About Engage Maine


Over the past two years, more than 100 progressive Maine leaders, nonprofit organizations and allies have joined together to create an agenda for action based on shared goals and principles. This effort is part of the new momentum across the country to restore democracy and the will of the people and will create a better future for Mainers.

Engage Maine is a growing nonpartisan partnership of organizations, activists and allies that is adding value to the progressive public policy and advocacy work already being done in Maine.  With targeted research, a carefully developed framing and messaging strategy, sophisticated civic engagement tools, and policy and leadership development, Engage Maine will lead the way in establishing a status quo that values people and the environment while making the best use of finite resources.

Engage Maine is designed to strengthen existing organizations, to build new capacity where gaps exist, to enhance and interconnect existing advocacy organizations, and to expand partnerships with funders. Engage Maine seeks to secure lasting change in Maine through:

  1. Sophisticated research and analysis to ensure that action plans are driven by strategies grounded in sound research, a comprehensive statewide civic participation voter file, and polling and focus group data.
  2. Strategic communications and policy programs to articulate a compelling vision for progressive change and an ambitious series of coordinated training and media campaigns to advance that vision.
  3. Civic engagement and organizing that will use research data, voter-file, polling and focus group data, media and leadership training to dramatically expand the numbers of citizens actively engaged in issue education and policy change.
  4. Building strong organizations and recruiting new leadership by providing training and technical assistance to identify and groom new nonprofit sector leadership and candidates for public office.


Engage Maine has evolved with the support of a growing number of foundation and individual supporters willing to provide the “venture capital” to develop a comprehensive strategy and tactical plan.  As a result, staff and consultants have developed new tools and trainings in the areas of research, framing and messaging concepts, and policy and leadership development.

Engage Maine is now ready to share its three-year plan with the broader community and invite others to support its vision.  We invite you to learn more about our plans and join us in bringing Engage Maine to full scale. 

With your support this year, we will:

  1. Develop a presence in the current session of the Maine Legislature with regular issues briefs that highlight progressive solutions to public problems.  These briefs will call attention to progressive initiatives and demonstrate that progressive advocates are organized and united across traditional policy silos.
  2. Hire a nationally-recognized communications consultant to work with Engage ME to collect and synthesize empirical research on how to communicate the value of our public structures, develop a communications plan, and execute that plan.
  3. With our table partners, revitalize citizen engagement in targeted Maine communities.

Together, we can build a future that is just and fair.
 

"How can we not do our best to make Engage Maine work when so much is at stake? This project offers real promise to bring enviros, health care, women's rights, civil and children's rights advocates – all of us – to the table to make Maine a better place."