Island Institute
Sam Vail is an experienced philanthropy officer and grant writer currently working at Island Institute since May 2022. Prior to this role, Sam operated as a carpenter under DBA Sam Vail for a brief period and served as the Director of Development at Georges River Land Trust from June 2020 to December 2021, where responsibilities included leading fundraising and marketing efforts to protect the 140,000-acre Georges River Watershed. Previously, Sam held the position of Director of Marketing and Development at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art from February 2018 to June 2020, focusing on fundraising initiatives to support contemporary art in Maine. Additionally, Sam worked as a Development Associate for the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association from February 2016 to February 2018, aiming to secure funding for the organization’s annual budget and capital campaign. Educationally, Sam earned a Bachelor’s degree in Writing from Hampshire College between 2011 and 2015.
Island Institute
The Island Institute works alongside Maine’s island and coastal leaders to build community sustainability in island and coastal communities and share solutions for addressing our coast’s most critical issues. While our work remains rooted in Maine, it has also expanded beyond our state through partnerships with coastal communities across the country and the world. With more than 150,000 year-round islanders in the U.S. alone, we see an opportunity to build a vast network through which we can exchange ideas and solutions to help address the challenges we all share. The critical needs of our coast are priorities that require coordinated resources and leadership over the coming decade and beyond. The Island Institute is well prepared to influence the greatest needs of our communities as we help propel the coast’s toughest conversations forward around economic, climate, and social resilience.