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By Steven R. Woods Monday, September 18, 2006

Our cultural institutions, community organizations and other nonprofits are vital to the quality of life across Maine.

They are critical to our ability to both retain and continue attracting the best and the brightest - the people we need to launch or move companies here, and to work and live here.

To allow these nonprofits to continue to thrive in the face of public funding challenges, crucial individual and corporate financial support is only one piece of the puzzle. On a day-in, day-out level, Maine's nonprofit organizations rely on individual interaction and participation, both as volunteers and patrons.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Our community's present and future prosperity is determined, in large part, by quality of life as defined by healthy and vibrant nonprofits. Current statewide efforts to promote the growth of the "creative economy" also look to harness what has been a part of Maine life for many years.

Announcing the creation of a permanent Creative Economy Council in his 2005 State of the State address, Gov. Baldacci mentioned that museums and theaters are economic anchors in Maine's rural communities, and that arts education enhances learning in all areas.

Part of stimulating the growth of this creative economy is, no doubt, realizing what value already exists and is perhaps underexposed.

In his book, "Rise of the Creative Class," Richard Florida showed how a "creative class" can transform a community into a thriving, vibrant place, and that the "people climate" is often more important than the "business climate" to companies recruiting workers. An emphasis on quality of life values attracts "creative class" workers who attract businesses seeking these employees.

Such inspired economic growth will help to retain the many highly creative workers who are often forced move on to larger markets to fulfill their career dreams, providing more options in Maine within all professional fields.

It is important to look at other instances where the quality of life is also partially defined by the health of its nonprofits. Though a different set of circumstances, the Puget Sound Regional Council in Washington state has established a Prosperity Partnership to address quality of life issues raised by the prospect of adding 100,000 new jobs to its region, a "problem" any region would be happy to have.

Its August 2005 report concluded, "The well-educated, highly talented employees from around the world that businesses need to become competitive will only live here if the region is an attractive, humane and creative place to live, work and raise a family . . . The nonprofit sector must be robust to produce services and social capital that guarantee broad-based prosperity."

Social capital is the collective value of "social networks" such as neighborhood watch groups, clubs and chambers of commerce. Social capital also includes the natural human warmth that infuses these networks and the mutual trust, cooperation and information that flow through them.

Social capital connects, and it creates value. Supporting nonprofits is not merely charitable giving; it is also an investment in Portland, in Maine, in the people and institutions that comprise our local community.

CHANCE TO CONTRIBUTE

It is an opportunity for us to act on our individual values, and almost always provides an experience of substantial emotional or intellectual worth.

Having just completed KeyBank Maine's annual "Neighbors Make the Difference Day," I am reminded again of how crucial it is to Maine's growth that the local business community continues to promote individual involvement with community and cultural organizations.

We must elevate these quality-of-life organizations as we look to promote the southern Maine region to businesses that may invest, expand and relocate here.

Striving to achieve ideals, nonprofits are an essential piece of greater prosperity, and we should all support them in any way that we can.