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Friday, July 29, 2011

Why Are Nonprofit So Popular in Martha's Vineyard?

Even if you've never been there, you have surely heard of Martha's Vineyard.  Located south of Cape Cod, the island is a top vacation spot for tourists all over the country (and the world) in the summer.  Perhaps you are already planning on taking a vacation there this year.  Well here's something you might not know about this little island: It is home to a ton of nonprofit organizations.  They make up 13 percent of the island's GDP, a staggering number by any standard.

In a recent article in Martha's Vineyard Magazine, Peter Temple of Martha's Vineyard Donors Collaborative (MVDC) discusses why nonprofits are so popular on the island.  There are a number of reasons, but Temple highlights one in particular: There are many philanthropic issues that need attention there.  For such an idyllic location, there are many distressing statistics that hang over the Vineyard.  This includes an off-season unemployment rate of over 13 percent, median incomes that are 27 percent lower than the state average, and a major shortage of affordable housing.  This has been mainly a result of the huge population growth that the island has seen recently. 

With such troubling issues hitting Martha's Vineyard, it's no wonder that nonprofits have found a lot of important work to do there.  You can read the full article at MVMagazine.com to learn more about what MVDC does, and the relationship between not-for-profits and the island.

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