LEWISTON, Maine — The campaign for gubernatorial candidate David Jones is raising new questions about how millions in charitable donations tied to the Lewiston mass shooting were distributed, alleging that tens of thousands of dollars went to immigrant-focused nonprofits that already had stable funding streams, rather than directly to victims and their families.
In a press release issued Thursday, the Jones campaign said it uncovered that several organizations, including Gateway Community Services Maine, received $65,522 each from the Maine Community Foundation’s Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund, even though those groups were already supported by established grant programs .
The Maine Community Foundation (MCF), one of the largest charitable institutions in the state, raised $6.6 million after the Oct. 25, 2023 shooting that killed 18 and wounded 13. According to the campaign, $4.7 million went to 162 victims, survivors, and families. The remaining $1.9 million was distributed to 29 local nonprofits through what was called the Broad Recovery & Organizations Fund, with each organization receiving roughly $65,522 for “community healing” efforts .
The campaign alleges that at least nine of the recipient organizations primarily serve immigrant communities and were not directly connected to the shooting victims. Among the groups named were Gateway Community Services Maine, Empowered Immigrant Women Unite, Generational Noor, New Mainers Public Health Initiative, and the Somali Bantu Community Association .
According to the release, representatives from Gateway Community Services Maine and the Somali Bantu Community Association served on the steering committee that recommended recipients for the Broad Recovery and Organizations Fund, including their own organizations, raising what the campaign described as ethical concerns .
The Jones campaign further pointed to the Maine Initiatives Immigrant-Led Organizations Fund, which awards approximately $500,000 annually in multi-year, unrestricted grants to immigrant-led nonprofits. Gateway and Empowered Immigrant Women Unite are listed among 2025 grantees and receive general operating support of $45,000 or more per three-year cycle .
Maine Initiatives partners with MaineShare, a statewide donation portal that supports dozens of similar organizations, providing additional avenues for independent fundraising .
Nathan Davis, Gateway’s director of programs, sat on the 10-member volunteer steering committee that recommended recipients. Other committee members included representatives from additional grant-receiving groups such as the Somali Bantu Community Association and Tree Street Youth .
The Maine Community Foundation has previously stated that committee members were selected for their expertise and that all grants met criteria related to trauma support. A 2024 review by the Maine Attorney General found no wrongdoing and noted that donors had the option to direct contributions either to individual victims or to broader recovery efforts .
Still, survivors and their advocates have continued to question the allocation of funds.
“Victims needed every dollar first,” Jones said in the release. “These organizations unrelated to the victims have other funding streams through Maine Initiatives and similar programs. These unrelated organizations need to give the money back to the people who need it. If they don’t it shortchanges those who lost loved ones or live with lifelong injuries. These people still have medical debt and bills to pay.”
The campaign argues that if the nonprofits returned the funds, the organizations would still remain financially stable through continued support from Maine Initiatives and the MaineShare network, which is set to continue its Immigrant-Led Organizations grant fund into 2026 .
The allocation of the Response Fund has become a flashpoint at recent Lewiston City Council meetings and remains unresolved . The Jones campaign is calling for greater transparency and an independent investigation into how the funds were distributed.
