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Downtown Lebanon Volunteers Attend Fundraising Fundamentals Workshop
On Tuesday, April 15, volunteers from Lebanon Missouri Main Street traveled to Jefferson City to participate in a hands-on Skillbuilder Workshop hosted by Missouri Main Street Connection. The training, titled Fundraising Fundamentals: Amplifying Main Street’s Impact, brought together Main Street leaders from across the state to dive deep into the strategies that sustain and grow local revitalization efforts.
Held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Jefferson City, the workshop was led by Kathy La Plante, Vice President of Coordinating Programs at Main Street America. With over 30 years of experience supporting Main Street communities of all sizes, Kathy brought unmatched insight and real-world knowledge to the room. Her sessions were tailored to equip program directors, board members, committee leaders, and volunteers with the tools needed to create strong, sustainable fundraising programs.
Key workshop topics included:
- Action plan best practices for successful annual campaigns
- Crafting compelling sponsorship requests
- Hosting impactful fundraising events
- Engaging board and committee members in fundraising leadership
- Fostering whole-organization involvement in revenue-building strategies
“This workshop was a great opportunity to step back, look at our fundraising goals, and learn how to better align our efforts with the mission of Main Street,” said Sarah Angst, Executive Director of Lebanon Missouri Main Street. “The knowledge our volunteers gained will help shape future campaigns and events that directly benefit Downtown Lebanon.”
The event was also a valuable team-building opportunity. Thanks to a limited-time Buy One, Get One Free registration offer, Lebanon’s Main Street program was able to send multiple attendees—broadening the impact and bringing fresh ideas home to share with the rest of the organization.
With only 60 seats available statewide, space was limited, making Lebanon’s representation at the training even more meaningful. The workshop also fulfills part of the program’s annual training requirement with Missouri Main Street Connection, further demonstrating Downtown Lebanon’s commitment to continued growth, education, and excellence in revitalization.
As Lebanon continues to build a more vibrant, connected, and resilient downtown, trainings like this one help equip local leaders with the tools to move forward confidently—and with purpose.
