About Maine West
In 2015 the trustees of the Betterment Fund challenged a group of local, state and regional nonprofits to explore and implement strategies to address systemic rural challenges in northern Oxford County through “increased collaboration across the conservation, education, health and economic sectors.”
With a focus in the Oxford Hills, River Valley and Bethel areas of northern Oxford County, Maine West partners committed to acting on the charge of the Betterment Trustees through network-based, collaborative approaches that:
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Today, Maine West is a partnership of 14 organizations collaborating across sectors to position communities in northern Oxford County as attractive and viable places to live, work, do business, and raise families. Partners envision a place where:
In pursuit of this vision, Maine West partners work together to advance work in three, cross-sector program areas:
- Residents and businesses benefit from universal, affordable broadband internet access,
- Students are engaged citizens with plans and pathways to meaningful futures,
- Community health and well-being is bolstered by conservation and recreation initiatives,
- Businesses are thriving and providing livable wage jobs to support Maine West residents.
In pursuit of this vision, Maine West partners work together to advance work in three, cross-sector program areas:
Guiding beliefs
Maine West partners’ collaborative work is guided by the following core beliefs:
- Effective cross-sector collaboration will improve outcomes for people, communities and the environment;
- Strong relationships and collaboration among project area communities will generate new opportunities to address regional issues;
- Increased investment is needed to secure long-term community benefits;
- Local and sector-specific work is important for its implicit value and as a testing ground for regional learning and replication;
- Learning together, across sectors and across communities, will build local capacity;
- Engaging people of all backgrounds, incomes and education levels is necessary to ensure work that is grounded and relevant to community well-being;
- The health of people and of the land are interrelated and must be addressed together;
- Systemic change takes time and requires both patience and experimentation.