On the ferry this week I was discussing with other passengers the future of our local non-profit CCEDA - and how it may dissolve in the coming weeks or months.  This is due to declining board members, with no one to replace them. This came as a surprise to the folks I was talking to, and it may be a surprise to you too!

I was encouraged to reach out to you, the community, to give you the opportunity to express your interest for a continued CCEDA, which stands for the Cortes Community Economic Development Association - being the only non-profit on Cortes with the mandate to facilitate a strong local economy.

CCEDA has often struggled to effectively communicate its purpose, and many in the community are unaware of its existence.  It has often worked quietly behind the scenes getting stuff done, and is still a newish organization. It started off around 15 years ago with a different name - CIBATA, or the Cortes Island Business and Tourism Association, then was renamed and repurposed in 2017.  CCEDA made a splash with its 2018 Local Economic Action Plan or "LEAP" involving lots of community engagement to shape a 5-year economic plan. This plan was refreshed in 2024.

With the direction provided by LEAP, many successful projects were launched: 
- fundraising for Mansons vacant commercial lot: Village Commons
- Village Commons cleanup & community consultation in 2021/22 & fundraising
- site planning for Village Commons infrastructure & site gifted to the Cortes Foundation
- new Tourism Plan which enabled funding to hire a Tourism Coordinator
- new Passenger Transportation Study which enabled funding for two electric vehicles for on-demand transportation services (not yet officially announced but recently awarded!)
Assistance for businesses including: 
- Business Mentorship Services 
- Searchable new Business Directory for Cortes Island 
- Value-Added Wood products roadmap
- The Seafood Association

CCEDA's mandate is to support local, homegrown entrepreneurs within the "multiple bottom-line" meaning social equity, environmental sustainability, and overall community well-being. 

Yes, there are too many nonprofits on Cortes - we know this - with not enough board members to keep them all going comfortably. Many directors do "double duty" serving on multiple local non-profits, and we are grateful to all board directors for their service. To relieve pressure on volunteer directors, an idea that some nonprofits could be adopted by the Cortes Foundation has been floated, but not all might be a good fit.

If you are interested in helping strengthen the local Cortes economy in a way that also strengthens our community, please reach out to me in the next week or two at chamadaska[at]gmail.com.