Reinforcing & Reimagining Fundraising in Warrenton

Strong, engaged boards are essential to every Main Street organization. Board members provide governance and strategic oversight, while also carrying the fiduciary responsibility to ensure resources are used wisely and transparently.

Experience Old Town Warrenton’s (EOTW) board recently deepened their fundraising skills through consultant-led training with The Spark Mill, supported by a Virginia Main Street Technical Assistance Grant. The session emphasized a simple truth: Main Street fundraising isn’t about asking for money, it’s about inviting people to invest in their community’s future.

For EOTW (doing business as Love Old Town Warrenton), every sponsorship, event, and donation strengthens their mission to enhance Old Town Warrenton’s economic vitality, preserve its historic character, and promote a vibrant cultural environment. Board members learned they can support this work in three key ways:

Be Ambassadors: Share the mission and your passion for the organization.
Be Solicitors: Invite others to invest.
Be Stewards: Thank donors personally and show the impact of their support.

The Spark Mill also delivered a three-year fund development plan outlining strategies to grow donor engagement, increase retention, and boost board participation. Together, board members explored cultivation and stewardship activities they were already doing or could begin/increase doing, and identified high-priority action items that the organization can accomplish in three to six months.

A major takeaway was reframing fundraising from “asking” to storytelling and relationship-building. When people see their contributions come to life through local markets, community events, and vibrant downtown spaces, they want to stay involved. As one board member shared, “People give to people. The more we connect with donors personally, the more they see themselves as part of our story.”

With renewed confidence and a clear plan, EOTW’s board is ready to take greater ownership of fundraising—strengthening both the organization’s sustainability and downtown Warrenton’s continued vitality.