Franklin County Community Development Corporation

Growing Businesses . . . Building Communities

324 Wells Street
Greenfield, MA 01301

Phone: (413) 774-7204
Fax: (413) 773-3562
www.fccdc.org

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WELCOME TO THE FRANKLIN COUNTY CDC! Since 1979, we have been working throughout the 30 towns of Franklin County and North Quabbin to increase employment opportunities and build a strong regional economy. Your success is our success! FCCDC is membership organization, open to all residents and businesses located in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region. Many local people participate in the work of the CDC by bringing us ideas, helping us to secure resources, and volunteering on our working committees. We are governed by a fifteen member Board of Directors elected by the membership at our Annual Meeting each November. As the oldest rural CDC in Massachusetts, we are one in a network of over 2000 CDCs nationally, all created by local people seeking to make their communities better places to live and work. We would like an opportunity to discuss how we could work together. Whether you have a current business, an idea, or some community issue, please contact us. Become a Member and Supporter! To join or make a donation on-line, click here. MISSION The purpose of the Franklin County Community Development Corporation is to stimulate a more vital, rural economy, to maximize community control over our future economic destiny, and to expand opportunities for low and moderate-income residents. GUIDING PRINCIPLES Community-Driven While the potential full community we serve covers the 26 towns of Franklin County plus 4 towns in the north Quabbin area, the individual communities we serve are both location based (for example, sub-regions, towns and villages) and communities of interest (for example, new entrepreneurs, small food processors, employees and employers). We are community-driven because we want to help residents and other stakeholders identify what they need and whether and how to use our resources and skill-sets to help them achieve it. We support economic development through community organizing methods, facilitating self-empowerment of individuals and local groups. We also apply a community-oriented focus to our own operations. Cooperation We believe in cooperation with all the towns across our service area and with all other public service oriented entities across our region. The CDC is an organization through which healthy things happen for the community and a vehicle for dreams, but not always the entity that carries out the support work. We believe in collaboration and other methods to work with organizations that have similar missions to ours. We are out in the communities and can act as a lead "vision-holder" across our service area, and thus aid other organizations in the area along with the people of the region. Sustainability We believe that the ability of a business to sustain itself is key, but also that the effect the business has on the environment and on the community is of great importance. As the CDC nurtures a business to become more successful in its bottom line, it needs to work with that business on plans to utilize community and environmental resources in healthy and sustainable ways for the long term. Diversity In terms of its programs, the CDC will not discriminate against any applicant. We also believe in programs that focus on the under-served. While under-served is often defined in economic terms, it may also be defined in relation to aspects like gender, ethnicity, age and geography. In terms of the composition of its board, committees and staff, the CDC will strive for a diversity of viewpoints that help us understand the community and people we serve. This can includes aspects of ethnicity, income level, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, geography, and skills and occupational background. Employment Choice We believe in creating, retaining and supporting jobs and entrepreneurial work that offer residents a choice of employment possibilities. High pay is important, but there should be options for enjoyment and self-fulfillment as well as economic gain. The concept of 'right livelihood', where people can select employment paths that meet their life needs the most, is an important one that we will strive to assist. WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES The CDC staff and consultants provide professional guidance and support to existing businesses and start-ups through individual meetings, workshops and classes. Assistance is available on business plan development, accounting, finance, marketing, sales, human resources, technology and environmental sustainability. The CDC provides an opportunity for business owners to build their capacity to make sound decisions that will launch or grow their businesses. For more information, click here. WE PROVIDE LOANS TO BUSINESSES LARGE AND SMALL The FCCDC has raised capital from public and private sources to provide "gap" financing for business start-ups and expansions. Since our beginning, we have provided over $7 million in financing to local businesses through over 250 loans. CDC borrowers have created or retained over 1400 jobs throughout Franklin County! We particularly seek to lend to manufacturing, agricultural and other natural resource based businesses, artisans, and retail or service businesses located in core downtown areas. Lending to businesses that will create or retain jobs for local residents is a priority. For more information, click here. WESTERN MASS FOOD PROCESSING CENTER - Complete Solutions for Food Producers and Entrepreneurs The mission of the Western Mass Food Processing Center is to promote economic development through entrepreneurship, provide opportunities for sustaining local agriculture, and promote best practices for food producers. We provide complete technical assistance, business planning, product development, distribution resources and manufacturing space for agricultural producers and growers making value-added products or preserving harvests for retail and wholesale, as well as for specialty and organic food producers. For more information, click here. FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING PROJECT Maximizing community control has been a main part of the CDC’s mission since 1979. It is with that in mind that encouraged us to accept ownership of the First National Bank Building in downtown Greenfield in November 2002 when Sebastian Ruggeri offered to donate it to the CDC. Since taking ownership the FCCDC has worked with many partners and has secured $950,000 for stabilizing and renovating the property. The current vision is to have several retail shops and possibly a restaurant in the building. This is in keeping with the CDC’s goal of assisting local small businesses. For more information, click here. Staff Board of Directors

Posting # 974 Expires: January 1, 2050