The Social Profit Center is a collaborative community that brings together nonprofit, social impact businesses, and artists in a unique, renovated historic mill.
Our Approach
In 2006, Isles had outgrown our office and training facilities. Instead we asked, “What if we could acquire and restore a historic factory in a challenged community, invite similar-minded groups to co-locate with us, and create shared green technology, conference and flexible office and training space, kitchens and idea incubators?”
Encouraged by the Nonprofit Centers Network of North America, Isles acquired the former Atlantic Products Mill on the Trenton-Hamilton border for $10/sq ft. As “We Work” and others show across the country, co-location can foster innovation, strengthen impacts, and grow capacity of communities and organizations to solve challenges and thrive. At Isles’ Social Profit Center, we’ll “Do Good. Better.”
THE SOCIAL PROFIT CENTER PROVIDES:
- An appealing arts-themed hub to draw outsiders back into the community and offer local residents access to new spaces and events
- Secure, low cost space for nonprofits and artists who will benefit from shared services
- Regional demonstration of environmentally sustainable building technology, for example our “green roof” that will absorb rainwater, solar panels and re-use of historic materials
- Preservation of an historic factory building with many appealing architectural features
- Economic growth for an older, distressed suburban/urban gateway
- A flexible, long-term home for Isles, Inc. to broaden our community impact
We want to provide a home not only for other nonprofits, but for artists, social entrepreneurs and others who shares our vision to come together to make a difference. The Nonprofit Centers Network has 177 member centers in North America. When complete, the Center will be one of the largest, and the only one of its type between Philadelphia and New York City.
PROVEN BENEFITS OF CENTERS LIKE OURS INCLUDE:
- Improving nonprofit member effectiveness and efficiency
- Providing civic spaces to benefit the larger community
- Impacting surrounding property development and investment
- Maintaining higher occupancy rates than comparable office facilities
About Isles
Founded in 1981, Isles, Inc. is a community development and environmental organization with a mission to foster self-reliant families and healthy, sustainable communities.
Isles is designed to:
- Revitalize communities, planning and creating safe, thriving spaces
- Trains and educate youth and adults for work and life
- Build wealth, helping families to manage, protect, and grow assets
- Foster green and healthy neighborhoods through gardens, parks, healthy and efficient homes, and former factories
Encouraged by the Nonprofit Centers Network of North America, Isles acquired the former Atlantic Products Mill on the Trenton-Hamilton border for $10/sq ft. As “We Work” and others show across the country, co-location can foster innovation, strengthen impacts, and grow capacity of communities and organizations to solve challenges and thrive. At Isles’ Social Profit Center, we’ll “Do Good. Better.”
