Mohawk Valley Collective, Inc.

Our primary focus for this program is livability, strengthening of communities through the arts. Currently the fabric of our community is in tatters. The young must leave our area to find suitable employment, incomes, and ultimately happiness. The community is left with people with low education, low skills, and few options. Through our center and the programs we promote and plan to expand through the adaptive reuse we hope to change these trends, stop the flight away from our community, and give those that leave a reason to stay and those that never left hope for a better future.

Our secondary focus of engagement will hopefully bloom with the livability. Our vocational students make homes more beautiful, returning them to their former glory. Our residencies draw in artists from outside the region for the natural beauty and inspire the locals with their work, art shows and performances remind residents of the life outside of working to make a living wage. This will only continue and grow with the plans and ultimately renovation of our center.

Through the restoration and adaptive reuse of two historic buildings in a struggling area, Mohawk Valley Collective aims to create jobs and develop the local economy. Our fundraising and cultural events have already begun to bring art to the area and bring the community together. Using these strategies, we hope to build a stronger sense of community and make the Mohawk Valley region a desirable place to live and work.

As seen through our successful events, fundraising acumen, well-rounded team, and extensive network of support, Mohawk Valley Collective is capable of accomplishing the goals we have set. As mentioned previously, our programs, including the annual River Through Time fundraising event and Summer Music Series have been effective ways to bring the community together, raise money, and attract people to the area. In addition, we currently own several properties, which we utilize regularly for events. For example, in fall of 2012, we set a goal to build a park adjacent to the church, and this project is currently underway.
While we are a young organization (just over three years old), the success of our annual campaign bears out that we are effective fundraisers. In the past three years, we have raised over $170,000, averaging about $60,000 a year as a nonprofit in a small, rural community. Not only is our organization supported financially, we also have the goodwill of the surrounding communities. We are confident that, as necessary, we can mobilize a large group of volunteers who care for the community as much as we do.
The resources available to us through our team and relations in and outside of the community enable us to follow through with our goals. Members of our board include a contractor/carpenter, a Fortune 500 businessman, and several small business owners. Our board members contribute their experience and knowledge to the organization. Like the board, our broad base of volunteers has varied experience and talents, including many artists and musicians who participate in our events.
Because of the positive connections the Mohawk Valley Collective has engendered over the years with local businesses, we collaborate with them often for fundraisers – in addition, many of them carry our merchandise. We have also built lasting relationships with the local government and media. Our board is in regular communication with our County Executive, State Senator, State Assemblyman, as well as our legislators in Congress. Our media connections help us reach a large audience, advertise our events, and more effectively spread the word about our cause.

In the summer of 2013, Fort Plain experienced a devastating flood. While this affected our buildings and our community, it did not keep Mohawk Valley Collective from moving forward. Unity Hall, the first property we owned, went from a condemned building to a structurally safe community space in which events are hosted on a regular basis. We took our idea of the Summer Music Series, monthly concerts in Fort Plain, and brought it to fruition, made possible by our accomplishments with Unity Hall. In order to begin work on a community park, we tore down one of our properties behind Unity Hall. The location will allow Unity Hall to be both an indoor and outdoor community space.
Our fundraisers and events are other examples of significant accomplishments. As our Summer Music Series draws to a close, we can be proud of the many musicians we brought to Fort Plain and all the community members who came out to support us and enjoy our musical guests.
In 2013, the Mohawk Valley Collective was able to raise thousands of dollars at our 1st Annual River Through Time fundraiser, which went towards helping flood victims. We are now approaching our 2nd Annual River Through Time fundraiser, with the goal of helping people still recovering from flood damages. In the future, we hope the proceeds from this event will go towards general relief for those in need, whether from a house fire or natural disaster.
Aside from our successful events and fundraising, we have benefitted from the publicity garnered from our media connections. Mohawk Valley Collective has quickly become the de facto historic preservation group in the area. Increasingly, municipalities, other organizations, corporations, and individual homeowners, turn to us for our expertise regarding historic properties. This is a significant accomplishment for such a young organization, reflecting the recognition and respect we have gained in the eyes of the community.
If we had unlimited resources, would we have done things differently? Sure. That being said, we’ve always set ambitious goals. In our day-to-day actions, we focus on what we have the resources and capacity to achieve while always keeping an eye towards the big picture. Regardless of what happens, we feel confident in the path we have chosen and our ability to accomplish what we set out to do.