Alumni Profile: Elaine Thomas

Elaine Thomas, ‘23, spent her time as an MBS student immersed in volunteer work for various local organizations. At UMaine, Elaine studied Management and Music and earned the Outstanding Graduating Student award for the Honors College. An internship at Heart of Maine United Way turned into a full-time job. She currently serves as the organization’s Senior Manager of Community Impact.

Why did you decide to attend the University of Maine?

I knew I wanted to live and work in Maine, so spending my time as an undergraduate making connections and gaining experience here made a lot of sense! It has been awesome to continue to grow and deepen the professional connections I started making in college.

What experience while in college most impacted your career success?

The internship that led to this job! I was the Grant Assistant and Community Impact Intern at HoMEUW three years ago during the beginning of our Strategic Investment grantmaking cycle, which is starting again this spring. I had the opportunity to learn all about the process and am excited to go into this cycle feeling prepared. Because of the connections I made during my internship, I was asked to return to the organization to lead some exciting projects. It’s hard to overstate the importance of that internship to the path that led me to this position, a true dream job for me.

Why did you choose non-profit work?

I had great experiences as a student researcher in the Honors College, working with NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in other countries, and then I spent my time interning and volunteering for various community organizations locally. I fell in love with building community relationships, working across sectors to address root causes of issues, and seeing the direct impact of my work—whether in Maine or Sierra Leone. My first job post-college was as the Microenterprise Development Program Manager of New Ventures of Maine, where I learned that I enjoyed program management. It’s really exciting to be part of the process at every stage: writing a grant, building a team, executing the work, and reporting results.

What are your key responsibilities in your current role, and what do you enjoy most about your position?

My main role is to implement our community impact vision at the local level. I write and manage grants, coordinate our grantmaking, build relationships with nonprofit partners, manage programs and initiatives, collect and analyze data, engage volunteers, organize donation drives, and support long-term strategic planning.

I love the work that I do! It is fast-paced, meaningful, and exciting. My favorite part is the connections I make with nonprofits in our six-county region. I get to learn about a lot of wonderful work through meeting many wonderful people! It gives me hope for our communities and motivates me to keep showing up with my best work and most positive mindset.

Story by: Andie Lovejoy