Northampton County Grants

Since 2006, Lehigh County has run a grant program that gives grants to municipalities. These grants cover streetscape amenities and planning.

I am pleased to say that Northampton County has launched its own grant programs. There are two. First, there is a streetscape amenities grant that will fund up to 50% (up to $5,000) of a streetscape project. Second, there is a planning grant that will go towards the creation of a downtown or master plan. This time, Northampton will fund up to 75% of a planning project.

I am more than happy to provide anyone with additional information.
~Mike

Two Helpful Links

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to pass on two links that might be good resources for you all. Obviously, we are not the only Main Street program in Pennsylvania, or even the country for that matter. These two links should be helpful as they provide information on the Main Street program as well as links to other very valuable resources for anyone involved in a Main Street effort.

First, there's the website for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. They are the group that is contracted by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) to administer the Main Street Program.

Second, there is the National Trust Main Street Center. This is the nation-wide version of the PDC and they have a lot of information on Main Street programs throughout America.

Enjoy!

So What Do You Want To Know?

So, I pose a question to all of our dedicated volunteers out there - what are you looking to learn about Main Street? Here's why I ask. One of our goals this year is to conduct at least four trainings - two from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and two others taught by us. But, here is the question: What areas do you want to know about? In what areas can we help you and your committee grow as a volunteer? Below are some suggestions.
1) Economic Restructuring: This is an area where I many people have said that are confused by. Economic Restructuring - the process by which businesses are maintained, improved upon and recruited - is arguably the most important area of the Main Street program. But it's also one of the least understood
2) Volunteer Recruitment: Some committees have said that they have problems in terms of recruiting volunteers into the program and ensuring that volunteers along Main Street or in Borough government are engaged in the program. This may be an area worth exploring, since an active volunteer base is vital to the continued existence of a Main Street committee.
3) Governance: Of course, one of the goals for our Main Street committees is the continued health and existence of the committee. Accordingly, we want to ensure that our committee can govern itself, meaning possibly hold elections, manage its own money, and/or apply and achieve its own 501c3 status.
4) Fundraising: Any Main Street community needs money to be able to pay for projects! With this sort of training, we can give tips on how to hold successful fundraisers and maximize the amount of money that you can raise.
5) Anything else you want! We are obviously open to suggestions and want to hear your thoughts. Please comment below or E-mail me at MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org. Hope to hear from you soon!