Building Community from the Sea Up

Island Institute works alongside Maine’s island and coastal leaders to build community sustainability in island and coastal communities and share solutions for addressing our coast’s most critical issues.

While our work remains rooted in Maine, it has also expanded beyond our state through partnerships with coastal communities across the country and the world. With more than 150,000 year-round islanders in the U.S. alone, we see an opportunity to build a vast network through which we can exchange ideas and solutions to help address the challenges we all share.

The critical needs of our coast are priorities that require coordinated resources and leadership over the coming decade and beyond. Island Institute is well prepared to influence the greatest needs of our communities as we help propel the coast’s toughest conversations forward around economic, climate, and social resilience.


Mission Statement

We boldly navigate climate and economic change with island and coastal communities to expand opportunities and deliver solutions.


Vision Statement

Maine’s island and coastal communities thrive in a rapidly changing world, leading as models of innovation.


Impact Report

View Island Institute’s program accomplishments and financial information in our latest 2023 Impact Report.


Inclusion and Equity

Inclusion, equity, and diversity are essential, integrated strategies to achieve justice in all of the programmatic work of Island Institute. It is a fundamental piece of how we, as an organization, work internally and advance our strategic priorities. Learn more here.

Our Values

  • We respect the diversity of islanders’ perspectives, cultures, and heritage.
  • We celebrate island communities’ initiative and innovation, and see the islands as models for others.
  • We take an entrepreneurial approach to new opportunities.
  • We set the highest standards for our performance.