During the month of April, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) team published seven blog posts, highlighting the latest community-vitality news, events and more! Here’s a recap:

VMS Community News

• The River District Association (RDA) held its annual meeting and celebrated 25 years of downtown revitalization! The event spotlighted how the City of Danville’s River District has undergone a remarkable transformation and become a vibrant hub of economic activity, cultural richness and community pride. Click here to learn more!

VMS Training

• Last month, Virginia Main Street (VMS) had the pleasure of inviting Katie Campbell, a Certified Volunteer Administrator that has worked with non-profits and volunteers for over 30 years, to present on the topic of Strategic Volunteer Engagement to the VMS network in South Boston, Lexington and Tappahannock. Click here to learn more!

Succession Planning

• Having a staff transition plan is like having a safety net for your organization! Planning for smooth staff transitions, expected and unexpected, is an essential part of keeping your organization sustainable long-term. Click here to learn more!

Budget Season

• If it’s spring in Virginia, it’s budget season. Along with rain showers and early flowers, there will be meetings with local government officials to discuss the value of your Main Street program and why it matters. Click here to view some tipis for budget season and beyond!

Microfinance

• In early 2020, a group of volunteers and area bankers formed a team in response to the economic impacts of COVID-19. That group of volunteers is now known as Bridging Virginia (BVA), a non-profit community loan fund, which envisions communities where everyone can freely and easily access capital, build wealth, and grow their economic opportunities. Click here to learn more!

Small Business Support

• Five small, local businesses in Phoebus’ neighborhood commercial district will receive tailored technical assistance and micro grants through Retail Alliance’s Retail Technical Assistance Downtown Phoebus project. Click here to learn more!

7 Actionable Principles

• Through Virginia Main Street’s (VMS) Firm Principles, Flexible Paths series, the Center of Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) is diving into their 7 Actionable Principles (7APs) to strengthen nonprofits and their relationships with funders. The 7APs offer a common language around key and proven practices, infused with values of equity and growth. The seventh and final principle relates to evaluating impact. Click here to learn more!

Stay tuned for lots more great content in May!