Support our efforts
Our work is supported by these local leaders:
Our Programs
We've selected four areas to focus our energy and begin making an impact. As we achieve success, we will expand into new areas with the help of our members, our neighbors, and our public officials. We encourage you to get engaged in these programs—for business members to become community leaders, and community members to invest in our future.
Think Local, Buy Local, Be Local: Our Think Local First program increases awareness about the personal, community and economic benefits of choosing local, independently owned businesses first. Campaigns and events include Independence Week, 10% Shift and Shift Your Shopping, Plaid Friday, Making the Connection speaker series, (H)EAT, and a business workshop series.
ReRootEd: Increasing the role local, independent businesses play in building and supporting a sustainable local food system on the Seacoast. Our projects include the Local Food Network, "Fishtival" and more.
Community Capital: Reinvesting local wealth through deposits and investments that support of our local, living economy. Programs include Bank Local and investor-business networking.
Local Economy Communities: We work with residents and public officials to establish a community preference for sustainable and equitable public policies, and to promote local purchasing, to make efforts to move the funds of the city to local banks, to increase local procurement, and to work with the school department to increase the percentage of local food in the schools.
There's more we can do, but our time in 2012 will be devoted to making an impact in these areas through our activities of education, connections and market development.
We encourage you to get involved. When working with each other, we keep the following Guiding Principles in mind:
- Consider it a journey: We are here to make progress together, each of us starting from where we’re at
- Keep an open mind: We have some answers, but not all—we are continuously learning from and sharing knowledge with others
- Have fun doing it! The best reason for all of this is the joy to be found working together. People want to be happy and creative.
- Take action: There is always room for a new idea—doing something well leads to more opportunities
- Be solution-oriented: Seek specific, practical, positive solutions with a can-do attitude.
- Measure results: Learn what works and how to do better.
- Lead by example: Say and do what we’re for, not what we’re against.
- Form partnerships: Work with others who share our vision, and support powerful partnerships that will help get us there faster.
- Be community-driven: Seek out diverse, grassroots leadership
- Consider the next generation in all that we see and do.
Click on the links at left to learn more, and sign up for our newsletter to stay involved.