Virginia has 21 designated Main Street communities, all of whom are accredited with the National Trust Main Street Center. One requirement for accreditaion is holding an active membership with the Center. And it’s more than just a box to check off; the membership brings access to valuable resources. Membership is open to anyone interested in revitalization strategies and begins at $250 per year.

Best of all, a National Trust Main Street Center membership is valid for the entire community. So if you have one, share the logon access information widely among committees, board members and volunteers. Many of the benefits are listed here, but some of the top resources include the following:

Sample Resources from other communities
Get them researching information for some of their projects and they’ll stumble across good information they didn’t even know they were looking for: policy documents, forms, agreements, and outreach materials.

Free Publications
Back issues of Main Street Now and The Main Street News are available for download. These are gems–good articles on important topics of the day: building your support base, planning events, and the latest in new trends in downtown revitalization.

List Serv: MainStreetList
Join the MainStreetList list serv and follow discussions among revitalization professionals and volunteers across the country. Someone today is addressing the same challenge you faced last month. Share your advice and get advice of others. If you don’t want frequent emails, choose the “digest” option for weekly updates. And check the archives for information; they extend back to 2004.