ADVOCACY ALERT:
Cancelled Grant Puts Herb House at Risk
Tell Our Federal Delegation that Cultural Heritage Deserves Funding
Cultural organizations across Maine and the rest of the country are receiving notice that their awarded federal grants have been cancelled. Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village is one such organization.
A $750,000 Infrastructure and Capacity Building grant for the Shaker Herb House was made by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2022. We have independently raised more than $2 million toward the $3 million challenge, releasing more than $500,000 in grant funds. Today’s notice terminates the remaining $200,000 in committed grant funds with construction already underway. This comes on the heels of a recent $1.2 million loss to the Herb House project incurred when the 2025 spending bill unilaterally eliminated all Congressional funding for community projects.
The Herb House project aims to rehabilitate the 1796 building and establish a cultural center at the world’s only living Shaker community. The new cultural center is a multi-purpose hub for farming, agri-tourism, traditional arts, local farms, and aspiring entrepreneurs. The project is designed to serve nearly 30,000 annual visitors, and more than 100,000 Maine students reside within an hour’s drive.
This is just one example of what’s happening to preservation and community development projects here in Maine and across the country.
TAKE ACTION
Call Upon Our Elected Officials
Mainers… Call Senator Collins, Senator King, and either Representative Pingree or Representative Golden to let them know that funding for our cultural institutions is a priority for you.
Ask them to restore funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services by 5pm today!
Contact Sen. Susan Collins
Contact Sen. Angus King
Contact Rep. Chellie Pingree
Contact Rep. Jared Golden
For our out-of-state supporters… please follow this link and find your Congressional leaders and let them know this matters to you!
Please act quickly, time is running out!
Join us in supporting this project by making a tax-deductible contribution at maineshakers.com/donate
Learn more about this history-making project and find out how you can help at maineshakers.com/capital-campaign
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