DFA Committees

Thank you for your interest in applying for one of the DFA Committees this year! The Downtown Franklin Association has four standing committees corresponding to the four points of the Main Street America ® approach: 1) Design, 2) Economic Vitality, 3) Organization, 4) Promotion. A variety of projects and initiatives can be addressed within this structure. Each committee's goal is to complete at least one of the initiatives for their committee during the calendar year. Any incomplete initiatives can roll into the next year's strategic plan. Please read the commitment and apply for the committee you'd like to join below!

Enroll and maintain active DFA membership for the duration of committee service.
Serve on the committee for 1 calendar year or for the remaining current calendar year.
Attend committee bimonthly workshops at 8:30am the second Thursday of the month:
- February 10th, April 14th, June 9th, August 11th, October 13th, and December 8th of 2022
Work with the Advisory Board Member Committee Chair and/or DFA Managing Director to fulfill committee objectives.

Help enhance the physical and visual assets that set the commercial district apart.

INITIATIVES:

Signage – Review and optimize signage around side streets. Update and maintain wayfinding signs down Main Street. Influence the design of seasonal downtown lamppost banners.
Parking – Review and optimize signage around parking. Initiate spatial and environmental evaluation to support ADA inclusivity and accessibility downtown.
Landscape – Optimize landscaping down the streets and storefronts.
Trash – Evaluate and optimize trash receptacles downtown. Help solve the trash pick-up dilemmas for merchants.
Seasonal – Become a hub of seasonal décor initiatives and programming downtown. Help bring more holiday lights down the side streets during November & December. Host seasonal activations such as the Hop & Shop Trolley, Small Business Saturday Campaign, Window Wonderland Contest, etc.

Focus on capital, incentives, and other economic and financial tools to assist new and existing businesses, catalyze property development, and create a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and innovators that drive local economies.

INITIATIVES:

Advocacy – Build collaborative relationships with the city, Franklin PD, downtown building owners, and other community partners to advocate for downtown businesses. Seek opportunities for helping businesses overcome noise, building code challenges, and parking challenges.
SmartStart™ – Partner with the TMSA program and other local partners to become an officially recognized Smart Start™ community, to support a thriving small business and entrepreneurial environment by providing education, tools and resources for start-up businesses.
Diversity – Partner with local committees and organizations to create a more diverse and inclusive economic base of activity in Downtown Franklin.
Night Life – Partner with local committees and organizations to help create more opportunities for nightlife downtown.
Festivals – Help host merchant-inclusive activations during Main Street Festival, PumpkinFest™, and Dickens of a Christmas that highlight the shops and storefronts accessible during the festival.

Create a strong foundation for a sustainable revitalization effort, including cultivating partnerships, community involvement, and resources for the district.

INITIATIVES:

Membership – Help recruit new members / renew returning members. Help educate the membership on benefits and connect them to the resources and opportunities available to help them to help them maximize their membership investment. Help members get to know each other and collaborate by actively investing and participating in the members FB Group and Midweek Mixers. Help design and host the Annual Awards Meeting, with all its logistics, for members to celebrate notable milestones and build community.
DFA University – Relaunch DFA University as a benefit to membership as well as a sponsorship opportunity.

Position the downtown district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics.

INITIATIVES:

Campaigns – Help collect photos/videos for downtown promotions of businesses, cosmetic elements, residential elements, historic elements, etc. Help recruit participants for industry-specific campaigns during strategic months throughout the year.
Sponsorships – Establish programmatic and resource-based sponsorship opportunities to increase revenue and promote community partners (options include: DFA University, Franklin Locals, Downtown Business Directory, etc.).
Franklin Locals – Relaunch and establish an evergreen Franklin Locals program
Resources – Collaborate with local partners to create relevant business and consumer-friendly resources both for print and digital distribution (options include Downtown Business Directory, Historic Antiques District Map, Live Music Venue Tour Guide, Building Owners Directory, etc.) Collaborate with local partners to maintain accurate and updated maps and guides of downtown destinations.

DFA Committee Application

Each committee's goal is to complete at least one of the initiatives for their committee during the calendar year. Sign up to learn more about getting involved below!

DFA Member Business Name:(Required)

Business Rep Name:(Required)

First Last

Email:(Required)

Phone:(Required)

I'd like to apply for the following committee:(Required)

I have read the details and want to contribute – sign me up for the committee below!(Required)

Maintain active DFA membership for the duration of committee service.

Serve on the committee for 1 calendar year or for the remaining current calendar year.

Attend committee bimonthly workshops at 8:30am the second Thursday of the month: February 10th, April 14th, June 9th, August 11th, October 13th, and December 8th of 2022

Work with the Advisory Board Member Committee Chair and/or DFA Managing Director to fulfill committee objectives.