Sustaining the Village Movement: Lessons From Pioneers About Village Business Models and Sustainability

Over the past 10 years in the US, the Village model has emerged as a leading model to support aging in the community. The Village model is a pioneering, community-based approach that leverages existing assets and builds stronger ties within the community. Early evaluation has yielded positive and potentially substantial impacts, including reduced social isolation, increased knowledge and use of local aging services as well as social capital for the community. This Village Business Model Research for Sustainability project was implemented to understand the critical infrastructure, operational functions and governance structures that need to be in place to provide a strong foundation to support long-term growth.