the board of directors' role in fundraising; and committee design to optimize fundraising. If you are part of an organization that has ever received MWF funding and could benefit from learning more about fundraising strategies, send an email to Katie for more information.  
Sarah
Photo credit: 
 Jamie Bloomquist

 

We send our best wishes for a lovely Thanksgiving to you and yours. Thank you for reading, and for all you do for Maine women and girls.  

 

Sincerely,
Sarah Ruef-Lindquist 
CEO

 

 

#GIVING TUESDAY: 12/3/13

There's the fervor of Black Friday and the staggering internet sales of Cyber Monday. Now, we in the world of philanthropy have #GivingTuesday! On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, participate in the newest holiday tradition: give back--make an impact--in a way that's meaningful for you. 

Put Tuesday, December 3 on your calendar as #GivingTuesday and consider giving the Fund a lift this holiday season! Read an article about the bold new era of giving here.





MARGOT MILLIKEN: AFPNNE'S OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIST 
Margot Milliken
 
 
The Association of Fundraising Professionals of Northern New England recently named one of the Maine Women's Fund founders and most generous donors, Margot Milliken, 2013's Outstanding Philanthropist. Margot, co-nominated for the award by the Fund and Planned Parenthood of NNE, will be recognized at the AFPNNE's annual luncheon on Thursday, November 7.

 

Click here to read a 2010 profile of Margot and her daughter Tara, then a burgeoning philanthropist herself.  

 

Congratulations, Margot!  

   

GRANTEE NEWS

Wayfinder Schools logo
A Fund grantee that provides a residential program for teens who have struggled in traditional school settings and the Passages Program, a home-based program for teen parents, has changed its name in the interest of organizational growth.

As of October 2013, The Community Schools at Opportunity Farm and Camden became Wayfinder Schools.  
 
"Wayfinding is a navigational symbol for the work our students do alongside their teachers, who help them find their own way forward." - Martha Kempe, Passages Director
 
Read more about the important work of Wayfinder Schools here. 

FUND AND RELATED NEWS YOU CAN USE
 
 
 
Tavis Smiley Family Foundation Launches $3 Million Initiative to End Poverty  
On October 22, the Tavis Smiley Foundation announced the launch of Ending Poverty: America's Silent Spaces. The national initiative, designed to examine barriers and identify solutions to alleviate poverty in the U.S. For foundations and other non-profits interested in joining forces with the Tavis Smiley Foundation and its partners, contact Denise Pines at (323) 290-1182 or dpines@tavistalks.com. 
 
 
Maine Community Foundation Leadership in Action Series
Wednesday, November 6 | 5:30 to 7:30pm USM's Abromson Center
Nell Newman, president and co-founder of Newman's Own Organics, will talk about the connections between her passion for all things organic and her philanthropic endeavors.

Register here. 



Community Catalyst Celebration Maine Association of Nonprofits
Thursday, November 7 | 4:00-7:00 PM | Portland Club
Event will pay tribute to Maddy Corson's "inspiring legacy of leadership and generosity towards Maine's nonprofit sector" at its Community Catalyst Celebration in Portland.

Registration information can be found here. 
    
   

The State of Women in America: A 50-State Analysis of How Women Are Faring Across the Nation 
The Center for American Progress published a new report examining both the progress made and the challenges remaining for women across the country by reviewing three categories that are critical to women's overall well-being: economics, leadership, and health.


  

Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund
provides scholarships and support for low-income women 35 and older to build better lives through college completion. The application for the 2014 school year is now available. Click here to view an informational video about guidelines and frequently asked questions. 


MaineShare

The Maine Women's Fund thanks MaineShare for its ongoing support. MaineShare makes it easy to donate to more than 30 statewide organizations working every day to make Maine a better place to live. For more information, please visit the website.

On behalf of the staff and board of the Maine Women's Fund, thank you for reading and for all you do to support Maine women and girls.

Office locations:

565A Congress Street, Suite 306, Portland, ME 04101 | 41 Mechanic Street, Suite 328, Camden, ME 04843