Finance Authority of Maine

How much will you spend during this holiday season? How will you spend it? Holiday spending comes in many forms — some obvious, some not. ECMC Solutions, one of FAME's education partners, has tips for managing your holiday spending. Watch their webinar: https://lnkd.in/ep52CEg8

Your support is the best gift you can give small businesses this holiday season 🎁 Small Business Saturday is the perfect opportunity to shop at local businesses and make an impact in your community. What Maine small businesses will you be shopping at this holiday season? Comment below!

Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for our partners who help us make Maine people’s higher education and business dreams a reality. Our office is closed for the holiday and will reopen on Monday, December 2nd.

Need help managing your student loans? FAME has great news. In partnership with The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA), FAME offers FREE expert, neutral, and clear federal student loan advice. Borrowers can email FAME@freestudentloanadvice.org for help or learn more at https://lnkd.in/gwhxE2Vc

There’s no better feeling than helping others achieve their goals! When you share the advantages of a NextGen 529 account, your clients gain access to a range of benefits and features that make it a strong option for end-of-year investing. The gift of education can make a lasting impact on future generations. Learn more about opportunities for your clients here: https://lnkd.in/eMBNd9tU

We thank our veterans for their service today and every day. We're here to help you and your families with assistance with affording higher education and/or with business financing. Our office is closed today in observance of the holiday.

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center's On-Farm Milk Storage & Handling Grant is now open for applications! Maine dairy farmers can apply to receive funding for specialized equipment like milk storage tanks, milk pipeline, glycol chillers, milk loading systems, reclaim systems for water, cooling equipment, plate coolers/heat exchangers, and equipment installation costs. Projects funded by this grant will streamline milk handling and pick-up for both farmers and milk haulers, make milk storage and handling more efficient, improve on-farm food safety, and/or enhance milk quality. Grants are available to applicants in 11 northeast states, including Maine. Awards will range from $15,000 to $50,000 with a 25% cash or in-kind match requirement. Applications close on December 5, 2024, at 2 pm ET. FMI and to apply: https://lnkd.in/gwUmxnyr

Does your Maine business or startup have projects like content creation, market research, web development, or computer programming that could be executed by a team of vetted college students? The Foster Center for Innovation's Black Bear Consulting Corps program at UMaine is recruiting companies for their fifth round for winter/spring of 2025. Through BBCC, your company could have a team of 2-3 college students on a 5-week, 150-hr project at no cost to you. Deadline to apply is November 22nd! FMI and to apply: https://bit.ly/umainebbcc

We are excited to announce five additional funding agencies have joined the Maine Funding Network: Black Owned Maine, Community Concepts Finance Corp., Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center Business Hub, and Sunrise County Economic Council. See if you're a match for our network of provides by submitting a match request at MaineFundingNetwork.com

Congratulations to FAME’s College Access and Financial Education (CAFÉ) Team. The Maine Development Foundation (MDF) presented FAME’s CAFÉ Team with their Champion of Education and Workforce Development Award. The award is given in recognition to those who demonstrate exceptional leadership and dedication to strengthening the state’s economy and/or their community with efforts to attract and/or retain young people in Maine. FAME’s CAFÉ Team provides comprehensive college access and financial education services to Maine people. Feel free to contact them for more information or help: famemaine.com/contact