"This funding, provided so generously by the Charles Stewart Mott foundation, will greatly aid the recipient organizations in pursuing their vision," said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "We commend these organizations for their contributions to Maine and the nation, and hope that they will continue their important service to the communities they serve."
The funding given to the Maine Center for Economic Policy will go toward a State Fiscal Analysis Initiative. It is one of ten grants recommended to state organizations as part of this initiative. In 1992, the initiative was created by the Mott, Ford, and Casey foundations in order to build state capacity for timely, credible and accessible tax and budget analysis on behalf of low- and middle-income families. The Maine Center for Economic Policy recently completed a decade of participation in this initiative. Over the next two years, the group will continue to analyze budget and fiscal proposals, disseminate its research broadly throughout the state, and work in coalition with other nonprofit organizations in order to achieve fairer state tax and budget policies in Maine. Related to this project is another Mott grant to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which provides technical assistance to all 28 state organizations participating in this initiative.
The funding awarded to the National Alliance for Choice in Giving will allow for the addition of a full-time staff member who will be responsible for training and member services. The alliance serves 50 member federations and funds that raise more than $300 million annually and that provide communities with an important alternative means to support grassroots and community-based organizations. The new staff member will develop national training conferences and recruit trainers and presenters, provide day-to-day technical assistance to members, manage member relations, and monitor member compliance with the National Alliance for Choice in Giving requirements. This grant increase will provide support for the new position for two years and extend Mott support for an additional 18 months.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation believes in a world in which each person is in partnership with the rest of the human race – where each individual's quality of life is connected to the well-being of the community, both locally and globally. They pursue this vision through creative grantmaking, thoughtful communication and other activities that enhance community in its many forms. The same vision of shared learning shapes their internal culture as they strive to maintain an ethic of respect, integrity and responsibility. The Foundation seeks to strengthen, in people and their organizations, what Mr. Mott called "the capacity for accomplishment."
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