Here are some links to several documents available from the meeting on March 21 to share with other members of your group.

Communication Tools for Maine Island Groups
- This manual covers communicating to multiple audiences
- Developing A Press Kit
- Getting your group’s news into print
- Sample press release
- Photo tips for publication and display
- Beyond print: electronic/web, displays, presentations, attention grabbers
- Press contact list for coastal Maine
- The Good Word List for thank you notes and promotion

Language for you to use
This language making the case for supporting the Maine islands comes from a Genesis grant application.  Please feel free to use it in any of your materials.

Legislative testimony delivered to the Taxation Committee on the local option real estate transfer tax bill, LD 762 by Genesis Fund Associate Director Liza Fleming-Ives and Christine Wolff, representing the Coalition for Coastal Workforce Housing

2005 Homeownership Facts from MaineHousing

Hope you find this information helpful. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch about how we can assist with your group’s communication efforts.

Heidi Shott
Communications Director
Genesis Community Loan Fund

The USDA – Rural Development program is working in Maine and across the country to connect rural communities to broadband transmission service to promote economic development, education, health, and safety.

On Wednesday, November 8^th, USDA Rural Development will host: A Broadband Symposium – Connecting Maine’s Future at the Spectacular Event Center in Bangor. This conference is an opportunity to learn about what it takes to bring broadband service to communities and businesses.

The USDA – Rural Development sponsors a grant program called Community Connect that provides financial assistance for the provision of broadband transmission service to currently unserved rural areas.

More information about the Community Connect grant program can be found at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/commconnect.htm.

Broadband Symposium Registration

Broadband Symposium Agenda

Reimbursement requests for RCDI grant activities are due quarterly. Second quarter requests should be submitted to the Genesis Fund office no later than Friday, January 5, 2007. Please use the form below to submit requests and be sure to include a narrative description of project activities.

This form requires the most recent version of Acrobat Reader. You may need to download a free copy of Acrobat Reader 7.0 at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

When you’ve completed the form, just click the button at the bottom of the page to send your response to Genesis.  

RCDI Reimbursement Request

Check out our new page (link to the right) with photos with links to news stories about work on the islands.

The following documents are available to help island participants create a written plan for using their RCDI funds. The summary provides an overview of eligible activities. The planning document asks guiding questions. All RCDI island participants are asked to submit a written plan to the Genesis Fund before project activities begin.

Please call Liza at (207) 563-6073 with questions.

Island Participant Planning Document

Island Participant Summary

Representatives from the eight islands named in the RCDI grant met on Thursday, July 13, at 12:30 p.m. at the Island Institute in Rockland.

Liza Fleming-Ives, associate director of the Genesis Fund, facilitated the meeting to explain the purpose of the grant and to answer questions about how grant funds can be used. Island representatives shared ideas and offered suggestions.

Meeting notes and a list of meeting participants are included below.

Meeting Minutes – July 13, 2006

Meeting Participant List – July 13, 2006

Island Affordable Housing Panel

Originally uploaded by heido1015.

Rudi Graf of Isle au Haut, Doug Boynton of Monhegan, and Terry Kelley of MDI and Ellsworth Housing Authority (along with Nancy Wuori of Islesboro not pictured) spoke to a group of about 100 residents of Maine islands and interested others at the first Island Affordable Housing Symposium. They shared their experiences in developing affordable housing on their respective islands.

The event was held at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center in Belfast on Friday and Saturday April 28 and 29. Friday evening's keynote was by John Abrams, a builder/author from Martha's Vineyard, who shared his community's experience in "People Preservation: The Local Approach to Community Housing."

This on-line forum is meant to assist and connect people who are working to sustain the year-round communities on eight Maine islands recently named as recipients of a $300,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI.). Please visit the "About Maine Islands Grant Forum" link to the right to find out more about The Genesis Fund's hope that building community on-line among Mainers with common concerns and goals will assist everyone engaged in the work of creating affordable housing and fostering economic development on the Maine islands.

No log-in or passwords needed to listen or participate.