How confident are you that your city leadership and local investors understand the value that a single volunteer brings to your Main Street program? As Main Street directors, we know the importance of retaining volunteers and, more importantly, empowering volunteers, but it can be easy to forget to share your gratitude for volunteers with key movers and shakers within your community.

In 2024, Main Street Enterprise made the decision to recognize the impact of our volunteers by bringing them to the Main Street Now Conference. This initiative required research, outreach, and relationship building, but we believe that it was an important and impactful way for us to celebrate our volunteers and build capacity for a stronger volunteer program.

Communicating Our Impact

Shortly after I was hired, I learned that some city leaders were asking: ​“Why do we need a Main Street program anyway?” The program was only two years old at that time, and as a new director, I was caught off guard. However, the question was absolutely justified — I knew we needed to educate city leadership and demonstrate the value that we provide for our community.

This education process began with monthly reporting. I created a report to showcase our impact through data presented in a digestible way, and I included notes on the progress of each committee based on the goals set for the year. I will never know how much time the Council spends reading the reports, but I made sure we provided detailed documentation of the work being done.

We began sitting down with individual city leaders about specific projects to provide opportunities for dialogue outside of the city council chambers. This gave us the opportunity to fully explain our vision, and for city leaders to ask questions or express concern.

In January, our efforts expanded when our organization committee invited the mayor and city council to attend the first ever Main Street Enterprise Volunteer Award Ceremony. Each committee chair shared updates on their work, and then we gave individual awards to our many hardworking volunteers.

Bringing Volunteers to the Conference

So, when I approached the city council to request over $8,000 for ten volunteers to join me at the Main Street Now Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, it was crucial for me to build upon this foundation and make sure the mayor and city council understood the value of our volunteers.

Riding the wave of excitement from the Volunteer Award Ceremony, I submitted the travel request in February. My application relied on the foundation I had built through our reports, presentations, and the award ceremony. When it came time for them to approve the request, they did so with very little question.

Shortly after the conference ended, I requested a short blurb from each volunteer about their experience. I compiled their responses into a vibrant report and shared it with the mayor and city council so that I could demonstrate a return on the city’s investment in our volunteers and, by extension, Main Street Enterprise. This report will help us continue to make the case for our amazing volunteer program.

Volunteer Feedback

What did the 2024 Main Street Now Conference mean for Main Street Enterprise volunteers? Here is what they said:

“One of the most important advantages of attending the Main Street Now Conference was that it let me step back from my day-to-day living and gain some new perspectives in both creativity and problem solving. Attending this conference was and will continue to be a great motivator!” – Jan Wardrobe

“I truly appreciated the opportunity I was given to attend the Main Street Now Conference. I have been to several Main Street conferences over the years, however never one on a national scale. It was truly amazing! What I enjoyed the most was the opportunity to choose which sessions resonated with me and my roles with my Main Street program. Each day was a different experience with classes ranging from real estate development to engaging volunteers and so much more!” – Wendy Grimes

“Attending the conference was an enriching experience where I gained insights into the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Main Street environment.” – Shana Demby

Why Making the Case Matters

By communicating clearly and consistently demonstrating the value of our Main Street program and volunteers, I hope that city leaders now have a better understanding of the benefits that Main Street Enterprise brings to the community. They can reference the reports, PowerPoint presentations, and most importantly, the words of the volunteers themselves. The value of our volunteers extends far beyond the tasks they complete — it’s reflected in the thriving, vibrant heart of our Main Street district. 

Registration for the 2025 Main Street Now Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 7 – 9, is open! For additional resources to help convince civic leaders to invest in your organization by sponsoring your staff, volunteers, and board members to attend, download our Make Your Case toolkit.