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Good Shepherd Food Bank / Programs / Equity and Impact Funds / Cultural Celebrations Fund
A woman stands excitedly in front of a container of food

Equity & Impact Funds

Cultural Celebrations

Communities of color, Indigenous populations, refugees, immigrants, and asylum-seekers are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. This often results in unequal access to healthy, culturally significant foods for individuals and families. It also affects community celebrations and gatherings, pivotal in preserving and sustaining cultural identity.

Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine has partnered with Black Owned Maine to relaunch the Cultural Celebrations Fund as a pilot project to distribute grant funding through a community-driven grantmaking process. The objective is to extend support to under-resourced communities and/or those historically lacking access to Cultural Celebrations funding.

Applications are closed for 2024.

World Refugee Day 2022 - Celebration in Auburn/Lewiston, Maine

Application Information

Eligibility

  • Doing work primarily (95% or more) in the state of Maine
  • Seeking funding to support food costs at a recent or upcoming cultural celebration in Maine
  • Organizations or groups with 501c3 status OR a fiscal sponsor. (If you need help finding a fiscal sponsor, please contact us.)
  • Primarily led by communities of color, immigrants, asylum seekers, or refugees OR primarily serving communities of color, immigrants, asylum seekers, or refugees
  • See videos for more information on eligibility

Funding Level

Up to $5,000 per organization per year on a 12-month basis

Funding Priorities + FAQs

  • Your organization must be an officially registered 501c3 or be under the fiscal sponsorship of a 501c3. For-profit businesses and individuals are ineligible to apply. You must also provide your organization or fiscal sponsor’s EIN.
  • Funding is limited to $5,000 per organization per fiscal year. The Food Bank’s fiscal year is defined as July through June. If you have already received funds this fiscal year, you must wait until next year.
  • Applicants most recent Organizational Budget must be under $500,000
  • We prioritize organizations and communities that have
    • historically not accessed these funds
    • smaller or grassroots organizations that do not traditionally have access to funding
    • locations outside of Androscoggin and Cumberland counties
    • Events taking place between June 1, 2024, and August 30, 2024
    • Intended for free or low-cost events under $20
  • Funding is not guaranteed. It is dependent on how many applications we receive. Partial funding may be awarded.

Grantmaking Timeline

Round One

Closed, and funding has been allocated.

Round Two

Closed, and funding has been allocated.

Our Process

Applications will be internally reviewed by Black Owned Maine before being passed to a grant-making committee made up of Good Shepherd Food Bank and Black Owned Maine staff, as well as community members with lived experience and/or past grantees. The committee will make final decisions, and applicants will be notified of funding decisions the week of May 12, 2024. 

Applicants have the option to fill out the grant application via the online form or fillable PDF linked below. PDF should be emailed to rose@blackownedmaine.com.

Recognition: Thank you to Maine Initiatives and Maine Community Foundation for laying the foundation for a community-centric grant process.

Apply

Please see above for the deadline and details.

Contact Us

Please contact Khadija Ahmed at kahmed@gsfb.org or (517) 894-3098 or Rose Barboza at rose@blackownedmaine.com or (207) 849-0008 (via Whatsapp Only) for more information or questions.