Maine Rural Partners : Stengthening Our Rural Community
Key Affiliates
Maine Rural Partners is a vibrant network of diverse organizations and individuals working together to strengthen rural Maine. The contribution of each partner is highly valued but three official affiliations deserve particular mention.
The Maine Development Foundation (MDF) was created by the Governor and Maine State Legislature in 1978 as a private, non-profit corporation with a broad mandate to promote Maine's economy.MDF operates several programs that integrate closely with those of MRP, including the Maine Downtown Center, Leadership Maine, Economic Growth Council, Realize!Maine and the Policy Leaders Academy.
As an affiliate, Maine Rural Partners contributes to the accomplishment of MDF's overall mission with special attention focused on the more rural areas of the state. In return, MDF provides administrative, financial management and employer agent services to MRP. MDF and MRP work closely together to ensure that resources are used as effectively as possible to achieve our common goals. To learn more about MDF, visit www.mdf.org.
MRP is very appreciative of its University of Maine (UM) host department, the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center (MCSPC). MCSPC houses MRP's main office and maintains the close relationship with University resources formerly provided by U.M Cooperative Extension. MRP's close tie to the Policy Center provides ready access to UM's research and policy development resources. While a great deal of rural development research and community outreach is done through the Center, MRP's capacity building work is especially allied with a core Center program area of promoting effective citizenship. Maine Rural Partners and the MCSPC partner on providing a gateway for Maine's communities, entrepreneurs and policy makers to access University of Maine resources. To learn more about the MCSPC, visit www.umaine.edu/mcsc.
Maine Rural Partners is Maine's recognized state rural development council within the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP). Through its affiliation with the NRDP, MRP is able to advance policy initiatives requiring federal attention to Congress and share knowledge and experience with 36 other state rural development councils across rural America. Unfortunately funding for NRDP has been a low priority in recent years, lessening program effectiveness at that level. To retain network infrastructure, state councils have established an organization called Partners for Rural America (PRA). PRA is actively advancing the art of rural community building by sharing techniques used in various states. This activity directly supports MRP's Harness the Wealth! program. To learn more about the NRDP and visit links to other state rural development councils, visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/nrdp.