United Mid-Coast Charities

Letter from Rusty Brace

“There are no lost causes,
just causes not yet won.”
Norman Thomas

Dear Friends of Midcoast Maine,

One thing I love about this job is working with great partners on deciding how to allocate contributions that really make a difference. Those partners are both our Directors and you, our donors. Together and individually they seek ways to transform lives: projects within our agencies that change what people believe is possible through contributions to UMCC. The best results occur when we team up with community leaders to achieve goals related to improving the quality of life for others. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary work.

By giving directly to UMCC, you can be sure that your contribution goes to where it is needed most. We do the research and gather the facts about how funds get to the people who need them.

There are some significant identifying strengths established by our Directors that should guide a donor in the decision-making process when considering UMCC. Donors want assurance of a good return on their community investment. For the benefit of donors, our Directors work hard to follow our standards of evaluation when awarding funds. They are:

Collaboration: The agency has experience in working collaboratively with partners to address issues that cannot be resolved by one organization working alone.

Community Impact: The organization benefits the community and contributes to the quality of life.

Ethical Behavior: The Directors demand ethical behavior themselves and expect it of grantees and collaborative partners.

Increased Capacity: The agency is able to increase its capacity for greater impact and success in the future.

Innovation: The grantee employs innovative approaches to solve problems or to address the needs in areas in which it works.

Leadership: The organization has reliable, effective and visionary leadership that inspires confidence in its ability to meet its goals.

Quality of Life: The grantee provides meaningful and sustained impact on the quality of life in Maine.

At this point, a donor could be saying, “I know I cannot give to all these agencies, so UMCC’s 44 Directors make the best choices for me.” These principles could form a strategy for you — the donor. But more important in this day and age, donors want to make sure they’re using their money wisely.

In August, just a few months away, UMCC begins its 70th year of continuous service to the community. Our Founding Fathers laid down principles to which we have abided during these 70 years: 100% of all contributions are to be 100% distributed, we are an all-volunteer charity, modest expenses are to be paid by a separate endowment. To celebrate our 70th year, we are looking for 70 donors who will contribute $1,000 each. Surely the guidelines used by Directors would be helpful to every donor when considering whether to join us in this effort. Thank you.

People give for four major reasons. First, basic needs for the poor. Second, to make the world better. Third, to make the community better. Fourth, we know that often just a little boost can help the needy improve their lives.

There are some troublesome trends, however. According to Harris Interactive polling, one in five people are giving to fewer organizations than in the past. A third of the people are giving in smaller amounts this year than last year. The percentage of people not giving at all doubled to 12% in 2010 and 2009. We trust you are not a trendsetter!

I urge you to be as generous as possible to UMCC. Your contribution will enhance Maine’s quality of place and quality of life.

Sincerely,

Russel W. Brace,
President

To give a gift of appreciated stock:
Contact your broker and ask that the stock be transferred to UMCC at Charles Schwab DTC# 0164, Code 40, Account# 3910-0956. Please let us know the transfer is underway. Thank you.