Nonprofits detail their needs for funding at Stonington public hearing
Feb. 3, 2026
By Steele Hays
STONINGTON—Requests by 13 nonprofit organizations for funding assistance in 2026 from the town of Stonington were the focus of a public hearing on Feb. 2. The “third party” requests total $79,472, a slight decrease from the 2025 total of $80,216.
Stonington voters will have the opportunity to vote on each individual request by secret ballot from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, Mar. 2, or by absentee ballot submitted by that date. Absentee ballots are available by request now from the town clerk. In-person voting will be at the town office.
No one at the hearing spoke in opposition to any organization’s request, but a number of attendees and select board members raised questions about the activities and programs the funding would support if approved, whether programs primarily benefited year-round town residents or summer visitors, and whether the current level of funding being offered by the town is sustainable.
Four of the nonprofit groups own real property that is exempted from taxation by the town, which is currently saving those organizations $20,733 each year.
“I will advocate starting to reduce these numbers because our taxes for the rest of us keep going up and we are feeling the pinch,” one attendee said.
The largest request is from the Stonington Public Library, which is asking for $25,000, the same level as last year. The library’s newly-hired director, Ethan Yankura, said all the key measures of demand for the library’s services are “moving sharply upward” and that the town’s funding is critically needed.
Nine of the nonprofits are requesting no increase in their support for 2026.
The largest increase is being requested by the Healthy Island Project (HIP), which provides meals for an average of 130 households each week, as well as a range of other nutrition assistance programs. Many of the recipients are senior citizens, according to HIP Director Rene Colson, the organization’s only full-time employee. The group is supported by more than 100 volunteers.
“Aging on an island in Maine is not easy, and it’s not getting any easier,” Colson said.
HIP is requesting $12,600, an increase from $9,000 in 2025, which is less than three percent of HIP’s total budget, Colson said.
Here is the complete list of the requests to be voted on:
American Red Cross - $750
Island Community Center - $13,000
Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County - $1,000
Opera House Arts - $7,500
Stonington Town Library - $25,000
Opiate-free Island Partnership - $5,000
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program - $1,400
Healthy Island Project - $12,600
Aroostook (formerly Downeast) Community Partners - $422
Eastern Area Agency on Aging - $3,500
Downeast Transportation - $800
Project Launch - $2,500
Island Workforce Housing - $6,000
