Main Street Arkansas Update - November 22, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving from the Main Street Arkansas staff. We are thankful for all you do to revitalize Arkansas’s downtowns. Have a great holiday.

Main Street Arkansas Calendar November 22 - 26, 2010
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MONDAY Greg – out
TUESDAY Susan – Paragould (merchant site visit); Greg – out
WEDNESDAY Greg – out
THURSDAY Thanksgiving – Office Closed
FRIDAY Thanksgiving – Office Closed
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Downtown Eureka Springs Promo
Main Street Helena Receives Grant
3 Grant Opportunities
Non Profit Executives Survey

Downtown Eureka Springs Christmas Promotion
http://www.slideshare.net/MoxieWorks/holiday-promotion-2010

Main Street Helena Receives Grant
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=207015

http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10797923

Grant Opportunity
The Division of Public Programs at the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities funds humanities projects that are intended for broad public audiences at museums, libraries, historic sites and other historical and cultural organizations. New application guidelines are now posted on the NEH website for its America's Historical and Cultural Organizations grant competition. The next two deadlines are January 12 and August 17. Other grant information is also available at the website. Grants support interpretive exhibitions, reading or film discussion series, historic site interpretation, lecture series and symposia, and digital projects. NEH encourages projects that offer multiple formats and make creative use of new technology to deliver humanities content. Program officers in the Division of Public Programs are available to discuss project ideas or to read a draft of a proposal. Call the NEH Division of Public Programs at 202-606-8269 for more information.

In-Kind Assistance for Cities Worldwide
IBM Smarter Cities Challenge www.smartercitieschallenge.org
The Smarter Cities Challenge is a three-year IBM Corporate Citizenship initiative to enable up to 100 cities around the world to become smarter by enhancing their capacity to collect, analyze, and act upon information across multiple core systems; apply systems analysis to the key problems facing cities; create an environment where global cities can learn from one another; and foster partnerships that address critical challenges, enabling cities around the world to become more vibrant and livable places for their citizens.
Each city participating in the Challenge will receive a donation of IBM services and/or technology valued at $250,000 to $400,000 USD to address a specific problem or opportunity selected by the city. The donation will be primarily in the form of talent - the expertise of IBM professionals who will work closely with city leaders to deliver recommendations on the selected issue. Cities will also have access to an array of other IBM resources throughout the grant period. The application deadline is December 31, 2010. Visit the Smarter Cities Challenge to learn more about the initiative and submit an online application.

Fiskars Invites Applications for Project Orange Thumb Garden Grants and Makeovers
Fiskars, a global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden, and outdoors, has opened the application process for 2011 Project Orange Thumb garden grants and makeovers in the United States and Canada.
The annual Project Orange Thumb program provides tools, materials, and other support to help communities reach their goals for neighborhood beautification, community collaboration, and healthy, sustainable food sources. This year, Fiskars is giving groups the chance to apply for a garden makeover in their area as well as garden grants.
The program is open to any community group for use on a gardening project. Past recipients have included school and church groups, master gardener groups, and community organizations.
Fiskars will choose eleven recipients from the pool of grant applicants — ten will receive $5,000 each in cash and tools, and one applicant will receive a complete garden makeover.
Complete program guidelines and application are available at the Fiskars Web site.

Non Profit Executives Survey
Daring to Lead is the every-five-years national study of nonprofit executive directors; it's the study that first discovered, for instance, that 65% of EDs are on their first jobs as an ED.
If you are a nonprofit CEO or executive director, please lend your perspective to the third Daring to Lead study. Earlier Daring to Lead studies have been among the highest-impact research in the nonprofit sector, resulting in major foundation initiatives supporting executive directors, succession planning, and emerging leaders.
If you are CEO/executive director, make sure the researchers at CompassPoint and the Meyer Foundation get it right: http://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=95e69d90-948a-48a2-a583-0c32f4... read more »

Main Street Arkansas Update - November 15, 2010

Caroline has decided to stay home & be a full-time mom. We wish her well.

I sent out information on Small Business Saturday to our executive directors & Downtown Network contacts last week, but for everyone else, please take a moment to check out http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/ Take part November 27 & please give strong consideration to your organization participating in this event.

Mark – out all week

Main Street Arkansas Calendar November 15-19, 2010
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MONDAY Susan – Texarkana
TUESDAY Cary – West Memphis (Your Town follow-up)
WEDNESDAY Greg – out
THURSDAY Greg – out
FRIDAY Cary – Volunteerism Commission; Greg – out
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Start-Ups Drawn to the Pulse of Downtown
Winrock to Expand PRIME Program
AHPP Offers Free Grant Writing Workshop
SBA Seeks Nominations for Small Business Awards
Arts Council Seeks Living Treasures Nominations
Grant Opportunity

Start-Ups Are Drawn to the Pulse of Downtown
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303362404575580551045171876.html

Winrock to Expand PRIME Program (Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs)
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.aspx?aid=124268

AHPP OFFERS FREE GRANT-WRITING WORKSHOP JANUARY 11

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program will hold a grant-writing workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center at 501 W. 9th St. in Little Rock for people interested in applying for the agency’s County Courthouse Restoration or Historic Preservation Restoration grant programs, AHPP Director Frances McSwain announced today.
Admission is free, but reservations must be made by Tuesday, January 4, by calling Joia Burton at (501) 324-9883 or sending e-mail to joia at arkansasheritage.org.
The AHPP’s grant programs to be covered in the workshop are:
• County Courthouse Restoration Subgrants, which are financed through Real Estate Transfer Tax funds distributed by the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council for rehabilitation of historic county courthouses across Arkansas
• Historic Preservation Restoration Grants, which distribute funds raised through the Real Estate Transfer Tax to rehabilitate buildings that are listed on the Arkansas or National Registers of Historic Places and owned by local governments or not-for-profit organizations
Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent. Applicants submitting Letters of Intent by January 4 can receive technical assistance from the AHPP for the 2011 grant cycle and ensure that their grant requests focus on activities that will help safeguard the long-term survival of their historic properties. A letter of intent can be downloaded or submitted electronically by visiting www.arkansaspreservation.com/preservation-services/grant-programs/.


SBA SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS
The Arkansas District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking nominations for the 2011 National Small Business Week Awards to be presented to winners in Arkansas next April. This local recognition leads up to the National Small Business Week event to be held during the week of May 15, 2011, in Washington, D.C.

Each year, SBA recognizes successful business owners and community leaders that champion the cause of small businesses. The 2011 awards will include Arkansas Small Business Person of the Year, Exporter of the Year, Family-Owned Business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. SBA will also present Champion Awards to individuals or organizations dedicated to supporting small businesses. Champion Awards include Financial Services, Minority Small Business, Home-Based Business, Veteran Small Business and Women in Business.

SBA invites any individual or organization dedicated to the support of the U.S. small business community to submit nominations. Contact Carol Silverstrom at (501) 324-7379, extension 227, with any questions. A copy of the nomination guidelines can be found at http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/_files/live/2011NomGuidelines.pdf.

Arts Council Seeks Living Treasure Nominations

The Arkansas Arts Council is seeking nominations for the 2011 Arkansas Living Treasure. Deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. Nomination forms are available on www.arkansasarts.org or by calling (501) 324-9766.

The Arkansas Living Treasure designation is presented annually to recognize an Arkansan who is outstanding in the creation of a traditional craft and has significantly contributed to the preservation of the art form. Nominations of artists who work in traditional craft forms such as pottery, weaving, broom making, leatherworking, metalsmithing and wood carving are encouraged.

An independent panel of professionals in the field of traditional crafts will select the recipient based on the following criteria: quality of work, community outreach and total contribution to the field of traditional crafts. The recipient will be honored in May 2011 during Arkansas Heritage Month.

For more information, contact Robin Muse McClea, artist services program manager, at robinm at arkansasheritage.org or call (501) 324-9348.

Support for Foot Trail Development
American Hiking Society: National Trails Fund
The National Trails Fund, sponsored by American Hiking Society (AHS), provides funding to grassroots nonprofit organizations throughout the country working toward establishing, protecting, and maintaining foot trails in America. The Fund’s grants help give local groups the resources they need to secure access, volunteers, tools, and materials to protect America's public trails. The following types of grants will be considered for the 2011 program: projects that have hikers as the primary constituency; projects that secure trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail corridors and the costs associated with acquiring conservation easements; projects that will result in substantial ease of access, improved hiker safety, or avoidance of environmental damage; and projects that promote the trails constituency. Applying organizations must be AHS Alliance Members. The application deadline is December 15, 2010. Visit the American Hiking Society website for application guidelines as well as information on becoming an AHS Member.

Main Street Arkansas Update - November 8, 2010

Main Street Arkansas Calendar November
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MONDAY Cary, Mark, Missy – Dumas (sm. biz consult, tech center opening); Susan – Russellville (city hall site visit)
TUESDAY Mark & Susan – Heber Springs (merchant consults)
WEDNESDAY Mark – Siloam Springs (interviews); Cary – downtown LR partnership
THURSDAY Closed for Veteran’s Day, except Cary (Downtown AR meeting)
FRIDAY Mark, Greg – Monticello (committee training); Cary – off
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Main Street Batesville Gets $30k
Survey from the National Main Street Center
AR Festival Association Accepting Award Noms
Best of Arkansas Poll
4 Grant Opportunities
Free Email Marketing Opportunity

Main Street Batesville Gets $30k for Streetscaping
http://www.guardonline.com/content/main-street-gets-30k-streetscaping

Survey from the National Trust Main Street Center
Well, here is another survey. It is about sustainability. It is important because your answers will help us understand what you know, what you are up to, and what you are interested in so we can develop resources to help you. It’s 35 questions with open answer boxes for you to share as much or as little as you want. Only the first question is required.

Even if your community isn’t focused/knowledgeable/interested in sustainability or being green – I need to hear from you. All answers are important. There is a wonky part that asks about codes and ordinances, so if you go to this page first, you can open a PDF of the survey before you take it, just in case you need help getting answers from your friends at the planning department.

There will be a random drawing for a free video flip cam, so don’t miss the Nov. 17th deadline. We gain an hour on the 7th, so there are no excuses.

Go directly to the survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SMCN5FK

AFLiE & Promo Award Submissions – DEADLINE January 7th
New this year: AFEA members can nominate their festival or event promotional materials free of charge! Get the recognition your event deserves. Show appreciation to your special volunteers and/or vendors by nominating them for awards in their respective categories. Nomination forms are available online or by visiting www.ArFEA.org.


Nominate Your Merchants for Arkansas Business Best Of
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/bestbiz.asp

ROBERT LEHMAN FOUNDATION (04/01/11)
The Foundation was incorporated in 1943 to serve as a vehicle for its Founder’s philanthropic work in the visual arts. The Founder was the former chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Foundation’s grantmaking is focused on the visual arts. Grants are made to museums, arts organizations, educational institutions, and other cultural organizations with the goal of enhancing the role of the visual arts within American and world culture. The Foundation is open to a variety of projects, from major museum exhibitions to lectures, to the construction of fine arts facilities to scholarly publications, and art school curricula. The Foundation has no application form and requests that potential applicants send a proposal of no more than three pages along with a program budget and a copy of the organization’s nonprofit status. The Foundation’s trustees reviews proposals on a bi-annual basis with meetings generally held in October and May. Additional information can be found on the Web site. | Grant Range: $500 To $1,100,000 | Contact Info: ROBERT LEHMAN FOUNDATION, 488 Madison Ave., 9th Floor, New York, NY, 10022, Ph: 212-661-1967, Fax: 212-593-9175, Visit Website

TIFFANY & CO. FOUNDATION (OPEN)
Established in 2000, the Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the well known New York jeweler. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking on two areas: the arts and the environment. Under the arts category, the Foundation shows a special appreciation for, and commitment to, advancing the arts. It supports the critically important work of educational, artistic, and cultural institutions dedicated to excellence in decorate arts design through the creation of gallery spaces and the support of key decorative arts exhibitions. Environmental grants are targeted toward responsible mine remediation; community development and standards-setting efforts; and the development of healthy marine ecosystems through key research and targeted educational outreach. It also funds programs that enhance urban environments through beautification and infrastructure improvements and the preservation of culturally significant landmarks. Prospective applicants are asked to use the online application system found on the Web site. The board of directors meets twice a year. | Grant Range: $25,000 To $600,000 | Contact Info: TIFFANY & CO. FOUNDATION, 600 Madison Ave., New York, NY , 10022, Visit Website

THE DANIEL K. THORNE FOUNDATION (OPEN)
Funded by Daniel K. Thorne of Star Lake Capital, the Foundation seeks to protect and sustain the diversity of the natural and built environment. First-time organizations are asked to submit a brief letter of interest before the Foundation will consider a grant proposal. The Foundation will not fund endowments or capital campaigns. | Grant Range: $2,000 To $75,000 | Contact Info: THE DANIEL K. THORNE FOUNDATION, c/o Stroock, Stroock and Lavan, 180 Maiden Lane, New York, NY , 10038, Ph: 212/806-6187, Send Email, Visit Website

AMGEN FOUNDATION (OPEN)
The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the pharmaceutical Company. It focuses its grantmaking on three areas: quality of care and access for patients, science education, and community life. Quality of care grants funds programs dedicated to providing patients, caregivers, and health care practitioners with information, education, and access. These programs are directed at patient empowerment and health care disparities/health inequalities. Science education grants support organizations committed to raising the value of science literacy for both students and teachers. Programs that provide pivotal, hands-on science experiences for students, as well as those that seek to support teacher quality and professional development are a priority. Community life grants support organizations and activities that make the community a desirable place to live and work. These grants helps to ensure that essential and social services, environmental programs, the excitement of the sciences and the richness of the arts are more accessible to all members of the community. Additional information including an online letter of inquiry form can be found on the Web site. | Grant Range: $100 To $100,000 | Contact Info: AMGEN FOUNDATION , One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91320, Ph: 805-447-4056, Fax: 805-447-1010, Send Email, Visit Website

Emma E-mail Marketing Offer: Free E-mail Marketing for Life
The e-mail blast tool, Emma, announces "Emma 25", the annual initiative in which they award a lifetime of free Emma service to 25 deserving causes. It's their hope that, with an easy way to manage their email communications, these groups can reach more people, get more support and ultimately do even more great work in the world.

So, how does Emma 25 work? It's simple. Nonprofits apply at www.myemma.com/emma25, through Friday, November 12th. Once all the applications are in, Emma staffers will take on the near-impossible task of selecting 25 groups. This year's honorees will be announced during the first week of December.

Main Street Arkansas Update - November 1, 2010

Historic Downtown Monticello

Main Street Arkansas Calendar October November 1 - 5, 2010
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MONDAY Cary – NTHP Conference
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY Mark and Susan - Paragould
FRIDAY
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Downtown Jonesboro Story
http://www.kait8.com/global/story.asp?s=13385371
Downtown Ozark Cleanup http://www.swtimes.com/news/article_9aec7120-e2a0-11df-80b6-001cc4c03286.html
Merle Haggard Coming to El Dorado – Tickets Still Availablehttp://www.eldoradonews.com/news/localnews/2010/10/20/-living-legend-11.php
Article on Annual Investor Campaign from a Great American Main Street Communityhttp://heritageconsultinginc.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/msnsepoct2010_final.pdf
pdf file

Main Street Arkansas Update - October 18, 2010

Downtown Rogers

Looking for a continuing education opportunity? Consider the Arkansas Community Development Society’s conference October 21 in Conway. More information at http://www.arcds.org/

Main Street Arkansas Calendar October 18 - 22, 2010
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MONDAY Greg & Susan – Rogers (visioning & merchant site visits)
TUESDAY Greg & Susan – Rogers (visioning & merchant site visits)
WEDNESDAY Mark – Monticello – presentation on small biz recruitment, retention
THURSDAY Cary, Greg, Susan, Mark – AR Community Development Conference – Conway
FRIDAY Susan – Texarkana
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Congrats to Downtown Pine Bluff
Spring Street, Eureka, One of America’s Best Streets 2010, per the AIA
New Businesses in Downtown Rogers
Freak Hail Storm in Helena
SBA & Google Can Help Your Downtown Businesses
Rural Southern Non-Profit Survey
Good Downtown Ft Smith Press
Urban Parks
Ready for Groupon In Your City?

Congratulations to Downtown Pine Bluff on receiving a $30,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank

Spring Street in Eureka, One of America’s 10 Best Streets http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/streets/2010/
New Businesses in Downtown Rogers http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2010/oct/14/empty-storefronts-filled-19-new-businesses/
Freak Hail Storm Hits Downtown Helena Last Week http://theloop.kait8.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=19209836&item_index=8&all=1&sort=NULL
Google and the Small Business Administration have partnered to educate local businesses about how to succeed online. Each video describes how a small business owner successfully uses the internet to grow his or her business. It's important to be where your customers are...online.
http://www.google.com/help/places/partners/sba/index.html
Rural Southern Non-Profit Executive Director Survey https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGFZMkJqbnNyQmpzYTNvLXBBZV9KRXc6MQ
Good Downtown Fort Smith Press http://www.swtimes.com/business/article_e2d3e21a-d47d-11df-9df2-001cc4c002e0.html
Urban Parks http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/magazine76951/city-parks-urban-planning

Ready for Groupon in Your City? It’s in LR. http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/printable.aspx?aid=123896

Main Street Arkansas Update - October 11, 2010

Downtown Heber Springs

Looking for a continuing education opportunity? Consider the Arkansas Community Development Society’s conference October 21 in Conway. More information at http://www.arcds.org/

Main Street Arkansas Calendar October 11- 15, 2010
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MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY Mark, Susan – Blytheville
THURSDAY
FRIDAY Greg – Jonesboro; Mark – Blytheville
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Congrats to Downtown Eureka Springs & Main Street Helena
Henry Awards
King Biscuit is Back
2 Grant Opportunities

Congratulations to Downtown Eureka Springs on receiving a grant from the Arkansas Coalition for Excellence that will provide training on leadership, grant writing, financial management and other management topics through the Strengthening Communities Fund program

Also, congratulations to Main Street Helena on their receipt of a $8,000 Federal Home Loan Bank grant.

Henry Awards
http://www.arkindustryinsider.com/henry-awards/

King Biscuit is Back
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/10/08/helena-gets-its-biscuit-back
- reminder that King Biscuit began as a fundraiser for Main Street Helena. They’re still involved today.

2 Grant Opportunities
Grants Available to Help Nonprofit Organizations With Fundraising
Achieve, an Indianapolis-based consulting firm that provides fundraising, strategic planning, and management counsel to nonprofit organizations, is offering service grants to nonprofit organizations seeking assistance with fundraising. This is the third year Achieve is offering the program to organizations across the United States.
Seven grants are available for 2011: one for Achieve consulting services (value to be determined by scope of services, up to $20,000); two grants to the Achieve Academy, which includes a five-part webinar and one-on-one coaching on either Millennial engagement, developing a fundraising plan, or online engagement (valued at $350); and four grants for premium subscriptions to Achieve Access, an online resource library of more than 270 templates and guidance pieces, an annual pass to twelve webinars, and a subscription to Achieve's monthly newsletter (valued at $199).
Grantees will be selected based on each organization's level of need, type of assistance requested, and organizational readiness as described in the grant application. Selections will be made by Achieve's advisory board.
Achieve will offer an informational webinar on this grants program on October 14, 2010. Complete program information is available at the Achieve Web site.

Projects Encouraging Bicycling Funded – a good fit for downtowns
Bikes Belong Coalition
The goal of the Bikes Belong Coalition, sponsored by the American bicycle industry, is putting more people on bicycles more often. The Bikes Belong Grants Program provides support for projects that leverage federal funding and build momentum for bicycling in communities across the U.S. Funded projects can include bike paths, lanes, and routes, as well as bike parks, mountain bike trails, BMX facilities, and bicycle advocacy initiatives. The focus of the facility grant category is to connect existing facilities or create new biking opportunities. The advocacy grant category seeks to support large-scale, innovative, replicable advocacy initiatives that significantly increase ridership and improve conditions for bicycling in big U.S. cities. Applications are reviewed three times per year; the final 2010 deadline is November 30. Visit the Coalition’s website to submit an online application.

Main Street Arkansas Update - October 4, 2010

Historic Downtown Morrilton

Looking for a continuing education opportunity? Consider the Arkansas Community Development Society’s conference October 21 in Conway. More information at http://www.arcds.org/

Main Street Arkansas Calendar October 4 - 8, 2010
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MONDAY
TUESDAY Susan – Helena (working with downtown merchants in preparation for Blues Fest
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY Cary – Helena
FRIDAY
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IN THIS ISSUE:

What Makes the Happiest Communities?
Grant Opportunity
AR Biz of the Year Nominations
Batesville Press

What Makes the Happiest Communities?
http://www.parade.com/news/2010/10/03-youll-wish-you-were-here.html
- you’ll note that many of these things are typically addressed in Main Street work

Grant Opportunity (Rural Community Development Initiative)
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=58143

Arkansas Business of the Year Nominations (nominate someone in your downtown)
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/nominate_aboy.asp

Downtown Batesville Press
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/sep/26/community-catering/