Eight Trends Shaping Philanthropy in Maine with some questions for consideration Kim Hamilton, PhD for The Maine Philanthropy Center

Narrowing an Expansive Field: What’s most relevant for philanthropy in Maine? Maine Philanthropy Center Nonprofits and Other Community and State Partners Individual and Institutional Funders

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him. JRR Tolkien from The Hobbit

Source: Rector. Maine Population Outlook to February Setting the Stage: The Tectonic Shift of Aging in Maine

1. An aging Maine demands even more of our time, voice, and resources. What’s the right balance in our strategies between social service support and job creation and sustainable growth? Are we maximizing efforts that focus on policy change and advocacy, including at the national level? What do we need to know to rapidly scale “aging in place” efforts? Do we understand the needs of elderly women, who have a longer lifespan? Have we examined implicit bias in our organization about aging? Does a 2050 timeframe change our actions?

2. The “people gap” in Maine’s workforce becomes a binding constraint to programmatic success. What’s philanthropy’s role in helping to market Maine as a destination and place to live? What could we do together, with higher education and with the private sector, to encourage more young people to come and stay over generations (i.e. loan relief, housing, etc.)? Can we replicate winning strategies from other states to attract immigrants from other countries? What does the people gap look like in the nonprofit community and what can we do to attract new talent?

3. Diversity, equity and inclusion become critical performance measures. How can nonprofits, funders, and influential voices work together toward system-wide change? What are we doing to challenge and respond to exclusion and racism in the community? Do we have a clear advocacy and policy plan and have we shared it? What can we learn and share from grantees? From other states and foundations? How will we know it’s working and do we have the data to track our progress ?

4. An array of new ways to give changes how we think about partnerships and fundraising. Are we prepared to partner in new ways with nontraditional donors? Are we doing the best we can at sharing our strategy and research with individual and other donors? Should we be more intentional at connecting our grantees to new sources of funding? Do more funders help or hinder our efforts to move beyond pilots to scale?

5. New philosophies of asset management expand our paths to impact. Do I need to educate my board about the opportunities before we can move forward? Are our programs and investments aligned? Should we exist in perpetuity given the known challenges we see today? What’s our risk tolerance for experimenting in new ways with our resources?

6. We get smarter about sustaining the critical organizations in our strategy. Do we have a vision and plan for the long-term organizational health of our grantees? Does our overhead rate match the reality of the nonprofit business model? Do our actions speak as loudly as our words about capacity building? Do we use a project budget as an impact tool/outcomes tool, not just an accountability tool? Are we providing funds and flexibility for learning and innovation?

7. The minimum wage debate has ripple effects across philanthropy. Are grantees equipped to assess and implement new wage practices? What impact is this likely to have on the nonprofit sector? Have we mapped what changes in the minimum wage means for our overall grant budgets? Should we be early adopters? Does our approach include a clear advocacy plan?

8. Design-thinking opens up new ways for Mainers to create their future, faster. Do we really understand what our communities, grantees, and their partners need? Have we opened up our thinking to possibilities before engaging in discussions about why things can’t work? Have we experimented with smaller, messier ways to pilot projects to get fast feedback? Do we have meaningful interactions with those we are trying to help?

Also on the horizon….. The Arctic and northern trade routes Innovation in education and healthcare at the intersection of aging and rural communities Increased speed and more access to broadband More international giving and more connections to the world from immigration Obesity and related health risks Climate change, health, and livelihoods

The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected. Swedish proverb