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…or How Green Kilowatts Beget More Green Kilowatts

BRUNSWICK, Maine – A recent survey revealed that half of all Mainers know that clean electricity or “green power” can be produced by the sun. But did you know that buying green power can bring MORE solar energy to Maine? Thanks to a new PV Reinvestment Fund, nonprofits and others can apply for grants of up to $3,000 to help offset the initial cost of a photovoltaic (PV) system.

The PV Reinvestment Fund has been created by a collaboration of clean electricity buyers and sellers. Together, Interface Fabrics (IF), Maine Interfaith Power and Light, Inc. (MeIPL), and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) have launched the fund with contributions totaling $20,000, derived entirely from sales of clean energy products. The Maine State Energy Program (MSEP), a division of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, provided funds for project staff and Maine Energy Investment Corporation (MEIC) is managing the Fund. The program targets Maine nonprofits, which can utilize Maine solar rebates but not the available federal tax credits.

“We know that clean electricity helps clean up Maine’s air”, said Erika Morgan, program organizer, of the Maine Energy Investment Corporation (MEIC). “Now, by plowing some of their clean electricity sales into new solar systems, these organizations are helping more Mainers make the clean energy switch. They want to show more people how beneficial and available these new, clean technologies are.”

Interface Fabrics stated the ball rolling in 2003, with a major purchase of BEF “Green Tags”. A small amount of revenue from this sale was set aside to encourage more clean energy production in Maine. “While Interface Fabrics has long been on a mission to reduce its own environmental impact, the company also wants to create a clear path for others to follow,” says Paul Bennotti, director of strategic marketing for Interface Fabrics. Interface and BEF jointly made a substantial contribution to get the Fund started.

Maine’s most active green power retailer has contributed as well. Harry Brown, Executive Director of Maine Interfaith Power and Light, Inc., added, “We’re putting our money where our mouth is. For every sale of clean electricity we’ve made since 2003, we have set aside a portion of those revenues to help put solar power on Maine roofs”.

Bonneville Environmental Foundation was one of the country’s first retail marketers of renewable energy credits (RECs), which it calls Green Tags. The foundation launched its Green Tag products in 2000, and has since become one of the most widely supported national green power options. “We have a particular affinity for our partners in Maine,” said Tom Starrs, BEF’s vice president for marketing and sales. “Interface Fabrics liked our emphasis on supporting local projects, and both MEIC and MeIPL have been very innovative and collaborative in creating the PV Reinvestment Fund. We look forward to getting more new, renewable power generation on the ground in Maine with this program.”

About the PV Reinvestment Fund
The Fund will provide small installation grants for solar electric systems on Maine nonprofits organizations and small businesses. Applicants may apply for grants of up to $3,000, at the rate of $1 per watt of new solar capacity and may combine these grants with applicable State and federal solar incentives. Information is at www.RenewMaine.org/DSC under “PV Reinvestment Fund”.

About Maine Energy Investment Corporation (MEIC) www.RenewMaine.org A Brunswick-based nonprofit, MEIC conducts public education and market development programs on a range of clean energy technologies, including green power, biodiesel and solar. The PV Reinvestment Fund is one of its solar offerings, joining other solar efforts “Downeast Solar Co-op”, “Solar for Maine Builders” and “SolarCents” solar projects.

About Maine Interfaith Power and Light (MeIPL) www.meipl.org
MeIPL is a faith-based non-profit working to help Maine people and congregations take actions against global warming. MeIPL helped create Maine’s clean electricity market in 2003 by offering the first green power products.

About Interface Fabrics (IF) www.interfacefabrics.com
Interface Fabrics is a subsidiary of Interface, Inc., a global leader in sustainable commerce with a “vision to show the entire industrial world what sustainability is in all its dimensions: people, process, product, place and profits by 2020, and in doing so, to become restorative through the power of influence.”

About Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) www.b-e-f.org
BEF, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for green power certification and trading.

About Maine State Energy Program (MSEP) www.maine.gov/msep
MSEP serves as a point of coordination for many renewable energy projects in Maine funded by the U. S. Department of Energy. A sister program to Efficiency Maine, MSEP also provides support for the “Clean Energy Maine” campaign and the Maine Solar Rebates program.


MEDIA CONTACT:
For more information
Erika Morgan, Executive Director
Maine Energy Investment Corporation
Phone: (207) 729-9665
Fax: (207) 721-0384
E-mail: erika@RenewMaine.org
Web: www.RenewMaine.org

The public is invited to offer their ideas at meetings next week in Aroostook County, Downeast Maine, North Central Maine, the Western Mountains region, Central Maine, the Midcoast area, Cumberland and York County. (see details below)

>CLICK HERE< to go to the complete Online Press Kit from GrowSmart Maine.

STATEWIDE -- Last fall, GrowSmart Maine, a statewide non-profit organization supporting a sustainable future for Maine and to reduce unplanned growth and sprawl, hired the Brookings Institution to undertake a major study of the relationship between future economic prosperity, the character and quality of Maine’s communities and environment, the cost and design of Maine government and the dispersal of Maine’s population into the rural countryside (sprawl). That study, together with a series of recommendations constituting a ‘Blueprint for Action’, is expected to be released this fall.

The Brookings Institution, widely considered one of the country’s leading and most respected think tanks, has engaged nine economists and researchers on the project, to add to their extensive internal capacity. Seven of those researchers are in Maine and include two former state economists. Together, they are reviewing much of the data that has been produced over the last two decades about trends in Maine, as well as producing new research in each of their study areas.

One of the key steps to producing the report is input from Maine people. Over the last six months, Brookings and GrowSmart Maine have been reaching out to groups around the state, holding over thirty informal ‘listening sessions’ with representatives of businesses, elected and appointed leaders at the state and local level, sportsmen, economists, foundations, environmentalists and many others. “We have learned an enormous amount by reaching out to people around Maine’, said Bruce Katz, VP of the Brookings Institution. ‘This is an extraordinary state with unlimited potential, if it takes the right steps and builds on its unique competitive advantages’, he added.

Alan Caron, President of GrowSmart Maine, encourages the public to attend the sessions. ‘We are working to engage Maine people in a discussion about our future’, he said. ‘We want to connect the dots between some of the challenges we face in the economy, the environment, the health of our communities, taxes and the shifting population of the state. One step we can take, as a state, is to move beyond talking about those things as though they’re all separate’.
The work of producing the report, and reaching out to Maine people, is funded and supported by a broad cross-section of the state’s businesses, foundations and conservation organizations, as well as from prominent individuals such as former Governor Angus King.

For further information, the public is encouraged to go to the GrowSmart website at www.growsmartmaine.org Attached below: Listening Sessions Schedule Brookings Report Summary

About the 'Regional Town Meetings':GrowSmart Maine & The Brookings Institution Invite You To:
A REGIONAL TOWN MEETING
ENVISION MAINE'S FUTURE
How Can We Build Prosperity Without Losing Our Unique Character?
• How can we grow in a sustainable way that protects our quality of life? • What are the connections between Maine’s economic competitiveness, our environment and quality of life, government fragmentation, and unplanned growth and sprawl?• Can Maine people work together on new approaches and a new spirit of cooperation and creativity to move the state forward toward a more hopeful future?

Come and share your ideas in a Regional Town Meeting

• Northern Maine: Caribou, Houlton, Fort Kent, Caribou Regional Technology Center, Fort Kent & Houlton High Schools April 25, 7:30 – 9:00 am
• Downeast: Eastport, Institute on Key Street April 25, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
• Northern Central Maine: Dover-Foxcroft, Penquis Higher Education Center April 25, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
• Western Mountains: Farmington, UMF Olsen Student Center April 26, 7:30 - 9:00 am Central Maine: Waterville, Colby College, Roberts Union April 26, 12:00 – 1:30 pm
• Mid-Coast: Camden, Camden Opera House April 26, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
• Greater Portland: Scarborough, Scarborough Public Library April 27, 7:30 – 9:00 am
• Southern Mid-Coast: Brunswick, Curtis Memorial Library April 27, 12:00 – 1:30 pm
• Western York: Alfred, Conant Chapel April 27, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
  

The Brookings Institution is reaching out to people across Maine for their ideas and suggestions. Their report will be released in September of 2006 and will include a ‘Blueprint for Action’ for Maine. The work of producing the report, and reaching out to Maine people, is funded and supported by a broad cross- section of the state’s businesses, foundations and conservation organizations, as well as from prominent individuals such as former Governor Angus King.

>CLICK HERE<>

MEDIA CONTACT:
Alan Caron, President
(207) 847.9275 x307
acaron@growsmartmaine.org

Portland-Based and Nationally Recognized Marketing Communications Firm Returns to its Midwest Roots

Lawrence, Kan. -- During his non-profit career, Dan Ward made two important discoveries. One was a passion for marketing, and the other was the realization most nonprofit organizations need a lot of help in their marketing efforts.

“People usually get into nonprofits because they don’t identify with the world of sales and marketing. That means that finding creative ways to drive the message home doesn’t often come naturally.”

“But you can’t get better if you neglect your marketing,” Ward says. “Every single ingredient for success – board development, name recognition, program effectiveness, volunteer recruitment, and of course fundraising – all of these become easier when the organization’s marketing is excellent.”

Ward has been in nonprofit marketing and fundraising since 1989, and has worked with organizations in Washington DC, Texas, Pennsylvania, California and Kansas. His marketing efforts have helped groups working in fields ranging from public health to environmental conservation to the fine arts. His most recent affiliation was with the Kansas Wildlife Federation in Topeka.

Nonprofit groups and state agencies in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska will now have the chance to tap into that philosophy as well as a nation-wide network of nonprofit marketing and public relations experts. Ward – who is opening up the Lawrence office for Shoestring Creative Group – will serve as a senior project director and nonprofit marketing consultant. Shoestring is an award-winning, full-service marketing communications firm that provides marketing, public relations, advertising, graphic design and web development services to nonprofits and good causes.

“I’m excited by this partnership because as far as I’m concerned, Shoestring has exactly the right idea,” says Ward. “Far too often, nonprofits have an approach that I call ‘if you build it, they will come,’ with the notion that money and volunteers will naturally appear if you execute your programs well. Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work like that – there’s just too much competition and too little money.”

“Shoestring’s approach is that marketing isn’t an afterthought, it’s at the center of everything you do. We believe that before you do anything else, you identify your audience, and you craft strong, clear, and consistent messages that will call them to action. By teaming up with Shoestring Creative Group, I’m bringing a nationwide group of experts to the table to help our clients do that.”

Shoestring Creative Group was originally founded in Kansas City by Hannah Brazee Gregory who grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and attended the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas and also worked in the university’s Office of University Relations for several years.

“It has been my goal for sometime to bring my business to my beloved hometown of Lawrence, Kansas,” says Brazee Gregory. “Our mission is to provide high-end marketing, design and public relations services to nonprofits at a price they can afford. Combine this with the fact that we only work with nonprofits and have many best practices to bring to the table, and I know we will be able to make a huge difference to the wonderful nonprofits all around the area – many of which I was involved with as a child and college student.”

Shoestring Creative Group has worked with clients across the country. The company’s central office is in Portland, Maine, with satellite offices in Carmel, Calif., Boston, and now Lawrence. The company’s website is www.shoestringgroup.com.


MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Ward (in Lawrence, Kansas)
(785) 249-2165
dan@shoestringgroup.com

Hannah Brazee Gregory (in Portland, Maine)
Managing Director/Founder, Shoestring Creative Group
(207) 582-1345
hannah@shoestringgroup.com

GARDINER, MAINE -- The Kennebec Corridor Cultural Survey Project presents the second in a series of lectures relating to the creative economy 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20 at Johnson Hall in Gardiner.

"Midcoast Magnet: attract, retain, connect" is the title of the discussion that will be lead by Noah Keteyian, Executive Director of Midcoast Magnet.

Now that we’ve caught on to the creative economy, what do we do with it? That’s a surprisingly common question these days. It’s also a question that drove a grassroots movement from discussion group to innovator in Maine economic development.

Midcoast Magnet is an organization that’s at the center of a regional effort to fire up the economy in the coastal and inland areas surrounding Rockland, Camden and Belfast. Keteyian will tell Midcoast Magnet’s story, touching on developing community support, confronting practical challenges and future expansion. For more information call Johnson Hall at 207/582-7144 or visit www.discoverkennebec.org

SACO-BIDDEFORD -- The Twin Cities Cultural Planning Committee is pleased to announce the completion of the Twin Cities Cultural Plan. This plan lays out a bold vision for using arts and cultural resources to promote the growth of a creative economy in the Saco-Biddeford area. A public presentation of the Twin Cities Cultural Plan will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2006.

The Twin Cities Cultural Planning Committee, comprised of more than 15 arts, cultural, educational, civic and business leaders in Saco and Biddeford, gathered a great deal of public input during the planning process. The Committee held public forum discussions, surveyed more than 60 local artists and craftspeople and more than 100 members of the general public, and staged "Milling About," a local arts and cultural showcase event that drew nearly 1,000 people to the North Dam Mill in Biddeford.

Specific recommendations made in the Cultural Plan include forming a "Creative Council" to oversee future events and programs, sponsoring public art projects, working to develop annual arts/cultural themes in the community, working with economic development interests to promote arts and culture as part of the area's appeal and developing a community cultural center. The Committee will now be taking on the name "Twin Cities Creative Council" as it implements the Cultural Plan.

The Cultural Plan has been, from its inception, a partnership between the cities of Biddeford and Saco. Mayor Mark Johnston of Saco comments: "I am delighted to see many groups coming together to showcase the cultural resources which are thriving in the Twin Cities." Biddeford Mayor Wallace Nutting adds: "The Cultural Plan provides both the foundation and the framework for the collaborative community efforts that will surely lead to fulfillment of our tremendous potential."

The plan will be presented to the public on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 9:00 AM by David Versel, Cultural Plan Project Coordinator, and Andrea Strassner, Director of the Saco Museum. A brief presentation will also be made by Alden C. Wilson, Director of the Maine Arts Commission. The event will be held in the showroom of Kilconn Creations, a custom leather products company located in the Riverdam Millyard at 24 Pearl Street in Biddeford. Following the presentation, Steven Sobol, owner of the Riverdam Millyard, will lead a brief tour of the facility.

To view a full copy of the Twin Cities Cultural Plan, please visit the project website at: www.twincitiescreative.org .

DIRECTIONS TO RIVERDAM MILLYARD, 24 PEARL STREET, BIDDEFORD:
From the South:
-Take Maine Turnpike Exit 32 (Biddeford), turn left at light onto Route 111 East
-Go about one mile, turn left onto Elm Street/Route 1 North
-Go about one mile, past traffic light at Main Street. Second street on right past Main Street is Pearl Street (just past Dunkin' Donuts on the
left)
-Go straight on Pearl Street all the way to its end at the Saco River. Building entrance will be marked.

From the North:
-Take Maine Turnpike Exit 36 (Saco/Old Orchard Beach). Exit puts you on I-195
-Take I-195 to second exit, Route 1 South towards Downtown Saco.
-Follow Route 1 through Saco, over Saco River and into Biddeford
-Pass under black railroad bridge and take first left past bridge on Lincoln Street
-Take first left onto Pearl Street. Go all the way to its end at the Saco River. Building entrance will be marked.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
David E. Versel, Project Coordinator
Twin Cities Creative Council
Tel (207) 590-8617
dversel@yahoo.com

The Directory of Maine Grantmakers, 5th Edition is now available. The Directory contains up-to-date profiles of more than 350 Maine grantmakers, Maine corporate foundations, corporate giving programs and grantmakers located outside of Maine that have a granting history in Maine.

Each listing includes selected information on grantmakers, such as staff contact, principal funding areas, application procedures and deadlines, sample grants, and financial data.
The Directory of Maine Grantmakers is the most comprehensive resource of its kind. It is designed to help public and private grantmakers and nonprofits identify common areas of interest. The Directory also contains a field of interest index and a guide for beginners.
The Directory is available to Maine Philanthropy Center members for $40 and nonmembers for $60.

To order visit MPC’s Web site at www.mainephilanthropy.org.

The Directory is also offered in an online version to MPC members. The Online Directory of Maine Grantmakers is a searchable format and is updated regularly. To learn more about the Online Directory and other MPC’s grantmaker and associate memberships benefits, please call 207.780.5039 or visit www.mainephilanthropy.org.

CONTACT:
General Inquiries
mpc@mainephilanthropy.org
Phone: 207-780-5039

GIRLS & INTERNET SAFETY: QUICKIE LUNCH-TIME SEMINAR EASES PARENTS’ FEARS

Rockland, Maine - Apr 10, 2006 Zoey’s Room, an interactive online community for ‘tween girls, is rapidly becoming a leading expert on girls’ issues stemming from the Internet, including cyber-bullying and the pitfalls of MySpace communication. Starting Thursday May 4 at 12 noon, and repeating every Thursday of that month, Erin Reilly, Executive Director of Zoey’s Room, will conduct a FREE half-hour online seminar titled “Internet Safety for Girls” with a virtual walk through the features of Zoey’s Room that are monitored and protected.

“Lately we’ve been hearing so many horror stories about Myspace and other chat rooms cropping up in the news,” said Reilly, “and parents and educators have admitted they know so little about this technology, they are afraid for their daughters to even use the Internet. I wanted to arm them with a little knowledge so they can teach their girls how to protect themselves. At the same time, I want parents and educators to know more about how Zoey's Room is keeping girls safe. And the way we’re going to do this is so easy and convenient. People can eat a sandwich at their desks while they’re logged into this web seminar.”

Reilly, who has more than 10 years of experience studying girls' issues and multimedia, co-founded Zoey’s Room with business partner Vinitha Nair in 2001. The program, geared to get girls into technology in Maine, has since spread nationally and has expanded to include math, engineering and science. Fewer than a dozen Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) websites are currently available online for ‘tween girls right now. Of them all, Zoey’s Room is the only character-driven website that features a multicultural character “Zoey” who appeals to both rural and urban ‘tweens. The website is being touted as one of the safest STEM interactive communities around. Its unique registration process ensures the identity of every single girl by verifying her identity twice, once with a parent, and second with a trusted school or organization. The chat room, which is the glue to get girls engaged in the site, is monitored every day after school and chat transcripts are reviewed daily by staff.

How do I sign up?Anyone who would like to register for this opportunity may email programzr@zoeysroom.com or call 207-594-1842 to specify which Thursday in May is preferred. Check out the home page of www.zoeysroom.com to see recent articles on MySpace.com and other Internet issues affecting girls.

Can't make this event...but I know a special girl in my life who'd love this program!Go to Zoey's Room and click on Join Now. Register and pay for that special girl online or download a paper registration and mail it in.
Take me to Zoey's Room...

About Platform Shoes Forum
Founded in 2003, http://www.platformshoes.org

MEDIA CONTACT:

Erin B. Reilly
Executive Director
email: erin@zoeysroom.com
phone: 207-594-1842

(Gardiner, Maine) Healthy Communities of the Capital Area will hold a forum on the built environment and its impact on health, particularly the health of young people.
– Local officials and public health experts will come together on April 19 for an open forum to discuss the many health issues facing children in the capital area that are related to community design.

Attendees will hear from Representative Lisa Miller on state initiatives, from Joan Orr, from the Maine Center from Public Health, on trends and approaches to addressing physical inactivity, from the Safe Routes to School initiative and local success stories.

“Designing Healthy Communities: Raising Healthy Kids” is the theme for this year’s National Public Health Week, April 3 to 9. During the month of April , the American Public Health Association and Healthy Communities of the Capital Area encourage residents to take action to change the built environment and improve kids’ heath.

WHO:
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area
WHAT:
Forum on Community Design and Children’s
Health and Annual Meeting

WHERE:
The William S Cohen Community Center
Town Farm Rd
Hallowell Maine

WHEN:
April 19, 2006 3:30 – 5:30 PM

For tips on designing healthy communities, visit the National Public Health Week Web site at www.nphw.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Shed
582-6738
s.shed@healthycommunitiesme.org

PORTLAND, Maine – The Community Resource Corps (CRC) announced today that under its $1.5 million AmeriCorps grant, it is seeking to place 43 full-time AmeriCorps members for fall placement. Applications from organizations that have the capacity to utilize an AmeriCorps member for a 1,700-hour, 11-month position are being accepted through May 5, 2006.

CRC has been granted $500,000 per year by the Maine Commission for Community Service to fund 43 AmeriCorps Members. Each member will serve one year with an organization committed to providing critical needs in the areas of youth service, preventative health care, affordable housing, domestic violence, energy conservation, and many others.

“In previous years the Community Resource Corps has funded 12 AmeriCorps members at youth serving organizations in southern Maine. We are pleased that this grant will allow us to expand our current AmeriCorps project statewide and extend it beyond the scope of youth service to include the many other needs of Maine people,” said Steve Niles, CRC Program Director.

AmeriCorps is a national service program with a large network of members and non-profits who work on meeting the country’s most critical community needs. AmeriCorps host sites typically have AmeriCorps members work on projects that will increase the capacity of the organization. Member activities include recruitment, management and retention of volunteers, community outreach and education, and strengthening the capacity of the organizations they serve. There is a cost share requirement per host site.

If you would like to learn more about sponsoring an AmeriCorps member, please call Sarah at 207-775-5891, ext. 448 or visit www.trcme.com/crc for more details.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Brady
AmeriCorps Program Coordinator
Training Resource Center
Phone: 207-775-5891, ext 448
sarah.brady@trcme.com

Next Business Breakfast Series Slated for April 13

WATERVILLE, March 30 — Thomas College, in partnership with the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, will hold the April edition of its Business Breakfast Series on Thursday, April 13.

The presentation, titled, “How to Improve Maine’s Economic Opportunities for Maine Businesses Through our State Legislature,” will illustrate how businesses can make a difference at the state level.

Edward McLaughlin, president and CEO of Alliance for Maine’s Future (AMF), will lead the discussion. McLaughlin will discuss MERI’s rating system that holds Maine’s legislators accountable in the business community by tracking their legislative votes. AMF is a get-out-to-vote organization that focuses on the education of workers.

The presentation will be held in the Atrium at Thomas’ Student Center building on the Thomas campus located at 180 West River Road in Waterville. The public is invited to attend. The event begins at 7:30 a.m.

The cost per person is $13 for members with advanced registration, $15 for members at the door and $18 for non-members. Contact the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce at 873-3315 or info@midmainechamber.com for registration information.

The sponsors for the Business Breakfast Series are: Boothby & Bartlett Insurance Company, Kennebec Federal Savings, PFBF Certified Public Accountants, UniTel Inc. and Weeks & Hutchins.

Thomas is a private, career-oriented college that prepares its students for careers in business, technology and education and guarantees employment within 90 days of graduation. For more information about Thomas, please visit www.thomas.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rhonda Morin
Director of Communications
Thomas College
180 West River Road
Waterville, ME 04901
Rhonda.Morin@thomas.edu
Phone 207-859-1221
Fax 207-859-1114
www.thomas.edu