The people of Lewiston gave out of grief and charity after the horrific October 25, 2023 massacre, only to learn that nearly $1.9 million raised for community recovery was parceled out to local nonprofits — a move that has residents demanding answers and state officials opening a probe. Mainstream outlets and local reporters have spotlighted the controversy as Anger grows that donations meant to help victims and families were redirected without clear notice to donors.
According to the Maine Community Foundation, the Broad Recovery & Organizations Fund disbursed $1,900,132 to 29 organizations, with each nonprofit receiving roughly $65,522. That distribution, announced in April 2024, looks neat on paper but has many in Lewiston asking why money raised in the shadow of a massacre didn’t stay strictly focused on those who suffered most.
The foundation also reports that it raised more than $6 million across two funds, directing about $4.7 million to victims, heirs, and survivors while allocating the rest to community organizations — a split that has not sat well with many donors who believed their contributions would go entirely to victims. Critics point to the steering committee process that selected recipients and have highlighted apparent conflicts of interest where committee members represented groups that received grants, fueling charges of insider dealing.
Local watchdogs and national victim-advocacy groups have pressed for a formal review, and the One in Five Foundation and others have pushed the Maine Attorney General’s office to examine whether donors were misled about fund use. Those directly affected by the tragedy say they were promised help and instead found a web of referrals, small gift cards, and the appearance of money flowing to organizations with agendas unrelated to direct victim care.
Worse still, reporting shows at least one recipient of the Lewiston funds has been accused of unrelated alleged fraud, a development that should send shivers through anyone who believes in accountability for tax-exempt organizations. When donations are treated like discretionary slush funds for well-connected nonprofits, hardworking Americans who open their wallets in a crisis are being robbed of both their money and their trust.
This is a moment for common-sense oversight, not platitudes from nonprofit elites. The Attorney General must conduct a full, transparent audit, any steering committee conflicts must be disclosed and examined, and the Maine Community Foundation — and every charity in this position — must adopt ironclad donor-notification rules so contributors know exactly how their dollars will be used. The people who gave after Lewiston’s darkest day deserve nothing less than the truth and accountability.
