Form 990 for tax year 2024

Totals

Total revenue

$727,830

Total expenses

$684,304

Contributions and grants received

$351,280

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$374,863

Investment income

$1,687

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$363,714

Total liabilities, end of year

$188,928

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$174,786

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$496,477

Management and general expenses

$164,648

Fundraising expenses

$23,179

Program service expenses (Part III)

$496,477

Program services were 72.6% 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 · 2024

• 1) ADVOCACY TO SUPPORT SMART GROWTH PRINCIPLES. GROWSMART MAINE ENGAGES IN ADVOCACY AT THE STATE LEVEL, AS WELL AS LOCAL AND REGIONAL ADVOCACY WITH STATEWIDE IMPACT, WHILE SUPPORTING FEDERAL INITIATIVES THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS. IN FY 2025, GROWSMART CONVENED THE FIRST YEAR OF POLICY ACTION 2025, FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS OF 2025 AND 2026. CO-LED 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 AND PROVIDE INFORMATION 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. GROWSMART MAINE ADVOCATED FOR 14 BILLS AND PROVIDED TESTIMONY ON 9 BILLS RELATED TO FARMLAND PROTECTION AND FARM VIABILITY, RELATING TO SMART GROWTH PRINCIPLES.

  Expenses $350,297 · Revenue $52,790

• 2) PLANNING FOR AGRICULTURE THE THIRD YEAR OF OUR MULTI-YEAR "PLANNING FOR AG" PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST CONTINUES TO RESPOND TO THE ALARMING RATE OF FARMLAND LOSS IN MAINE TO "LOW-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT- OR SPRAWL. GROWSMART MAINE HELPS COMMUNITIES THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 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 DOWNEAST FOOD SYSTEMS PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES A PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPING JOINT GOALS AND PLANS, CONDUCTING OUTREACH TO FARMING COMMUNITIES, COORDINATING WITH RELEVANT ACTORS WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE REGION, AND ACCESSING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS THAT PROMOTE AN INCLUSIVE, INNOVATIVE, AND MORE INTEGRATED FOOD SYSTEM IN THE DOWNEAST REGION. 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 HAS ENROLLED EIGHT MUNICIPALITIES IN THE PROGRAM (MOUNT VERNON, ROME, VIENNA, AND WAYNE, LEEDS, HOULTON, PRESQUE ISLE, AND MEXICO), FACILITATED COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS IN EACH OF THESE TOWNS TO PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY NEEDS, AND HELPED THEM APPLY FOR FUNDING FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCY PROJECTS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ACTION GRANT. B.THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THIS PROGRAM, GROWSMART MAINE LAUNCHED TWO PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE AROOSTOOK HOUSING INITIATIVE AND HOUSING FORWARD COMMUNITIES. BOTH THESE PROGRAMS WORK WITH SELECTED TOWNS TO ADDRESS MAINE'S URGENT HOUSING NEEDS. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAMS IS FOR THE TOWNS TO BECOME PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING HOUSING CONCERNS, PROMOTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND EMPOWER RESIDENTS WITH INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF MUNICIPALITIES TO ADDRESS HOUSING CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS. C.BUILDING COMMUNITY STRENGTH GROWSMART ENGAGES WITH 10 RURAL TOWNS IN THE SECOND YEAR OF BUILDING COMMUNITY STRENGTH. WITH FUNDING FROM USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST, THE THREE-YEAR PROGRAM "BUILDING COMMUNITY STRENGTH" 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. THIS PAST YEAR, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TEN PARTICIPATING TOWNS TWICE MET IN PERSON FOR MULTI-DAY WORKSHOPS IN MACHIAS AND SKOWHEGAN. 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. 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 $61,259 · Revenue $99,688

• 3) KENNEBEC BROADBAND PARTNERSHIP THE KBP, FUNDED THROUGH THE MAINE CONNECTIVITY AUTHORITY, THE STATE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE TO ALL AREAS OF MAINE, IS DEDICATED TO HELPING PEOPLE IN KENNEBEC COUNTY ACCESS BROADBAND AND DIGITAL LITERACY. THE THIRD YEAR OF THE KENNEBEC BROADBAND PARTNERSHIP (KBP) BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2024. GROWSMART PROVIDED FUNDS FOR ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP IN LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTY, THE DISTRIBUTION OF FREE DEVICES, AND HELPED PEOPLE STAY SAFE ONLINE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE KBP PROVIDED 26,000 IN STIPENDS TO 7 ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY, TECH HELP, AND DEVICE PROCUREMENT, AND PROVIDED 47 DEVICES AT NO COST TO ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS. WE PARTNERED WITH LIBRARIES AND NONPROFITS TO PROVIDE DIGITAL NAVIGATOR SERVICES IN KENNEBEC COUNTY THROUGH MARCH 2025, SERVING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. THE KBP HELD 11 FRAUD AND SCAM PREVENTION PRESENTATIONS SERVING 131 ATTENDEES.

  Expenses $84,921 · Revenue $222,385

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

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

2024

Filed

22 January 2026

IRS schema version

2024v5.0

Source object

202620589349301012

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.