Mission Elevation on Main St.
Project Impact
Walk through the streets of downtown Harrisonburg, VA today and you will be greeted by restaurants, arcades, the smell of fresh roasted coffee, art collectives and neighbors out running or walking their dog. It is a far cry from the empty storefronts and desolate Main Street area of a decade ago that lacked businesses to attract residents and visitors. This change was sparked in 2003 with the launch of the nonprofit organization Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.
Ever since, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance has set out to reverse the many years of economic decline, revitalize the downtown area and sustain Harrisonburg’s Main Street as a destination location. Aligning themselves with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street America Program they have garnered much success. They have worked with the city and area developers to bring housing to downtown, increasing available homes in the district by 290% since 2003 and have been successful in solidifying downtown as a desired destination with flourishing businesses.
In 2018, Andrea Dono Harrisonburg HDR Executive Director recalls that they “felt like we had reached a level of maturity as an organization – both in terms of years as well as capacity for taking our work to the next level. However, we weren’t quite sure how to get to that ‘next level’.” That is when they found the Mission Elevation Program and joined the Class of 2019. The 14-month program offered them a chance to work alongside a cohort of nonprofit peers, directly with personal coaches and focus on how to best sustained impact in their community and bottom-line.
“I have more tools now to apply towards my work and decision making. And personally, I feel like I am calmer in how I approach big issues or fires that need to be put out.” says Andrea. “Our peers in the program helped us see where we fit in among other community-based nonprofits that provide housing and other critical human services. It helped us improve our messaging and how we communicate who we are, what we do, and why that is important.”
The Mission Elevation program is an extension of VCDC's commitment to ensure communities are vibrant for all residents. To date, 27 organizations have participated in the program leading to remarkable and durable financial, programmatic and strategic impacts.
Location:
Harrisonburg, VA
Partner:
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance
