A project of the Maine Community Foundation and the Maine Philanthropy Center
There is a printable version of the Guidelines and Procedures available for download here.
Deadline: April 17, 2009
The Environmental Funders Network [EFN] is a project of Maine Community Foundation and Maine Philanthropy Center whose purpose is finding ways for funders and philanthropists to become more responsive, creative, and effective grantmakers for Maine’s environment. Following the publication of GrowSmart Maine’s report by the Brookings Institution, “Charting Maine’s Future: An Action Plan for Sustainable Prosperity and Quality Places“, EFN steering committee members agreed that the report’s key concept: “quality of place,” conveys the essential relationship between Maine’s environmental well-being and its economic prosperity and overall quality of life. To explore how philanthropy might best support the implementation of the report recommendations, EFN met with members of the Governor’s Council on Maine’s Quality of Place and with representatives from the business, nonprofit, and government sectors. EFN now proposes to apply its shared financial resources and knowledge to identify and support practical solutions to advance ideas from theory to action and results.
EFN recognizes that regional and statewide efforts are already underway or being planned, and that some, including the Governor’s Quality of Place Council, are committed to advancing selected recommendations but may be undercapitalized or face other barriers to success.
Through financial support and learning opportunities, EFN’s Quality of Place Initiative seeks to advance projects that strengthen the link between the natural and built environments, emphasize public engagement, and, in the case of collaborations, recognize the elements required to build and sustain them. The Initiative is designed to achieve the following outcomes:
EFN will award a limited number of grants in varying amounts up to $100,000, potentially renewable for two additional years. Successful grantees will have opportunities to learn from one another and to share their results and experiences with funders, media, and policy makers.
As a first step in the grantmaking process, EFN invites Letters of Inquiry from nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or collaboratives (with a designated lead organization) working in Maine. The following guide provides prompts based upon the criteria. From the pool of Letters, an EFN advisory committee will select applicants to submit full proposals later this spring.
Letters of Inquiry should include the following:
Letters should reflect consideration of one or more of the following questions (choose up to four that most closely reflect Quality of Place recommendations and align with your goals):
EFN is a volunteer-driven network with lean staffing and is unable to field phone calls regarding Letters of Inquiry. If you have questions to clarify the criteria, please send them via email to efn@mainephilanthropy.org by April 8.

September 15, 2009
Grantees Announced
August 2009
Advisory Committee makes grant decisions.
June 22, 2009
Proposals are due.
May 2009
Advisory Committee reviews 97 letters of inquiry and invites 17 projects to submit full proposals.
April 17, 2009
Letters of Inquiry are due.
March 2009
EFN announces new Quality of Place grant.
About the Goals for the Initiative
About the Governor’s Council on
Quality of Place Recommendations