Public Benefit Corp
FPF is a Vermont public benefit corporation.
Front Porch Forum's mission is to help neighbors connect and build community. We do that by hosting regional networks of online neighborhood forums.
Common sense and a growing body of research tell us that well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and public utilities.
My wife, Valerie, and I founded Front Porch Forum in 2006 to serve our hometown of Burlington, Vermont, and by 2013 FPF had grown to host forums in every community in our state. Amazingly, a majority of Vermont households subscribe to FPF now. Members have shared millions of postings among nearby neighbors about all sorts of topics: lost dogs, car break-ins, plumber recommendations, school budgets, block parties, helping neighbors in need, and more.
The seed for FPF was planted in 2000 when Valerie and I wanted to meet and get to know our own neighbors. We started a precursor to FPF then, and it boomed in our own "Five Sisters" Burlington neighborhood. Check out our current coverage area.
What we found then is now playing out across all Vermont towns... once people have an easy and safe way to communicate with neighbors, they will! And that simple act adds up. The cumulative impact can be huge... after months of FPF, people often report feeling more connected to neighbors, more tuned in to local goings on, and more a part of their community. And in many cases, people then become more active... organizing a group yard sale, mentoring a local kid, volunteering for a park clean-up, voting on election day, etc. That's what FPF is all about!
Thanks for checking out Front Porch Forum!
-Michael Wood-Lewis, Co-Founder & CEO
Our Team
In Vermont, we employ a team of about 20 who manage our online communities, provide member support, serve local businesses that buy FPF advertising, and continually improve and develop our mobile, web and email applications.
Special Thanks
Front Porch Forum is grateful for the hard work and dedication of the people who help make it happen, including past and present staff, board members, consultants and advisors, and funders.
Additionally, we are grateful to our paying advertisers, mostly Vermont small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and political campaigns.
And, most of all, FPF would not exist but for the awesome participation and support of a majority of households and and every community in Vermont. The sense of ownership that people take of their local FPF is amazing and inspiring to us who work behind the scenes.
Thanks to all.
