Who We Are and What We Believe
Our work is defined by a bold vision and foundational organizational mission, and framed by a guiding set of operational values rooted in achieving health equity across all components of our work.
Our Vision: We envision a Maine where all people and communities are healthy and well.
Communities across Maine will thrive when all people in Maine are able to lead healthy, productive, and purposeful lives. In this vision, all voices are heard, and all people have what they and their families need to be healthy and well.
Our Mission: To promote access to quality health care, especially for those who are uninsured and underserved, and improve the health of everyone in Maine.
MeHAF works with nonprofit partners and key leaders in the public and private sectors to advance initiatives and policies that help those who face barriers to access health care services and achieve optimal health. Each year we provide approximately $4 million in grant and program funding to support activities aligned with our mission.
Our Values: As Maine’s largest independent health philanthropy, our work is driven by six core values:
EQUITY. We believe that all people in Maine should have access to quality, affordable health care and have good health. We commit to working across services, systems, and sectors to achieve fair and just health outcomes for all. We strive to include and amplify the voices of people who are marginalized, under-represented, or underserved.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. We believe that we can learn from the insights and experiences of people in communities across Maine. We solicit a broad range of ideas and opinions to inform and shape our work, welcoming perspectives that challenge our assumptions and enhance our understanding. We strive to engage others with respect and humility and in ways that are culturally and linguistically competent. We understand that our knowledge will continue to grow as we learn from the expertise of others.
COLLABORATION. We believe that success depends on building honest and respectful relationships with partners from all sectors and by fostering shared purpose among and across communities, constituencies, and organizations throughout the state.
CREATIVITY. We believe that the best way to cultivate and fuel bold ideas is by supporting diverse organizations to build their own capacity and by bringing people together to explore new approaches to address common goals. We balance pursuit of specific strategies with a spirit of flexibility, recognizing that innovation lies in embracing opportunities and ideas generated by a variety of organizations and individuals.
TRANSFORMATION. We believe in approaches that build the decision-making power of individuals, families, and communities to engage in and ensure the quality, responsiveness, and sustainability of systems change. We acknowledge that advocacy is an important lever to bring about change. We support systems-level approaches that improve health care delivery, expand coverage, enhance quality, reduce costs, ensure access, and advance population health.
INTEGRITY. We believe in developing and disseminating objective information to foster shared learning and understanding. We elevate and promote successful approaches to improving the health of our priority populations. Individuals who are uninsured and underserved are included as organizational advisors and leaders. We evaluate our own work and are transparent about our accomplishments and the areas that need improvement. We ensure wise stewardship of the Foundation's financial resources and make strategic use of our human resources to achieve our mission.
