CESA hand-up, not a hand-out.
Donors and business partners see their investment reflected directly in the young people we serve. Here's the whole picture — the numbers, the funders, and exactly what a gift builds. No PDF to download.
Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The first site in the county to route federal workforce dollars into youth work experience.
Federal, state, county and local support — validation you can't buy.
Six years of Changemakers. Every one of them ran real work — a register, a product line, a business.
We earn, we're granted, and we're given.
A resilient nonprofit doesn't lean on one source. CES runs on a deliberate mix — which is a big part of why the store and makerspace didn't just survive a pandemic that started days after we opened, but grew.
Earned income
The part most nonprofits don't have. CES generates real revenue and reinvests it in youth.
- Retail — the store on Main Street
- Rents — the Whittier Road event space
- Program fees
Public support
Support secured across every level of government — the validation behind everything else.
- Federal — DOL, and USDA Rural Development interest
- A Congressionally Directed Spending grant
- State grants & R&D manufacturing
- NBRC & WIOA workforce initiatives
Philanthropy
What pays for the part grants won't: the right professionals in the right roles.
- Foundation & program grants
- Corporate & individual donations
- Sponsorships
Into the people who make it work.
We learned the hard way that talent and creativity alone aren't enough. The structure matters, and the people delivering the program matter more. Not everyone can do this work — the right professionals in the right roles are what keep it authentic and worth a young person's time.
Grants tend to fund buildings and equipment. Philanthropy funds the mentor who shows up. That's why individual giving matters here even with government support behind us.
The documents.
CES believes transparency is how trust gets built, so we're committed to putting our numbers where anyone can see them. As our public filings and annual reporting come online, they'll live right here on this page — no download, no request form.
Tax status
501(c)(3) nonprofit
EIN
Available on request
IRS Form 990
On request · posting soon
Annual report
In preparation
Want the current financials before they're posted? Email info@cesmaine.org and we'll send them.
The five-year plan
Our growth is mapped against a five-year financial plan built with economic-development strategist Mason Bishop, covering all three sites: the Main Street retail store, the Whittier Road entrepreneurial campus and marketplace, and the Temple Road community housing. It's designed so youth participation stays free and accessible as we scale.
Trusted by the people who vet hardest.
Loan funds, federal programs and thirty Maine businesses have all put resources behind CES. Institutions don't do that on a feeling.
Now you know where it goes.
Straight into materials, mentors and a place for a young person. See it for yourself, then give.