What We Do

OUR FOCUS AREAS

To fulfill its mission, VHCDP works in three primary areas, which will continue to evolve over time:

Economic Diversification

Business Planning, Advising, and Support

Support entrepreneurs interested in starting and expanding island businesses
Develop and manage a program of on-island volunteer business mentors
Support multi-business cross-collaborations

Grant and Loan Program

Connect community members with grants and loans for business and career development

Education and Engagement

Online Resource Hub

Develop an online resource hub of easy-to-access resources for business and career development

Host and Facilitate Workshops and Events

Facilitate and sponsor on-island workshops and training for career paths and new business development

School Partnerships

Support the Vinalhaven School and Partners in Education to help connect local students with business/entrepreneurial opportunities and civic involvement, including apprenticeships, internships, mentoring, and job shadowing.

Sustainable Development

Objective: Facilitate and support projects that build community resilience

Encourage investment initiatives supporting business development and community resources

Coordinate with and provide information to other groups and non-profits seeking to stimulate economic development and community facilities that will benefit island residents

Values & Guiding Principles

What we do is as important as how we do it. To that end we operate according to these values and principles:

Community

We work with our community to define and affirm our collective core values, aspirations, and challenges. We invest in people who share our community’s core values and seek to solve community challenges in ways that benefit the Community as a whole. We engage community members with diverse experiences and perspectives to collaboratively design and implement solutions that benefit our community as a whole and enhance quality of life.

Economic Diversity

We focus our time, energy, and money on projects and investments that acknowledge our changing future while honoring our community’s heritage and way of life.

Education

We invest in professional training and education at all levels and throughout one’s life, providing all residents with economic choices, and access to the support they need to thrive.

Resilience

We invest in projects with a short-term positive benefit and long-term positive impact for our residents, our economy, and our environment, and that strengthen our community’s ability to recover quickly from social, economic, and environmental disruptions.

Values