In the heart of the unincorporated town of Toano, on the western edge of James City County, lies a small nonprofit with a big vision: the Toano Historical Society (THS). Founded in 2018, THS seeks to inspire community spirit, promote local history, and preserve the small-town character of the Toano Commercial Historic District—a collection of buildings that thrived during the town’s boom from the arrival of the C&O Railroad in 1881 until the Great Depression.
Despite early successes, including securing listings on the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of Historic Places, THS recognized a crucial need: to build their internal capacity to lead the community’s revitalization efforts more effectively. In response, THS applied for and received a Virginia Main Street (VMS) FY23 Community Vitality Grant (CVG) of $7,000, which, combined with over $11,000 in local cash and in-kind matches, enabled a capacity-building project focused on human capital development.
THS’ project aimed to elevate the organization into a more impactful, mission-centric nonprofit with a high-performing board. This includes improving board recruitment, succession planning, and governance structures; formalizing a volunteer lifecycle plan; and designing a community engagement initiative that connected with the evolving Main Street program.
While THS had already made strides in promoting the Toano Commercial Historic District, the organization recognized that sustainable success would require a strong foundation of leadership and community involvement. Strengthening their human capital was key to achieving their goals of revitalizing downtown.
In 2023, THS partnered with The Spark Mill, a consulting firm specializing in nonprofit capacity building, to bring their vision to life. The project began with a kick-off meeting where The Spark Mill gathered input from the THS board to understand the organization’s history, goals, and needs.
The Spark Mill then moved into their Gather phase, conducting interviews with stakeholders and facilitating a self-assessment for the board to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. These findings informed the development of a comprehensive plan to strengthen THS organizational capacity.
With support from The Spark Mill, the THS board received training, participated in a two-part strategic planning retreat, and implemented governance and volunteer management strategies. These efforts equipped the organization with the tools and confidence to lead Toano’s revitalization efforts more effectively.
While still early in their journey, THS is now better positioned to combat community deterioration and support Main Street revitalization in Toano. Through the VMS Community Vitality Grant and guidance from The Spark Mill, THS has laid the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable future.
Stay tuned as THS continues to preserve and revitalize the history and heart of downtown Toano!
Image Credit: Toano Historical Society Facebook Page
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