Complete the application before spending down funds on community engagement activities.
Share the uses of the Community Engagement Grant from 2025
Please complete the application before beginning to spend down the funds. All applications must be approved before funds are used.
Please share what you used these funds for.
The People Energizing Places (PEP) Grant and the Strategic Teams Engaging Places (STEP) Grant were created to meet the growing need for advanced training and assistance within Missouri Main Street communities. Recognizing the challenges faced by Main Street organizations, these grants aim to provide structured support to elevate local revitalization efforts.
PEP Grant: This two-year grant offers comprehensive services with a 75/25 matching structure, where the community contributes 25% of the total cost, amounting to $9,600. The grant focuses on advanced training and development, positioning Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) as a vital partner in advancing your Main Street program.
STEP Grant: This one-year grant emphasizes sustainable revitalization through expert guidance and individualized training. Like the PEP Grant, it operates on a 75/25 matching basis, with the community responsible for 25% of the costs, totaling $5,000. The program is designed to enhance downtown development and strategic initiatives.
By applying for either grant, your organization will partner with Missouri Main Street Connection to achieve greater effectiveness and impact, ensuring continued success in your Main Street endeavors.
The Missouri Main Street program does sometimes offer financial grants to designated Main Street programs in Missouri, but that is not part of either the People Energizing Places or Strategic Teams Engaging People Grant participants. As noted in application document, extensive technical assistance and training will be provided by MMSC as its share of the Matching Grant and contracted downtown revitalization consultants may be brought in to assist with training and paid for by MMSC.
2025 BPC Graduation Anchor Grant Guidelines - $20,000
This grant is to support the staff time needed to implement this initiative and the strategic plan. As part of this program, you will be designating an ‘Anchor Organization’ that will continue the momentum of the plan through its implementation. This grant work is meant to help you begin to manage operations of an organization that would manage moving these initiatives forward by keeping budgets and tracking projects.
If multiple organizations are going to be dedicating staff to the plan implementation, that is allowed but must be noted in the budget provided in the application. Fringe benefits are allowable expenses. Teams may want to consider service agreements or MOUs to document the employment relationship that your team may have with the individual that will be receiving these funds. Fiscal sponsor and grant recipient(s) are responsible for coordinating and tracking any relevant tax responsibilities. Please provide appropriate W9 information to the fiscal agent.
Your community team will have to demonstrate how you approved this grant usage, either with meeting minutes or a written note on how the decision was decided upon.
Timeline
• Portal opening 11/18 for submissions
• Submissions due 12/1
• Funds released by December end.
• Grant closeout will be due early June 2026
Budget Template: Download Here.
Draft Closeout Report: Download Here.
Related Project Report: Download Here.
Example: Download Here.
2025 BPC Summer Anchor Grant - $17,800
Close-out Report - Due Dec. 1, 2025
Provide staff reports in closeout report - this includes all projects worked on by staff and how they are funded – see second page of Anchor Grant Budget doc.
Your community team will have to demonstrate how you approved this grant usage, either with meeting minutes or a written note on how the decision was decided upon. Provide that as an attachment.
Original Grant Documents:
Budget Template: Download Here.
Draft Closeout Report: Download Here.
Related Project Report: Download Here.
Example: Download Here.
This interface is intended to assist you in reporting on the development of your Active Transportation Plan to WalkWorks. It will document your work and the way the grants funds are being applied.
For subsequent submissions, to the extent that any one of the activities has been completed and reflected in an earlier report or is not relevant to the period on which you are reporting, there is no need to address it again.
The Pennsylvania Downtown Center is seeking session proposals for the Commonwealth's Premier Revitalization Conference | Making Waves on Main Street" Big Bold Ideas That Push the Boundaries. The 2026 conference will be held in Erie, PA from June 28-July 1, 2026.
The Premier Revitalization Conference draws hundreds of community leaders from small towns, midsized cities, and urban neighborhood business districts. Attendees are professionals in preservation-based, economic development and community revitalization, including both experienced and new downtown and neighborhood Main Street directors and Elm Street directors, volunteers, architects, planners, economic development professionals, public officials, volunteers, and consultants.
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S THEME | Making Waves on Main Street" Big Bold Ideas That Push the Boundaries
In communities across Pennsylvania, Main Street is more than a road, it’s a heartbeat. When “Making Waves on Main Street,” we’re embracing bold, boundary-pushing ideas that spark transformation, ignite energy, and celebrate the spirit of innovation. This revitalization movement is about reimagining what’s possible when creativity meets collaboration among the stakeholders that drive big ideas when others want to play it safe. Together, we’re not just revitalizing—we’re revolutionizing. These are Main and Elm Streets like you’ve never seen before: bold, inclusive, and unapologetically visionary.
Our goal is for attendees to apply what they learn from one another and bring back a gameplan to transform their communities. This year’s conference will provide new innovative ideas to empower all attendees to be the movers and shakers and revolutionize community revitalization.
We are looking for 2-hour “How-to” Sessions, 45-minute Crash Course Sessions, and the Traditional 75-minute Classroom Sessions. In addition to proposals that bolster the 2026 theme, we welcome submissions that touch on a variety of other topics. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a first-time presenter, we invite you to share your story.
The following ideas are often in high demand but show them in new bold and inspiring ways!
Advocacy | Community Planning | Public Relations & Marketing Main Street or Elm Street | Social Media | Board Development | Leadership Development | Business Recruitment and Retention Strategies | Business Incubators vs. Accelerators | Community Activities and Events | Clean and Safe Solutions | Community-Based Real Estate Development | Community Greening | Improving Meeting Facilitation and Interpersonal Skills | Downtown Gift Cards | New and Innovative Partnership Ideas | Parking Management | Disaster Preparedness | Placemaking | Public and Farmers Markets | Public Art, Murals, and Arts Development | Retail Support | Small Business Assistance and Development | Smart Growth Issues | Transportation | Planning | Sustaining a Viable Organization and Fundraising | Volunteer Recruitment and Management | Weathering an Economic Downturn
Proposals must be submitted by midnight, January 23, 2026 via the Submittable link.
The Townie Awards celebrate both the community and the work done by Main and Elm Street Managers across the Commonwealth. Please refer to these guidelines to see where your community projects fit within the Main Street approach and the Townie Guidelines. Categories include Organizational Excellence, Physical Improvements & Design, Asset Enhancement, Anchor Building, Safe Clean & Green, Volunteer of the Year and other prestigious awards.
Two new categories have been added this year. The For-Profit Partner of the Year and the Community Innovative Award.
Please read through the guidelines and note the Lifetime Achievement Award must be first submitted to PDC's Executive Director, Julie Fitzpatrick.
Contact Conference Coordinator, Virginia Mauk at virginiamauk@padowntown.org with questions.