Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$513,715

Total expenses

$571,062

Contributions and grants received

$213,048

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$300,060

Investment income

$607

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$400,884

Total liabilities, end of year

$269,625

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$131,259

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$386,887

Management and general expenses

$160,390

Fundraising expenses

$23,785

Program service expenses (Part III)

$386,887

Program services were 67.7% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• 1)ADVOCACY TO SUPPORT SMART GROWTH PRINCIPLES. GROWSMART MAINE ENGAGES IN ADVOCACY AT THE STATE LEVEL, HOSTING LOCAL AND REGIONAL ADVOCACY WITH STATEWIDE IMPACT, WHILE SUPPORTING FEDERAL INITIATIVES IN PARTNERSHIPS. IN FY 2024, GROWSMART CONVENED THE SECOND YEAR OF POLICY ACTION 2023, ENCOMPASSING THE CALENDAR YEARS OF 2023 AND 2024. CO-LEAD WITH BUILD MAINE, THE GOAL IS TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO AND CREATE INCENTIVES FOR EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT STRENGTHEN DOWNTOWNS AND VILLAGES OF ALL SIZES WHILE PULLING DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE AWAY FROM PRODUCTIVE AND OPEN NATURE AREAS. THROUGH CROWDSOURCING AND AN OPEN PROCESS, A CROSS- SECTOR OF INTERESTS AND ORGANIZATIONS COME TOGETHER TO ADVOCATE FOR SHARED POLICY PRIORITIES. SUCCESS IS MEASURED IN SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATION, BUT ALSO IN HOSTING NECESSARY AND DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, AND BUILDING ADVOCACY CAPACITY WITH OUR ALLIES WHILE EXPANDING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN OUR NETWORKS ACROSS THE STATE. POLICY ACTION 2025: WITH LESSONS LEARNED FROM POLICY ACTION 2023, WE HOSTED THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS IN SPRING 2024 TO DEVELOP PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR POLICY ACTION 2025, FOR THE 132ND LEGISLATURE WHICH WILL CONVENE IN 2025 AND 2026. PLANNING FOR AG IS OUR ADVOCACY THAT PRIORITIZES FARMLAND PROTECTION AND FARM VIABILITY AS ESSENTIAL SMART GROWTH OUTCOMES EQUAL TO AND DIRECTLY RELATED TO DIRECTING GROWTH TO WHERE DEVELOPMENT MAKES SENSE FOR THE LONG TERM. GROWSMART TRACKED FOURTEEN BILLS AND PROVIDED TESTIMONY ON NINE OF THESE PROPOSALS, INCLUDING THE SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET. FEDERAL ADVOCACY: GROWSMART'S CEO PARTICIPATED IN A MARCH 2024 WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING ON BUILDING A BETTER MAINE, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPACT OF THE ARPA, BIL, AND IRA INVESTMENTS IN MAINE COMMUNITIES. AS A DOZEN MAINERS AND NEARLY A HUNDRED OTHER STATE-LEVEL LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE FOCUSED OUR COMMENTS ON INVESTMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION INCLUDING TRANSIT AND A WORKFORCE TRANSPORTATION PILOT, LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE, DIGITAL EQUITY, AND MUCH MORE, INCLUDING THE DOWNEAST MAINE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.

  Expenses $211,053 · Revenue $79,521

• 2)PLANNING FOR AGRICULTURE IN OCTOBER 2022, GROWSMART MAINE ENTERED INTO A MULTI-YEAR "PLANNING FOR AG" PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST IN RESPONSE TO THE ALARMING RATE OF FARMLAND LOSS IN MAINE AND ACROSS AMERICA TO "LOW-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT- OR SPRAWL. THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP, GROWSMART MAINE HELPS COMMUNITIES ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS, WITHOUT UNDOING THE GOOD WORK TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS, AND WITHOUT CREATING THE NEXT CRISIS OF ACCESS TO FARMLAND AND FOOD. THE PARTNERSHIP HAS PROVIDED A FRAMEWORK TO BROADEN OUR PARTNERSHIPS, EXPAND OUR PORTFOLIO OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, AND STRENGTHEN OUR CAPACITY BY HIRING A PART-TIME PROFESSIONAL PLANNER. THREE AREAS OF WORK FALL UNDER "PLANNING FOR AG:" A.THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PARTNERSHIP GROWSMART MAINE IS A SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PARTNERSHIP. THE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR POLICY INNOVATION AND THE FUTURE AS A PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MAINE WON'T WAIT MAINE'S FOUR-YEAR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. GROWSMART MAINE SUPPORTS MUNICIPALITIES TO ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM AND APPLY FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ACTION GRANT. WE SECURED GRANTS TO HELP ENROLL FOUR RURAL TOWNS IN CENTRAL MAINE - MOUNT VERNON, ROME, VIENNA, AND WAYNE - FACILITATING COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF LOCAL CHALLENGES AND PRIORITY ACTIONS. B.THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED WITHIN MAINE'S DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS IN THE STATE. GROWSMART MAINE RECEIVED A GRANT THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE TOWN OF BOWDOINHAM TO UPDATE ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WITH A FOCUS ON HOUSING, AGRICULTURE, AND FUTURE LAND USE. GROWSMART MAINE PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO REVISE LAND USE ORDINANCES. WHILE THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES DID NOT PASS AT THIS STAGE, THE UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY THE TOWN MEETING. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN. IN ADDITION, A SERIES OF STATEWIDE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WERE DEVELOPED AS A PART OF THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM. THIS INCLUDES WEBINARS ON ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS; SHORT TERM RENTALS; FARMING AND HOUSING; AND THE PUBLISHING OF SEVERAL COMMUNITY GUIDES. C.BUILDING COMMUNITY STRENGTH WITH FUNDING FROM USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST, THE THREE-YEAR PROGRAM "BUILDING COMMUNITY STRENGTH" WAS LAUNCHED AT THE GROWSMART MAINE SUMMIT IN OCTOBER 2023. THE PROGRAM IS A RESPONSE TO THE INTERLINKED CHALLENGES FACING RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS MAINE. TRAINEES FROM TEN PARTICIPATING MUNICIPALITIES TACKLE ISSUES SUCH AS CLIMATE RESILIENCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FARM VIABILITY AND FARMLAND PROTECTION, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM ALSO TRAINS PARTICIPANTS TO RESEARCH AND APPLY FOR STATE, FEDERAL, AND PRIVATE FUNDING. IN APRIL 2024, THE FIRST COHORT CONVENED FOR A MULTI-DAY WORKSHOP IN BANGOR. FOURTEEN TOWN MANAGERS, SELECT BOARD MEMBERS, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS FROM PARTICIPATING TOWNS GATHERED TO NETWORK AND LEARN FROM EACH OTHER. THEY MET WITH GROWSMART MAINE STAFF AND OTHER PARTNERS (INCLUDING SUNRISE COUNTY ECONOMIC COUNCIL, EASTERN MAINE DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION, NORTH STAR PLANNING, AND THE MUSSON GROUP) TO PARTICIPATE IN A SERIES OF SESSIONS FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY PLANNING. AT THE WORKSHOP, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF EACH COMMUNITY ALSO MET WITH STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS THROUGH A "SPEED-DATING" SESSION, GIVING THE COMMUNITY LEADERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO OUTLINE THEIR PRIORITIES IN ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS. WHILE THE PROGRAM OFFERS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, FUNDING, AND TRAINING, A KEY COMPONENT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NETWORKS AMONG TOWNS. "I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY LEADERS ON A RANGE OF TOPICS," SAID TIM ST. PETER OF PRESQUE ISLE. "IF I CAN LEARN FROM SOMEONE ELSE WHAT TO WATCH FOR AND AVOID, OR WHAT PROCESS WORKED FOR THEM AND BE ABLE TO APPLY IT TO OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT IS A SUCCESS." THE TOWNS ENROLLED IN THE BUILDING COMMUNITY STRENGTH PROGRAM ARE SITUATED ACROSS THE STATE: CALAIS, DANFORTH, ENFIELD, HOULTON, MACHIAS, MEXICO, PRESQUE ISLE, ROQUE BLUFFS, SKOWHEGAN, AND VAN BUREN.

  Expenses $31,029 · Revenue $72,500

• Withheld by Nonprofiteer: this text may name a private individual.

  Expenses $144,805 · Revenue $148,039

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here. A text marked withheld matched a screen for wording that may name a private individual, such as an honorific or "in memory of". Most of what it withholds names no one; it is withheld so that what does is never shown.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

21 January 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202510519349300826

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