BANGOR – Maine Women’s Fund, a public foundation dedicated to advancing the political, economic and social equality of women and girls in Maine, is accepting applications for the New Girls Network, a nine-month leadership program for women in their 20s and 30s.

Participants will meet once a month to discuss topics related to leadership, philanthropy, activism and feminism, and to explore how to lead through volunteering and board service. The program also offers opportunities to build professional networks among New Girls, businesswomen, nonprofit professionals, corporate and community leaders and philanthropists.

The network appeals to women such as Jennifer Eastman, a community-minded, 30-something attorney and mother of two. She moved to Bangor in 2003 with her husband and son to begin her legal career at Eaton Peabody, raise her family in Maine’s beautiful environment and become a part of a community where she believed she could make a difference.

She joined the New Girls Network to get to know other local women who were interested in living out their values.

“The New Girls Network helped me focus my philanthropic values on the issues that matter most to me. Being a part of the New Girls Network made philanthropy feel so personal and tangible. I know I will continue to invest my time and money in local nonprofits because of the personal and communal rewards charitable giving creates. I can’t speak highly enough about my experience and the wonderful women I have befriended through this program,” said Eastman.

The 2007-2008 New Girls’ Network program begins in September in Bangor, Portland and Brunswick. Program fees are offered on a sliding scale, from $250 to $500. A $50 registration fee is required by Saturday, Sept. 15, or when classes are filled.

Women who are interested in learning more about the NGN program may visit www.mainewomensfund.org/programs/newgirls.php, e-mail Anna@mainewomensfund.org or call 774-5513.

The New Girls’ Network is one way the Maine Women’s Fund invests in women and girls and helps women lead in the professional, civic and personal arenas of their lives. To date, the Maine Women’s Fund has granted $1.4 million to nonprofits that are solving some of Maine’s most pressing problems by engaging women and girls. To learn more and sign up for the e-newsletters, visit www.mainewomensfund.org.