The Mon Valley Initiative (MVI) is a 501(c)(3) grass-roots coalition comprised of 10 Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and representing twelve municipalities in the Monongahela Valley. The coalition was formed after steel mills and related industries closed, leaving member communities with thousands of people unemployed and without the tax base of those major landowners.

At that time, individual CDCs were formed, either newly organized or from existing groups. In 1988, all of the groups agreed to form a coalition that would provide shared staffing and support for CDC projects – The Mon Valley Initiative.

MVI was formed with a three-part purpose:

• iconProvide staff to be shared by its member CDCs that would assist the all-volunteer boards of those organizations in identifying and implementing development strategies.
• iconRaise funds to support development projects.
• iconJoin together for regional action and advocacy

The Mon Valley Initiative (MVI) is a 501(c)(3) grass-roots coalition comprised of 10 Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and representing twelve municipalities in the Monongahela Valley. The coalition was formed after steel mills and related industries closed, leaving member communities with thousands of people unemployed and without the tax base of those major landowners.