Growsmart Maine
Helping communities manage change
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Maine is home to some of the most beautiful places in the world. The contrast between the richness of our environment and the fragility of our economy creates risks to Maine’s unique quality places, its people, and its future. GrowSmart Maine’s role is to raise awareness and support of smart growth principles to address these risks and to connect Mainers with the resources they need to manage growth and change in their communities.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Making Headway In Your Community
Making Headway in Your Community is an online resource database and companion workbook that will empower Mainers and their communities to take charge of change and growth by providing inspiring success stories and connections to relevant resource organizations. With these connections, communities enhance the well being of both individuals and the environment. Maine will continue to be the place our children return to and others will choose to call home, with safe, vibrant and walkable hometowns along with economic opportunities they require to raise the next generation.
Maine Alliance for Smart Growth
MASG is a network of communities, individuals, businesses and organizations with a proven interest in promoting and supporting economically and culturally vital downtowns as places with businesses and jobs, community and cultural events resulting from long range vision and design, and strategic public and private investments.
Maine Alliance for Smart Growth is a program of GrowSmart Maine that:
* Connects Mainers with each other, resources and expertise
* Coordinates community engagement for greatest value to communities while maximizing collaboration and minimizing redundancy
* Advocates on significant policy issues important to downtowns across the state.
Where we work
External reviews
Our Sustainable Development Goals
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Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Smart growth principles and strategies build community resiliency in villages, towns and cities across Maine. GrowSmart Maine works in greater Portland where reaction to white-hot development pressure includes reactive referenda that would shut down growth, and we work with communities across rural Maine where the economic decline invites unplanned development or decay that diminishes the community, environment and personal health of residents.
Local economy, community connections, climate and energy, smart design and healthy communities are the five core principles through which smart growth can strengthen a community. We invite people to understand that strides toward community resilience will improve quality of life for everyone and can resolve challenges faced by those living in poverty. Long-term thinking and action can be prioritized rather than perceived as competing with efforts to address immediate needs.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
GrowSmart Maine achieves its mission through community engagement, events and advocacy that support smart growth principles. All these efforts are coordinated so each informs the other with the overarching goal of empowering Mainers to protect natural and working landscapes, facilitate economic opportunities and build safe, attractive communities.
GrowSmart Maine engages with communities across the state to offer resources such as our Making Headway in Your Community program, educational briefs and smart growth forums. Our advocacy reaches from the State House to Washington DC as we collaborate with diverse partners to remove regulatory barriers and ensure adequate resources for this community action. Our Summit in an annual event featuring speakers with relevant and inspiring perspective from across Maine and the nation.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Community support is critical to our success. We seek well-timed opportunities with willing partners. We respond to invitations from interested communities and use a readiness evaluation process to evaluate need and to ensure there is sufficient interest and appropriate capacity to succeed with the programs we offer.
The skills, instincts and abilities of our staff suit the work we do. We have expertise in community engagement, advocacy, marketing and communications, financial management and project oversight. Our board offers diverse skills from their professional and personal experiences. We contract with bookkeeper and accountant, graphic designer and others as needed to support staff.
For our events, we regularly partner with organizations to convene people on relevant topics to increase overall impact and to ensure broad outreach to speakers and attendees.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have brought Making Headway in Your Community to over a dozen communities since 2015 and membership in the Maine Alliance for Smart Growth includes scores of communities through direct membership and with steering committee members serving as conduits. We have created boots-on-the-ground tools for community volunteers and share them broadly.
In the coming year, GrowSmart Maine will engage with communities across the state to offer resources such as our Making Headway in Your Community program, educational briefs and smart growth forums. Our advocacy reaches from the State House to Washington DC as we collaborate with diverse partners to remove regulatory barriers and ensure adequate resources for this community action. Our Summit in an annual event featuring speakers with relevant and inspiring perspective from across Maine and the nation.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Growsmart Maine
Board of directorsas of 02/07/2024
Jeff Levine
North Star Planning
Term: 2023 - 2025
Rebecca Casey
SMRT
Term: 2023 - 2025
Ethan Boxer-Macomber
Anew Development
Rebecca Casey
SMRT Architects
Jean Claveau
Camden National Bank
Lynne Seeley
Community Planner
Sally Stockwell
Maine Audubon
Anna Marie Thron
Emeritus
Daniel Hildreth
Emeritus
Evan Richert
Emeritus
Elizabeth Frazier
Pierce Atwood
Galen Weibley
Town of Kennebunkport, Planner
Jeff Levine
Levine Planning Strategies
Jon Boynton
Belfast City Planner
Zoe Miller
Zoe Miller Strategies
Lauren Olson
Maine Food Convergence
Samantha Horn
Braided Planet Consulting
Christina Grimando
City of Portland
Eric Howard
E2Tech
Mehuman Ernst
Performance Artist
Danielle Moriarity
Program Director, Maine Arts Commission
Finn Bondeson
Acorn Engineering
Larissa Holland
Aviation Sustainability Consultant with C&S Companies,
David Webster
Emeritus
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as: