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.