Chautauqua Opportunities

Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc (COI) is a multifaceted, nonprofit organization offering individualized services to help people in Chautauqua County move from poverty to self-sufficiency. We provide holistic services to approximately 5,000 residents each year. COI's ultimate goal to its customers is to mobilize resources and create partnerships that promote empowerment, economic independence and family stability. For the past several years, COI has been developing services geared toward self-sufficiency & economic security while tracking positive outcomes for customers. The agency has developed a copyrighted Self-Sufficiency Continuum © supported by Family, Youth, & Child Matrices © that evaluate & measure the status of customers across 26 life domains. An affiliate corporation, Chautauqua Opportunities for Development, Inc. (CODI) has served as COI’s Economic Development arm since 2003. CODI’s primary goal is to make capital, training, financial literacy education, and technical assistance available to new and existing entrepreneurs in order to create business opportunities and employment for low to moderate income individuals. CODI offers financial education and asset focused redirection for all COI customers. It has been designated a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) by the US Treasury Department. By training entrepreneurs and creating jobs, CODI is jump-starting the local economy. When small businesses are created, the profits from those businesses stay in the community and are reinvested many times over. The impact is felt not simply by our small business owners, but in the broader community as well. Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.