2018 Annual Report Table of Contents
2018 Annual Report Table of Contents Section Page(s) Annual Note from the Executive Director 1 Executive Summary 2‐3 Mission Statement 4‐7 Needs Assessment 8‐11 Measurable Outcomes 12‐15 Board of Directors and Community Supporters 16‐19 Annual Note from the Executive Director For me, 2017 was a year of introductions, observations, and understanding the goals and issues facing both businesses and residents. On the other hand, 2018 was punctuated by placemaking projects, events, and improved business engagement. One thing is certain: Downtown Framingham, Inc.’s (DFI) growing capacity has made its mark on the MetroWest area. With sustainable staffing, DFI can continue to meet the merits of the 4‐point Main Street America model. And through effective outreach, DFI can continue to quickly assess and respond to myriad internal and external forces shaping our cultural, urban area. This year, DFI placed a renewed focus on aggregating, assessing, and reporting feedback on everything from proposed government policies to neighborhood shopping habits. Local decision makers, including Framingham’s City Council, Traffic Commission, and Marijuana Task Force, critically weighed fresh insights from residents and shopkeepers to better understand our fast‐changing urban environment, which in turn informed their own voting behaviors. DFI’s relationship‐building strategies are the foundation of our tagline—“building business, community, and culture.” The confluence of community and business engagement, witnessed through tactics such as cultural events, business technical assistance, digital marketing, and placemaking projects, collectively stitched a better‐connected area primed to effectively collaborate—even when most stakeholders are physically bound to individual commercial spaces.
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