BCDI Membership FAQs
Your membership allows us to connect people and places, and create partnerships around Bowdoinham and beyond.
In order to fulfill its mission and to carry out activities such as the loan/investment program, BCDI requires the broad support of the community. It is the community that will identify the needs to be addressed, as well as provide the resources to do so. With the basic structure in place (a Board of Directors, Screening Committee, bylaws, State of Maine registration, and Securities Administration support, etc.), BCDI seeks to broaden its membership. This is both an opportunity for neighbors to join in supporting their neighbors, and an essential part of meeting BCDI’s modest budget.
What does my membership pay for?
Annual membership goes toward covering the operational costs of the programs and projects that BCDI carries out. The aim is to keep these costs to a minimum, but at a level where the process itself is sustainable. In addition to memberships, BCDI aims to meet its budget through grants, fees for services, loan/investment interest differential, and outright donations. Memberships are an integral part of the mix.
What do I get for my membership?
The principle benefit to membership is supporting community: believing in the mission and vision of the organization, wanting to help shape and support its success, and gaining the satisfaction of seeing the greater Bowdoinham community flourish. Most important, you become BCDI. It is the membership that will shape the direction of the organization. Members are encouraged to attend the Annual Membership Meeting. It is the members of BCDI who are eligible to participate in the Neighbors Investing In Neighbors Loan/Investment Program (to apply for a loan and to invest in loan opportunities), and who are on the Board, Screening Committees, and the Advisory Group. Identifying community needs and suggesting ways to fill gaps is also an important role of the membership.
BCDI is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, therefore, your membership contribution may be tax deductible, as are any “bequests, devices, transfers, or gifts.”
How do I become a member?
Membership is annual, and fees are paid once per year. One can be a member at different levels of support, with all levels having equal say in the organization:
$10 – Member*
$25 – Participating Member
$50 – Supporting Member
$100 – Sustaining Member
$250 or more – Founding Member
*If you wish to become a member of BCDI and $10 is not possible, please let us know and an alternative solution will be found. No one will be excluded from participating!
Please join us and be as supportive as possible! You may join online with a credit card, PayPal, or checking account using the form below or you can download and print out the application form to mail it in with a check.
How do I pay by mail?
If you would like to contribute by cash or check, please mail in the membership application found here with your contribution, or fill it out below, hit submit, and we’ll have the info. when your contribution arrives to our mailbox!
BCDI
P.O. Box 343
Bowdoinham, ME 04008
How do I become a business member?
If you have a business or customers in Bowdoinham please consider becoming a business member of BCDI and help support programs and initiatives designed to strengthen Bowdoinham’s economy. Check out our “Business Members” page to learn more!
For further information, visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or contact us by e-mail at: bcdi.maine@gmail.com
Thank you for participating!