Democracy Maine Files Suit to Release Federal Government Grant Funding

Augusta, ME — Yesterday, Democracy Maine — a collaboration of the League of Women Voters of Maine Education Fund, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, and Maine Students Vote — filed suit with a nationwide coalition of nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations in federal court after being stripped of an AmeriCorps planning grant. 

Democracy Maine was awarded a one-year grant from the federal government to develop civic education and engagement programs focused on rural counties where young people are especially disconnected from their communities and their government. Democracy Maine is one of several plaintiffs joining the lawsuit filed in the District of Maryland to fight the unlawful blanket termination of AmeriCorps grants.

“The federal government flat-out cancelling grant money we were expecting to receive is not only illegal, but also directly hurts Mainers and our communities where we provide services,” said Anna Kellar, Executive Director of Democracy Maine. “I cannot fathom why our government officials would want to cancel crucial community service activities — unless the goal is harming the American people. We urge the court to reverse this policy and release our already-granted funding so we can continue to do the civic education work that is so central to our mission.”

AmeriCorps is the federal agency for volunteer service, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding for necessary state and community service projects. AmeriCorps members serve communities in all fifty states, US territories, and DC. Their programs provide a variety of necessary opportunities, including education access, housing support, youth mentorship, elder care, and land conservation. Dismantling the nation’s flagship civil service program will directly harm some of our most vulnerable communities across Maine.

Democracy Maine works to make government more equitable, inclusive, and accessible by increasing civic engagement, especially for young people in rural areas of the state. Democracy Maine is a collaboration between three nonpartisan organizations — League of Women Voters of Maine, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, and Maine Students Vote.