Environmental Funders Network

2011 Quality of Place Grants

The Environmental Funders Network (EFN) awarded $470,500 in grants to 14 organizations in the final year of its collaborative initiative, “From Vision to Action: A Commitment to Maine’s Quality of Place.” Grants ranging in size from $11,000 to $51,000 were made to each of the 2009 and 2010 grantees, as well as to the Downeast Salmon Federation.

2010 Quality of Place Grants

The Environmental Funders Network (EFN) awarded $526,400 in grants through its collaborative funding initiative, “From Vision to Action: A Commitment to Maine’s Quality of Place.” Grants ranging in size from $15,000 to $50,000 were made to each of the first year (2009) grantees as well as to: Androscoggin Land Trust, Friends of Midcoast Maine, Keeping Maine’s Forests, Mahoosuc Land Trust, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association, and The Nature Conservancy.  (More about the new grantees coming soon!)

2009 Quality of Place Grants

EFN awarded $523,000 in grants to eight organizations through its collaborative funding initiative, “From Vision to Action: A Commitment to Maine’s Quality of Place.” Grants ranging in size from $30,000 to $100,000 were made to: GrowSmart Maine, Healthy Community Coalition, Maine Development Foundation, Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund, Presumpscot River Watershed Coalition, Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, and Trust for Public Land.

 

Quality of Place Grantees (2009-2011)

Androscoggin Land Trust, to lead a broad-based coalition, that will develop and implement an action plan for land conservation, trails, and connecting downtown Lewiston-Auburn to the undeveloped landscapes of Greene, Turner, and Leeds, creating a model for helping rural and urban communitities develop regional priorities for Quality of Place work that transcends municipal boundaries.

Downeast Salmon Federation, for a regional public-private partnership to protect and restore anadromous rainbow smelt in Maine. Building upon DES’ successful relationships with anglers, commercial fishermen, Maine Department of Marine Resources, and other agencies, the project will serve as a scientific basis to broaden both the public and private sector understanding of the urgency to protect and restore this important fish and its habitat.

Friends of Midcoast Maine, to capture community stories and testimonials to build the case for employing quality of place principles in regional planning.

GrowSmart Maine, to expand grassroots base, promote regional collaborations, and engage the public.

Healthy Community Coalition, to support public education efforts to ensure respectful use of private lands through program involving youth and their families.

 Keeping Maine’s Forests, for coordination of the Keeping Maine’s Forests initiative (TNC is acting as fiscal agent for the KMF Implementation Committee).

Mahoosuc Land Trust, to build the capacity of the Bethal Area Nonprofit Collaborative in order to expand Bethel’s existing trail system; enhance heritage and arts programs; create a downtown outdoor heritage, recreation, and community center; and increase community and student involvement with local food.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust, to revitalize community interest and investments in landscape scale conservation and sustainable agriculture by demonstrating value and benefits of Aldemere Farm and Erickson Fields Preserve.

Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund, to bring Maine’s environmental community together to develop a five-year vision, policy framework, and implementation plan for addressing Maine’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Maine Development Foundation, to strengthen links between the natural and built environment in Maine’s historic downtowns.

Maine Farmland Trust, to link the built landscape with working farms and wild lands.

Presumpscot River Watershed Coalition, for the Presumpscot Conservation Planning: Vision, Values, and Priorities initiative, a multi-stakeholder collaborative process to prioritize land conservation needs in the Presumpscot Watershed.

Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association, to create regional municipal coalitions working in partnership with conservation and economic development interests to alter approach to protecting quality of place.

Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, to encourage greater public access to private lands.

 The Nature Conservancy, for initial stakeholder consensus-building around the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission’s process for delineating areas within its 10.5 million-acre jurisdiction.

Trust for Public Land, to create regional municipal coalitions working in partnership with conservation and economic development interests to alter approach to protecting quality of place.

 

 

Learn More

E-Newsletter

About the Goals for the Initiative

Quality of Place Advisory Committee

Grantees