Mano en Mano Receives $5,000 Grant from Washington County Fund

MILBRIDGE, MAINE — Mano en Mano recently received a $5,000 grant from the Washington County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation to support capacity building and the hiring of a new summer intern. Over the past several years, Mano en Mano has strengthened its core offering of educational, outreach, and community-building programs, added new full-time staff positions, and designed, built, and opened Maine’s first affordable housing project for farmworkers, Hand in Hand Apartments. Throughout this time, the organization has honored donors’ intentions by keeping its administrative expenses to a minimum, channeling nearly all administrative tasks to only one staff position. This grant will allow Mano en Mano to build much needed administrative capacity that will extend well beyond the internship timeframe, align its policies and practices with the very best standards established by the Maine Association of Nonprofits, and begin the steps necessary to conduct a 5-year Community Needs Assessment this fall in collaboration with partner nonprofits and government agencies.

“Hiring an intern to learn about and develop our basic infrastructure as well as plan for a Community Needs Assessment will allow us to bring a set of unbiased eyes into the process which will help offer fresh ideas about ways we can better serve our constituency,” said Ian F. Yaffe, Mano en Mano’s Executive Director. Mano en Mano’s Nonprofit Management Intern, Taylor Escajeda, has had a busy first two weeks, spending time learning about the community, starting new projects, and immersing herself in the challenging world of nonprofit administration. Escajeda is a senior at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine where she is a History major and Teaching minor.

Mano en Mano was established to assist farmworkers in Washington County and foster a diverse community by building bridges of understanding and joy through programming. Its mission is to “build a stronger and more inclusive community in Downeast Maine by working with diverse populations to provide educational and affordable housing opportunities, remove barriers to healthcare and social services, and advocate for social justice.”

A statewide organization with offices in Ellsworth and Portland, the Maine Community Foundation partners with donors and nonprofits to strengthen Maine communities. The Washington County Fund is a competitive grant fund which supports projects that meet the following criteria: use of existing community resources, ability to strengthen community life, and sustainability. Awards are made by a regional committee comprised of community leaders throughout Washington County. This year is the Washington County Fund’s 25th anniversary.