BROWNSTOWN
In an effort to increase involvement and support, Brownstown/Ewing Main Street has implemented some changes for this year.
The board of directors recently decided to redo memberships, going from the $5-per-year rate to offering four different levels.
A friend membership is $20, and their name will be listed on the nonprofit organization’s website, brownstownewingmainstreet.org.
For $50, nonprofits, civic organizations and churches will have their name, logo and link to their social media page and website on the Brownstown/Ewing Main Street website.
For $100, community supporters receive all of the above benefits along with a decal, and anything they post on their Facebook page will be shared by Brownstown/Ewing Main Street.
Corporate partners get everything already listed along with their events listed on Brownstown/Ewing Main Street’s page and free or discounted tickets to events. That’s $250.
Another way to support the organization is being a concert sponsor. A 100 percent sponsorship for one event is $1,500, and the donor will receive everything a corporate sponsor gets. Multiple sponsors will be allowed for one concert.
Concert series shows are planned for April 20, May 18 and June 15 at Heritage Park in Brownstown.
“Our hope is, regardless if you’re a small business owner or a church, if they wanted to sponsor or wanted to be a member that there is a price range for them,” said Luke Nolting, president of Brownstown/Ewing Main Street.
Once the board recognized a need for a change to the membership form, board members Mitchell McIntyre and Maria Anderson met to discuss how that could be achieved.
“We began comparing other Main Street applications and jotted down items we would like to see in ours,” Anderson said. “Our first priority was to have levels of membership.”
Along with those levels, they came up with a concert sponsorship and all of the benefits people would receive.
“We wanted to establish a variety of levels that would benefit not only us but our members, as well,” Anderson said.
The money generated from memberships and sponsorships will be used to put on events throughout the year and advertise for them.
Nolting said Brownstown/Ewing Main Street currently has about 15 members, and he would like to see that number increase.
“Our hope is that more businesses and more individuals and groups will be involved to allow the community to have more opportunities for all age groups, whether that’s kids in 4-H or people who are 65-plus,” he said.
Nolting said JCB sponsored its concerts in 2017, so other businesses, organizations and individuals are invited to jump on board this year.
“We’re hoping that moving forward, the majority of our concerts can be free to the community so we can get people out and have events for them,” he said.
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Brownstown/Ewing Main Street annual contribution levels
Friend membership: Listed on website — $20
Nonprofits, civic organizations and churches: Listed on website, link to social media page/website with logo on website — $50
Community supporters: Everything above, share social media posts, decal — $100
Corporate partners: Everything above, events listed on page, free/discounted tickets to events — $250
Concert sponsor: Everything above, 100 percent sponsorship for one event — $1,500
For a membership form, call President Luke Nolting at 812-968-9021.
For information, visit facebook.com/btownewingmain or brownstownewingmainstreet.org.
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