CAMDEN — United Midcoast Charities has recently earned a 2019 gold seal of transparency from GuideStar, a leading source of information about nonprofit organizations.

The gold seal, which UMC earned in 2018 and again this year, places UMC in the top .05% of nonprofit organizations listed on GuideStar’s website, according to UMC, in a news release.

UMC’s GuideStar profile shares in-depth information about the organization's goals, strategies, capabilities and progress. UMC’s recently released annual report is another example of the organization’s values of integrity, transparency, responsibility and service in action, said UMC Executive Director Megan Williams, in the release.

“UMC aims to model industry best practices, and being transparent about our finances, policies and procedures is an important part of the new UMC,” said Williams. “We facilitate a culture of shared learning and decision making so other organizations can gain wisdom from the updates we’ve made.”

By including information about our goals, strategies, capabilities, and vision, UMC’s gold seal profile on GuideStar.org highlights the difference we in our local communities, according to Williams.  

According to its website, GuideStar is used by more than nine million people to make intelligent decisions about the social sector, populates its nonprofit profiles with information from the Internal Revenue Service, nonprofits and partner organizations. GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. Foundation Center and GuideStar have joined forces to become a new nonprofit called Candid. Learn more at candid.org.

United Midcoast Charities, founded in 1942, is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to energize Midcoast Maine nonprofit agencies through finance and guidance, supporting a network of resources stronger than any single organization. Through a yearly grant application and review process, UMC funds agencies that primarily benefit residents of Knox and Waldo counties.

In 2018, the organization awarded grants totaling $500,000 to 44 local agencies.

More information is available at www.unitedmidcoastcharities.org.