New England Grassroots Environment Fund

Group Resources

Buy Local Membership Application
Ten Reasons to Buy Local Flyer
Portland Local Business Directory
2008 Portland Buy Local Survey Press Release
2007 National Buy Local Survey Results

Group Details

Portland Buy Local’s mission is to support locally owned, independent businesses in Portland, to maintain our unique community character, provide continuing opportunities for entrepreneurs, build community economic strength, and prevent the displacement of community-based businesses by national and global chains. The three focus areas are * Informing citizens of the values provided by community-based businesses and their importance to the local economy, culture and social fabric. * Group branding, promotion and advertising to elevate the collective profile of our community-based businesses and bring to them some of the advantages chains enjoy. * Creating strong relationships with local government and the media to inform local decision-making and give a voice to the locally owned independent business community.

Portland Buy Local’s successes include being named the “Best Local Cause” by the Portland Pheonix newspaper in 2007 and 2008.

Portland Buy Local, in Portland (ME), received its latest NEGEF grant in November 2008 to prepare and disseminate a study that will analyze the market share and economic impact of Greater Portland’s independent businesses and estimate the job and other benefits to the region’s economy of shifting more spending to locally owned businesses and to products that are grown and produced locally.