Courtesy / Heart of Ellsworth
Hannah Horecka, owner of Quiet Strength Yoga in downtown Ellsworth, won a $1,000 grant from Heart of Ellsworth to boost her business.
Updated: December 15, 2021
11 Ellsworth entrepreneurs and businesses receive downtown grants
Courtesy / Heart of Ellsworth
MacRevival + Archangel in downtown Ellsworth was one of 11 recipients in the Heart of Ellsworth's 2021 Downtown Grants program. Seen here is MacRevival’s owner, Tom Beal.
A growing portion of grant funding and applicants, supported by an expanding partnership of community banks, tells a story of how local investment can make an impact for a downtown business community.
That was the case in Ellsworth this year, when the Heart of Ellsworth’s 2021 Downtown Grants program more than doubled its awards with the help of four community banks and one supporting bank, said the nonprofit’s executive director, Cara Romano.
“These five banks have chosen to reinvest in the community they do business in,” Romano said. “It's inspiring to see them join together, creating a larger pool of resources for established and aspiring entrepreneurs. Programs like this provide a platform for our work to deeply impact the local economy.”
Heart of Ellsworth is a nonprofit representing downtown Ellsworth merchants.
Diversify and expand
The grant program started in 2020 with $4,500, through the support of Machias Savings Bank, which has a branch in Ellsworth.
This year, Machias Savings was joined by three other community banks with Ellsworth branches — Bangor Federal Credit Union, First National Bank and Franklin Savings Bank. The project also received support from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. Together, they contributed $11,000.
Grants of $1,000 each were made to 11 downtown Ellsworth businesses and entrepreneurs:
- Anchored Women's Health
- Cute Knits
- Downeast Specialty Bakery
- Fogtown Brewing Co.
- Honey In That Rock Cider Co.
- Little Red Flower Truck
- MacRevival + Archangel
- Nisa Jewelry
- Precipice Coffee
- Quiet Strength Yoga
- Sara Grover McDougall
The money will be used for entrepreneurial projects to develop additional revenue streams and boost long-term sustainability, said Romano.
"We are excited to see creative downtown business owners expand their offerings through the development of alternative revenue streams that will build capacity and expand the knowledge base, making their business sustainable for years to come,” she said.
The projects are expected to be completed by late winter of 2022.
Altogether, there were 22 applicants, double the number last year.
“We were pleased with the range of applications, and while it was difficult not funding them all, we now have a deeper understanding of small business needs and can work to build out the 2022 program with additional resources,” Romano said.
Applications mostly focused on diversifying revenue streams and business expansion.
For example, two projects — by Fogtown Brewing and Honey In That Rock Cider — focused on the development of hard cider. The project connects with an annual event organized by Heart of Ellsworth, called the Downeast Cider and Cheese Festival.
A bakery is looking to identify ways to expand its product line and a women’s health center will use the grant to plan its growth over the coming year.
Community banking
The idea behind building the grant program, said Romano, is to offer business owners and entrepreneurs a needed resource and to connect them with the community banking ecosystem.
“Part of the messaging to grant applicants is the nuances of local banks versus larger financial institutions managed by folks in larger cities,” said Romano. “We always talk about shopping locally; as consumers and entrepreneurs, we need to think about local banking.”
She added, “Community banks reinvest in the communities they do business in at a much higher rate than other financial institutions. When they join together, the effect is more significant on a local economy.”
Outcomes from the inaugural 2020 grants were heavily focused on technology improvements in response to the pandemic. Many downtown businesses, for example, didn’t have websites that provided for services such as online ordering. For example, one recipient was Morton’s Moo, an ice cream maker, which used the grant to build out its website with product, ordering and delivery information.
Downtown revitalization
The grant program comes at a time when downtown Ellsworth is seeing significant business investment, Romano said.
“Between 2020 and this year, we had more than 15 businesses that either changed hands or new businesses that started up in downtown,” she said. “We had our finger on the pulse, tracking that information.”
That activity was recognized last year, when Heart of Ellsworth joined other community organizations across the state in the Maine Downtown Center Affiliate Program, a program of the Maine Development Foundation in Hallowell.
Affiliates typically are in the early stages of downtown revitalization and through the program receive training, share best practices and network with peers around the state. In a news release announcing the designation, Ellsworth was recognized for downtown assets that include significant historic buildings, a vibrant theater and downtown business community and a community that is committed to preserving the downtown.
For more information about Heart of Ellsworth and its programs, click here.
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