The membership of the SouthCoast Development Partnership is comprised of chief executive officers, municipalities, chambers of commerce, local economic development agencies, university, elected officials and community leaders from the region. UMass Dartmouth provides the organizational framework, facilities and staff support on an in-kind basis for the SouthCoast Development Partnership.

The members of the Partnership strongly support a regional approach to economic development, tourism, and programs and activities that stimulate and build sustainable economic development. Research has shown that SouthCoast communities and institutions are more successful in gaining the attention of major businesses in Massachusetts, New England and other nearby states when they band together as one region.

In fact, the SouthCoast's successes are the result of communities working to attract businesses as a whole, rather than competing against each other for new business opportunities. The Partnership has demonstrated that the concept of regionalism works, both as a marketing approach and as an economic strategy to build the business base of the SouthCoast's major cities and neighboring communities.

As the coalition continues to grow, new partners from both the public and private sectors are invited to invest in the SouthCoast's communities and ride the region's next wave in business opportunity.