Spring Opening: February 18, 2025
Fall Opening: September 30, 2025
People Propel® Round 17
CVRF celebrates the success of People Propel in 2025. It is our most popular program and a foundation of our subsistence-focused mission.
People Propel helps residents acquire new power equipment, appliances, and fishing gear from dealerships across Alaska, but the journey into our region begins on our vessels in the Bering Sea.
Our pollock harvest is very large – more than 90 million pounds. Our harvest is clean, too. Globally, the pollock fishery has a very low carbon footprint compared to other proteins like beef, pork, chicken, and even plant-based meat.
Locally, we take great care to minimize bycatch, even moving away from good pollock fishing when salmon appear in the nets. The few salmon we do catch are donated to food banks. No part of the pollock goes unused – we produce food products, fish oil, and fish meal that we sell around the world.
CVRF’s seafood sales generate millions of dollars for western Alaska. Much of this goes towards new equipment through People Propel.
Seafood also keeps our mechanic/welder shops open, creating local jobs and providing repairs and maintenance on equipment, as needed as well as manufacturer’s recommend routine maintenance such as oil changes.
Seafood pays for our other programs, too. Elder programs, Youth-to-Work, college and vocational scholarships, job training, and other projects are all made possible by pollock fishing.
We hope you take advantage of People Propel and enjoy the benefits that the Bering Sea brings to our communities.
For inquiries about Round 17 of the People Propel® Program please call our Toll-Free Hotline: 1-888-983-7155
Coastal Villages Region Fund’s People Propel® Program has helped over 6,200 people since its inception in 2013. People Propel has provided $17.9 million in subsidies enabling residents to acquire over $54.8 million worth of boats, motors, ATVs, snow machines, fishing, safety gear, heating systems and much more.
Please review the following parameters of this round
Must be 18 years of age or older to participate
CVRF’s subsidy cap is $25,000 per person
Considered Parties (Employees, Board Members & Family of must wait 2 weeks after program opens to participate)
Step 1: Residency Verification (if you have already verified residency go to step #2)
Step 2: Fill out People Propel®Application at workfishhope.coastalvillages.org
Step 3: Provide CVRF a sales contract with proof of 70% payment (bank/dealership must forward proof of funding to CVRF headquarters for review)
Step 4: CVRF will review sales contracts and select applications by population on a first come first served basis
Step 5: Once application is selected, CVRF will send 30% payment to dealership
Step 6: Applicants are fully responsible for communicating shipping instructions to the dealerships
Step 7: Please make sure you understand all warranty agreements before signing a sales contract (all deals are between dealerships and the applicants, not CVRF)
“People Propel® directly facilitates the independent Alaskan way of life, enabling our community to continue subsistence fishing, hunting and other vital activities such as traveling between villages or keeping equipment safe and protected from extreme weather conditions.”
Evan S. Evan, Goodnews Bay Board Member CVRF 2019 Annual Report
“Without the snowmachine and outboard, I would still be following people around to go subsistence hunting without going on my own. Without the motor and boat, I would have to borrow my dad’s; sometimes he would say no and sometimes he’d say yes. Now that I have my own boat and motor, I am able to go anytime I want.”
Colton Ulroan, Oscarville CVRF 2023 Annual Report
“If CVRF’s programs didn’t exist, a lot of our families here wouldn’t be subsisting. They wouldn’t have a boat and motor, they wouldn’t have an ATV, and they wouldn’t have the means to fill their freezers.”
Jerilyn Kelly, Quinhagak Mayor CVRF 2023 Annual Report
“The People Propel® Program has had a very positive impact not only on my business, but on our customers’ day-to-day lives. We’ve been able to help more people than ever before.”
Reed Miller, Reed’s Snowmachine & Marine Inc., Fairbanks CVRF 2022 Annual Report
Coastal Villages Region Fund
711 H Street, Suite 200
Anchorage, AK 99501
Email: PeoplePropel@coastalvillages.org
People Propel Hotline: (888) 983-7155
Residency Hotline: (844) 357-6565
Toll Free: (888) 795-5151
Telephone: (907) 278-5151
Fax: (907) 278-5150
http://www.workfishhope.coastalvillages.org
