The mission of Cedar Falls Community Main Street is to: “foster economic vitality, and to preserve and promote the historic image and character of the downtown, while improving the quality of life in Cedar Falls.” (CommunityMainStreet.org).
I had the opportunity to talk with Kim Bear, the current director of Cedar Falls Community Main Street. CMS was established in 1987 by a group of passionate people who wanted to see downtown Cedar Falls revitalized and turn it into the current place of the heart of the community it is today.
Brand Identity
When Kim started working for CMS, the organization was in a bit of a branding crisis. Their office used to be on Main Street, but now it’s just a couple blocks away. The district has grown beyond Main Street, so they have had to figure out how to make people aware that their work stretches beyond just the actual main street. The Cedar Falls Downtown District has their own logo, and Kim wants to make sure that people know that these are separate entities. To break it down simply, Cedar Falls Community Main Street is the organization, and Cedar Falls Downtown District is the place. Because this can be confusing to understand, this creates that branding crisis Kim was talking about.
Marketing Struggles
As you can imagine, that branding crisis creates struggles when trying to market CMS. If people don’t understand who you are, they aren’t going to care what you do. Another example of this is that their website is CommunityMainStreet.org while all of their social media handles are @CFDowntownDistrict.
While CMS does put on a wide variety of events throughout the year, Kim said that they are, “More than just events, so how do we make sure everybody knows what we do and who’s involved?” She wants to make sure that all of the work that people do is recognized, including the board members and volunteers.
Bettering Cedar Falls
What makes Community Main Street so different from other non-profits in the area is that they are focused on making this community a better place, rather than focusing just on one cause. They also have a very strong partnership with the City of Cedar Falls, as they need their support to allow them to function. This is very different from a lot of other organizations in the area.
Trying to grow your own non-profit?
Kim’s advice to help grow your organization is to establish yourselves well. “You want them [your audience] to know who you are and what you’re doing because that’s the only way you are going to gain that investment in what you have going on.”
Getting Involved
CMS is always looking for volunteers, including college students. CMS has committees that include design, promotion, directors, organization, and economic vitality. Kim would love to see college students be part of these committees. Additionally, they are regularly in need of volunteers that day of events. They also rely on volunteers to do things like water the flowers on Main Street, put up banners, and organize their event supplies. If you want to learn more about getting involved click here.
Make sure you follow Cedar Falls Community Main Street on Facebook to stay up to date with events happening in the area!
Read about more amazing non-profits in the Cedar Valley area!