Welcome to your daily briefing on nonprofit developments in Maine. Today we're covering 8 key stories including updates on maine nonprofit headlines, background & context. Let's dive in.
5 stories
The Maine Community Foundation has published links to recent grants from its competitive grant programs along with related news coverage.
ME nonprofit professionals can review which organizations and projects are being funded to inform their own grantseeking strategies.
All competitive grant programs from the Maine Community Foundation exclusively fund work in Maine that benefits people and communities in the state.
For ME nonprofit professionals, this represents a key funding source restricted to local impact work.
The Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission maintains a grants and funding resources page for organizations seeking financial support.
ME nonprofit professionals can access this centralized resource to identify potential funding opportunities for their programs and operations.
The Maine Association of Nonprofits has launched its 2026 survey on nonprofit wages and benefits.
This data helps ME nonprofit leaders benchmark compensation and retain talent in a competitive market.
Tax990 has published a guide covering how to start a nonprofit corporation in Maine, obtain tax-exempt status, and meet ME annual report requirements.
Maine nonprofit professionals need clear, state-specific guidance to maintain compliance and avoid lapses in corporate standing.
Reach professionals in this market
3 stories
Negligent-screening claims arise not from failing to have a screening policy, but from failing to follow the policy that exists. A documented policy with inconsistent enforcement is harder to defend than no policy at all, because the deviation is evidence of negligence.
Insurance carriers tighten coverage on organizations with screening-process gaps. The cost of consistent enforcement is small; the cost of a single uninvestigated incident can close the organization.
The IRS-recommended COI policy requires (1) annual disclosure by all directors and key employees, (2) a process for review of any disclosed conflict, (3) recusal procedures, and (4) documentation in board minutes. Policies that have only the disclosure form without the review and recusal process do not satisfy the recommendation.
A weak COI policy is a Schedule L disclosure waiting to happen, and Schedule L disclosures correlate with future IRS examination selection.
Unrelated business income tax applies when an activity is regularly carried on, is a trade or business, and is not substantially related to the exempt purpose. Common surprises: corporate-sponsored events with naming rights that look like advertising, affinity credit-card royalties that include co-marketing services, and gift-shop sales of items unrelated to the mission.
UBIT exposure can cost both tax and exempt status if the unrelated business becomes substantial. The line between sponsorship (excluded) and advertising (included) is narrow and case-specific.
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