M.O.V.E. Gulf Coast Community Development Corporation

M.O.V.E. (Making Opportunities Viable for Everyone) Gulf Coast Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization that builds collaborative partnerships with businesses, governments and other nonprofits to create a supportive economic development ecosystem that grows the businesses and socio-economic capacity of entrepreneurs and workers in historically under-served communities in the cities of Mobile and Prichard, Alabama.

M.O.V.E. Gulf Coast CDC’s MISSION is to transform under-served communities by closing long-standing gaps between them and the general population. M.O.V.E.’s GOALS include laying the foundations for economic growth — financial literacy, minority entrepreneurial and business development, workforce development and international trade — that generate revenues, create living-wage jobs, and build the community’s tax base. Economically stronger communities support families and create improvements in education, housing, environmental resiliency, health and other quality-of-life factors.

Our Approach to Economic and Community Development Is . . .

. . . Strategic

We work collaboratively with organizations whose projects and programs include Business Assistance (revolving loan fund, individual development accounts, business incubation, technology center), Heritage Tourism (African American Heritage Trail & Museum, Africatown, Historic Davis Avenue, historic preservation, culture & heritage festivals), Community Building and Development (Community Sustainability, Asset  Building, Wealth Generation & Retention,  Environmental Justice, and Workforce Development (Job Training /Apprenticeship Training, Re-Entry Job Support, Referral Systems).

. . . Regional

Though based in Mobile & Prichard, Alabama,  M.O.V.E. Gulf Coast CDC is a coastal organization that is reaching out to connect with other organizations across the Gulf Coast. We forge strong relationships on the local, state and federal levels to bring positive economic and social results to under-served communities in Alabama and across the Gulf Coast states.

Our CDC is focused primarily on Economic Development that sustains and grows the human capital of under-served community members, which in turn leads to Community Development. It is the first of the three pillars — Economics, Education and Environment — that guides all of our efforts. Therefore, the purpose of M.O.V.E. Gulf Coast CDC is to concentrate on projects that:

GROW Businesses, CREATE Jobs and BUILD Wealth so that every adult has a living wage, sustainable employment and opportunities to build generational wealth (Economically Sustainable);

PREPARE Children for Success and PERPETUATE Lifelong Learning so that every child receives a high-quality  education with a clear path to business ownership, a career or job, and that every adult has access to quality job training, technology and information that helps them adapt to changing socio-economic conditions (Educationally Sound); and

REVITALIZE Neighborhoods and SUPPORT Stronger, Healthier Families. so that every resident lives in affordable, safe and clean housing, and that every person – strongly rooted in the community through family, social  and business associations – has access to quality healthcare, healthy foods and necessary supportive services (including transportation) in order to combat poverty and build sustainable, resilient communities (Environmentally Safe).

Our Goal is to lay the foundations for equitable economic growth — entrepreneurial and business development for people of color, financial literacy, workforce development and international trade — that generates revenues, creates jobs, supports affordable housing, and sustainably builds their community’s tax base. Economically stronger communities support families and create improvements in education, housing, environmental resiliency, health and other quality-of-life factors.

Programs Overview

1. Business Incubator/Accelerator: Designed to deliver a more effective and streamlined system of capacity-building resources and business services to small business and minority entrepreneurs at all revenue levels in the Mobile area and in Gulf Coast states, especially through federal contracting and supplier diversity directives. Program priorities are businesses in healthcare, technology, manufacturing, construction and international trade, especially those owned by next-generation millennials.

2. Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy: Designed to encourage local, state and federal governments and contractors to hire and promote small- and minority-owned business /entrepreneurs /career workers. M.O.V.E. proposes to work with NAACP Economic Development Committees in Gulf Coast states, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Urban Leagues, Chambers of Commerce, and other organizations to increase economic opportunities for under-served individuals and communities.

3. Workforce Development: Designed to connect students/workers in under-served communities to build a pipeline of high-paying skilled labor jobs that need to be filled as older generations retire, and help them adapt in a disruptive technological age. Program priorities include educating the public about the need for these jobs and creating networking opportunities for youth and un/under-employed workers seeking to build careers and businesses in lucrative skilled labor and technological trades.

4. International Trade Development: Designed to build the capacity of minority entrepreneurs and the economic development infrastructure of under-served communities in the Mobile area and the Gulf Coast in order to successfully engage and attract foreign investments and increase business trading opportunities primarily in African countries, Cuba, the Caribbean and other select countries.

5. Financial Literacy Development: Designed to upgrade community knowledge about the fundamentals of personal finance – cash management, debt management, emergency fund creation, insurance protection (includes life insurance, critical illness insurance, disability insurance etc.), investments, asset accumulation and estate planning. Programs focus on preparing individuals and families to better manage money, increase income through business development and generational wealth building.

We look forward to hearing from you! Please fill out the form below and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

You can also email us at info@movegulfcoastcdc.org.