Sustainability is Key

Current guides and networks exist to assist local community members in navigating the legal and organizational tasks to launch a new village in their area. But shortly thereafter, village leaders must wrestle with longer-term questions about sustainability.

They are forced, by necessity, to operate in the here and now. They lose sleep over the sheer number of operational and financial demands required to keep their villages afloat. However, village leaders know from experience that by uniting they can overcome these challenges. Banding together makes villages more mighty, because they can achieve a scale that ensures their collective voice is heard as well as share the resources that will increase their efficiency, effectiveness and impact.

As with many start-up ventures, new villages often have a relatively easy time finding support systems, funders and organizational resources. Leaders are motivated; philanthropic venture funds are intrigued; best practices are readily available. After the second or third year, however, even successful villages can experience leadership transition, donor fatigue and programmatic entropy. Village Movement California can help villages address the ongoing challenges of growth and sustainability.

How We Do It

Case Studies

ChaiVIllageLA members toast another successful outing

Member Spotlight

ChaiVillageLA

ChaiVillageLA is the first synagogue-based village in the country, a bold partnership of two cutting-edge Reform synagogues — Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills and Temple Isaiah — to challenge their congregants to rethink their paradigms of aging and use their accumulated experience, talents, wisdom and creativity to build a community of mutual respect, support, caring and concern. In ChaiVillageLA there is no distinction between members and volunteers. Rather, all members are expected to contribute approximately four hours per month to the health and vitality of the community. Service can be in a variety of forms, including serving on a committee, working in the office, organizing an interest group or program, or providing assistance to a fellow member.