Supporter Stories -

Investing | Donating | Planned Giving

Be a part of our work, investing in Maine people, transforming Maine places, empowering Maine organizations

Download our new "Be a Part of Our Work" brochure

At Genesis, the question is not “Will this project work?” but “How can we work together to make this project work?”

Genesis enjoys the reputation of being resourceful and creative, dedicated and responsive to the needs of the organizations we serve. It is not just a fund that lends money to worthy projects, it also walks with groups - neighbors working hard to improve their communities - every step along the way.

“You don’t need big bucks to lend support to the Genesis Fund. We like giving what we can and seeing how it helps.” Genesis Donor

Your donations and investment loans make a difference in Maine communities:

     - expert assistance to non-profits

     - loans to community groups

     - support for Maine islands

(Click on the links above for an example
of how Genesis has made a difference.)

Investing

Anne Gass, a housing consultant who lives with her husband Richard Leavitt and two teenagers in Gray, has known about Genesis since its founding.

“At a certain point we realized, ‘Hey, we actually have some money to invest!’ To have the chance to do something socially responsible with our investments with an effective vehicle like Genesis is a great opportunity,” said Anne.

Richard, who is trained as a theoretical physicist, added, “We really like the idea of investing locally. By taking less return on our investment, we are also able to make a donation to support the work Genesis does.”

"Genesis provides a great opportunity to invest in something other than the stock market by offering an investor a human face. You can reach out and touch what you’re investing in right here in Maine.”
Anne Gass and Richard Leavitt
Gray

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Donating

When the residents of Vinalhaven decided to find a way to allow their frail elders to continue to live on the island, assistance from the Genesis Fund in navigating the complex arena of state funding and regulations helped the group develop the Ivan Calderwood Home. Jana and Charles Graves were a part of the effort.

“With its experience in developing elder care facilities in Lincoln County, Genesis was able to share its expertise as well as provide a loan to assist with construction,” Jana explained. “When we were asked to give to Genesis, donating was easy. We know our money is working on behalf of many good projects around the state.”


“Genesis combines generously shared expertise and competence along with the loan check. That really makes a difference for volunteer groups that don’t necessarily know where to start.”
Jana and Charles Graves
Vinalhaven

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Planned Giving

When George and Anna Shaw of Newcastle first moved to Maine, they spent time driving across the state to get better acquainted with their new home.

“Those trips helped us understand that there is more to Maine than the affluent coastal areas. We realized that
developing needed housing and assisting economically depressed communities is important work. That’s when we got involved with the Genesis Fund.

“Investing allows us the flexibility of recalling our funds every three years but by taking no interest we lend Genesis free money that can be invested in Maine communities again and again.”

“We are intrigued by the notion of investing instead of giving. Our investment became a planned gift when we made a provision in our will to forgive the indebtedness.”
George and Anna Shaw
Newcastle