In the wake of the September 2023 Port Clyde fire, our whole community experienced loss. Our neighbors were eagerly and desperately looking for a way to come together, support each other, and show support for those who lost their history and present. In response to this tragedy, community members approached the Community Development Corporation to create the Port Clyde Strong fund to support impacted community members. We recognize that needs may not be immediately apparent, so our intention is to distribute money to qualified applicants through October 2026 and donate any remaining funds to the St. George Volunteer Fire Department.

This fund is intended to provide short-term assistance to ensure St. George residents and business owners impacted by the September 2023 fires in Port Clyde have the necessities they require, such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, and medical assistance (including psychological counseling).  Assistance may also be provided in the form of cash grants for necessary services, which are paid directly to the service providers.  Funds are not distributed to individuals or families.  The type of aid that is appropriate depends on the applicant’s needs and available resources.  We can only provide disaster assistance to a business if the assistance is a reasonable means of accomplishing a charitable purpose, and any benefit to a private interest is incidental to accomplishing a charitable purpose. Qualified assistance payments do not include payments for expenses otherwise paid for by insurance or other reimbursements or income replacement payments, such as payments of lost wages, lost business income, or unemployment compensation.

Under established Federal rules, charitable funds cannot be distributed to individuals merely because they are disaster victims. Therefore, this fund will be distributed based on an objective evaluation of an application for assistance.   A diverse committee of community members will conduct a review of applications and will require final approval from the Community Development Corporation’s Board of Directors.  

Ensuring transparency and safeguarding the integrity of our fundraising efforts is paramount. To instill confidence in our valued donors, assuring them that their contributions are dedicated exclusively to the Port Clyde Strong fund, we have implemented a statement of commitment. We ask all hosts to complete a Letter of Commitment. To complete your commitment to the Port Clyde Strong Fund, please visit the following link: https://forms.gle/B4XPPFgrTkXSBUqp7

The St. George Volunteer Fire Department would absolutely love your support.  You can donate to them directly by mailing a check to PO Box 249, Tenants Harbor, ME 04860.

Under federal law, the Community Development Corporation must be given full control and authority over the use of donated funds, and contributors may not earmark funds for the benefit of a particular individual or family. The Community Development Corporation is responsible for taking into account the charitable purposes for which it was formed, the public benefit of its activities, and the specific needs and resources of each applicant when using its discretion to distribute its funds.

Our organization must maintain adequate records to show that the organization’s payments further our charitable purposes and that the individuals served are needy or distressed. We must maintain appropriate records to show that we have made distributions to individuals after appropriate needs assessments based on the recipients’ financial resources and physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Documentation will include the type of assistance provided, criteria for disbursing assistance, date, place, estimated number of victims assisted (individual names and addresses are not required), charitable purpose intended to be accomplished, and amount distributed on behalf of each recipient, and any relationship between a recipient and officers, directors, or committee members of, or substantial contributors to, the charitable organization, and, the composition of the selection committee approving the assistance will be noted.

Internal Revenue Code section 139 provides that qualified disaster relief payments from any source, including employers, reimbursing or paying individuals’ specified expenses in connection with qualified disasters are not taxable as income and are not subject to employment taxes or withholding.

Yes! The St. George Community Development Corporation is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a public charity under section 501 (c) (3) of the tax code. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our tax-exempt ID number is 82-1977455.  You will receive an email receipt with your donation information.