There is strong evidence that a locality’s economic health connects directly to its physical beauty, opportunities for socializing and openness to all people. Where can you start to make a difference for your community’s best future? Start downtown!

The Main Street Approach™ offers a practical, adaptable framework for downtown transformation that you can tailor to local conditions. To explore how to utilize the Main Street Approach for impacts and outcomes, start with the essentials, the Virginia Main Street Essentials series.

Organization involves creating a strong foundation for a sustainable revitalization effort, including cultivating partnerships, community involvement, and resources for the historic downtown commercial district.

Highlight: A well-crafted mission statement is inspirational for volunteers and staff to find purpose in but also direct enough for making important program decisions. It explains why the organization exists and why it does what it does! Start here before going on to define your how and what.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

– Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action