Overview

A hotel can transform a whole island’s economy – one night, one bedspread, one meal, one chair at a time. Shorefast, a Canadian charitable organization, is advancing a powerful theory of change through a series of interconnected “community enterprises,” including the Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island Workshops, Fogo Island Arts, and Growler’s Ice Cream.

Every time a guest arrives on this small piece of land in the Atlantic Ocean, they support the community economy. Shorefast developed the Economic Nutrition label to show the impact of every dollar – what percentage goes to things like materials, labor, advertising, and how much stays local or moves off the island. The concept is modeled on food nutrition facts: a standard system that helps consumers make informed choices. The idea had genuine potential to rewire consumer behavior in support of local economies – far beyond Fogo Island. What it needed was a strategy, a message, and a proof point.