Staff Spotlight: Exploring Arkansas with Lisa Mullins Thompson
Lisa shares reflections about eight Arkansas communities that recently received assessment visits
Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo
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Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Sidewalk dining in downtown Camas, Washington © Downtown Camas Association
We are proud to announce that 1,188 programs have achieved designations as Main Street America programs in recognition of their commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
The 2024 network of designated Main Street members includes 800 programs that earned Accredited status — our top designation tier — for demonstrating a proven track record of achieving outcomes in alignment with the Main Street Approach and exceptional performance in the six standards of community evaluation. Additionally, 388 programs have received Affiliate status for showing a strong commitment to the Main Street model and creating meaningful improvements in their communities.
© Main Street America
In 2023, Main Street America programs generated $5.68 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,630 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 35,162 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,556 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,664,763 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, $18.03 of new investment was generated back into their downtown and commercial corridor communities.* Learn more about the collective impact of the Main Street Movement here.
“We are incredibly excited to celebrate this year’s 1,188 designated Main Street America programs, and their remarkable efforts to reenergize their local economies and public spaces,” said Main Street America President and CEO Erin Barnes. “Main Street leaders are visionaries that see things that no one else can see and create the future world we all want to live in. The size and impact of our network demonstrates that great things happen when visions are realized through strategic, grassroots collaboration.”
Each program’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and their Coordinating Program, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards. These standards provide the Main Street America network with a strong foundational framework to review progress, recognize strengths, understand trends, and identify strategies that move Main Street programs forward. To quality for designation communities must demonstrate a strong commitment to the Main Street model, meet a set of baseline requirements, and achieve outcomes in six areas: broad-based community commitment to revitalization; inclusive leadership and organizational capacity; diversified funding and sustainable program operations; strategy-driven programming; preservation-based economic development; and demonstrated impact and results. Learn more about the framework, standards, and designation here.
*These data are based on reports gathered from 1,253 Main Street America designated programs, accounting for their work performed from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.