Oak Harbor Main Street Association

What Oak Harbor Main Street Association does

Oak Harbor Main Street Association (OHMSA) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #47-2695380) founded by community members in 2015 and officially designated as a Washington State Main Street Community in 2016. Headquartered at 881 SE Pioneer Way in Historic Downtown Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, Washington, the organization operates as one of 33 designated Main Street Communities in Washington State, following the nationally recognized Main Street Approach built on four pillars: Organization, Economic Vitality, Promotion, and Design. Its mission is to drive the revitalization of the historic waterfront downtown district, supporting approximately 100 local businesses and serving four primary segments: downtown property owners and tenants, community residents, visitors and tourists, and military families stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

OHMSA's core products and services are structured as community programs rather than discrete software products. The flagship offerings include a Business Directory and Events Calendar built on the Locable marketing platform (partnership established 2022), which provides a local website, business listings, event promotion, and automatic cross-promotion across participating local organizations. Other products include the Downtown Membership Program (Community Supporter at $50/year, Downtown Business at $100/year, Community Partner at $50/year), the Facade Improvement Grant program (up to $15,000 per project with 1:1 matching), the Washington Main Street B&O Tax Credit Program (redirecting 75% of approved contributions as state tax credits), tiered Serendipity Lane Plaque Sponsorships ($100-$3,000), a monthly email newsletter, and recurring downtown events such as Buskers on the Corner (Friday live music June-August) and By the Harbor Market. Capital improvement projects include Serendipity Lane, multiple murals, the Pop Up Plaza, and a Gateway Sign.

The organization is funded through six revenue streams: membership dues (subscription), sponsorships (subscription), tax-deductible donations, facade improvement grants (funded through memberships/sponsorships), B&O tax credit facilitation, and event income (vendor fees and event sponsorships). The team consists of an Executive Director (Amber Craig) and a Marketing Coordinator (Megan Jacobs), with the majority of operational work performed by volunteers. OHMSA is governed by a Board of Directors comprising 13 local business owners and community leaders and collaborates with strategic partners including the City of Oak Harbor, the Washington State Main Street Program, the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, and the Oak Harbor Garden Club.

Name

Oak Harbor Main Street Association

Legal name

Oak Harbor Main Street Association

Website

https://oakharbormainstreet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oak Harbor Main Street Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that revitalizes Historic Downtown Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island through business support, events, facade improvement grants, and community programming. It serves approximately 100 downtown businesses, residents, visitors, and military families as one of 33 Washington State Main Street Communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development & Downtown Revitalization

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mixed-Use Community Association Management (BPAJAHAF)

Keywords

• Downtown revitalization
• Community development
• Business membership programs
• Facade improvement grants
• Local event coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from downtown businesses and community supporters that provide voting privileges, marketing benefits, and access to member-only programs
2. Sponsorships: Plaque sponsorship program for Serendipity Lane with tiered levels from Copper ($100) to Platinum ($1,500+) and Park Bench sponsorship ($3,000)
3. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and organizations supporting downtown revitalization
4. Facade Improvement Grants: Grant program funded through memberships and sponsorships that provides up to $15,000 for commercial building improvements with 1:1 matching requirement
5. Washington Main Street Tax Credit Program: Facilitates B&O tax credit donations where businesses can redirect 75% of approved contributions back as Washington State tax credits
6. Event Income: Revenue from downtown events including vendor fees for markets and potential event sponsorship

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Oak Harbor Main Street Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports local businesses, community events, beautification projects, and downtown revitalization efforts in Historic Downtown Oak Harbor. Its core offerings include a business directory, community events calendar, tiered membership programs, facade improvement grants (up to $15,000), the Washington Main Street Tax Credit Program, plaque sponsorships, and a Locable-powered cross-promotion platform for local businesses and nonprofits.

Product overview

Oak Harbor Main Street Association is a nonprofit organization offering a community-focused platform for downtown revitalization. The core offering consists of a Business Directory platform for local business discovery and a community Events Calendar featuring recurring programs like Buskers on the Corner (free live music) and By the Harbor Market (vintage/artisan market). Additional offerings include membership programs at various tiers, facade improvement grants (up to $15,000), the Washington Main Street Tax Credit Program for B&O tax credits, Serendipity Lane plaque sponsorships, and a cross-promotion platform powered by Locable. The organization functions as a unified community platform rather than a modular software product, with all offerings serving the common goal of supporting Historic Downtown Oak Harbor's vitality through local business support, events, beautification, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ attendees at events led by the organization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• LocablecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Technology partnership established in spring 2022 to launch a new website and implement cross-promotion marketing tools. Locable provides the platform for website management, business directory, event calendar, and automatic distribution of events, offers, job opportunities, and business information across participating local organizations. Participation is free for businesses and nonprofits in and around Oak Harbor.
• City of Oak HarborcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on downtown revitalization projects including Serendipity Lane (created through collaboration among OHMSA, City of Oak Harbor, Ferd Johns, Paula Fries, and Oak Harbor Garden Club), Gateway Sign installation, and historic preservation efforts. The city provides support for public spaces and infrastructure improvements.
• Washington State Main Street ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level program providing the Main Street Approach framework, resources, and network for downtown revitalization. OHMSA is one of 33 designated Washington State Main Street Communities.
• Oak Harbor Garden ClubsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Serendipity Lane creation, contributing to the beautification and landscaping of the pedestrian walkway connecting Pioneer Way to the waterfront.
• Oak Harbor Chamber of CommercesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on business support programs including discounted Chamber membership opportunities for OHMSA members, and joint efforts to support the local business community.
• OHM FestivalsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Buskers on the Corner live music series, providing marketing support and visibility for Friday evening downtown events.
• Whidbey WeeklysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media sponsor for Buskers on the Corner events, helping promote downtown events and community activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Downtown Boulder Partnership: Long-running downtown partnership operating business improvement district functions, events, and beautification programs. Demonstrates the institutional maturity and budget scale OHMSA could aspire to with sustained growth.
• Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership: Established downtown management organization delivering events, public space activation, and business support in a major urban district. Provides a scaled-up reference point for what an OHMSA-style organization can grow into with larger budgets and staff.
• American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA): National coalition that supports local independent business alliances across the U.S. While operating at a much larger scale, AMIBA's mission of promoting locally owned businesses aligns directly with OHMSA's downtown business support and buy-local advocacy.

Direct peers

• Friday Harbor Main Street: Washington State Main Street Community in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Closely comparable to OHMSA in operating a small-town island downtown with seasonal tourism, a similar business mix, and the same Main Street Approach methodology.
• Washington State Main Street Program: State-level Main Street program under which OHMSA is one of 33 designated communities. Provides the framework, designation, and network resources that OHMSA operates within, making it the most structurally comparable peer in OHMSA's operating context.
• Main Street America: National coordinating organization for the Main Street Approach used by OHMSA. Both run the four-pillar framework (Organization, Economic Vitality, Promotion, Design) for downtown district revitalization, making Main Street America the closest strategic and methodological peer at scale.
• Port Townsend Main Street Program: Washington State Main Street Community operating in another Whidbey-area / Pacific Northwest waterfront town. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and the mix of historic preservation with tourism-driven downtown activation.
• Edmonds Downtown Alliance: Another Washington State Main Street Community operating a similar nonprofit downtown revitalization model in a comparable Pacific Northwest small-town setting. Shares OHMSA's membership, events, and facade improvement playbook.
• Bainbridge Island Downtown Association: Washington-based downtown association following a similar community-led nonprofit model with business memberships, events, and beautification initiatives on an island geography, paralleling Oak Harbor's Whidbey Island context.

Emerging players

• Independent We Stand: National movement supporting independent businesses and main street economies. Shares OHMSA's focus on community-driven support for local retailers and small businesses, though it operates as a campaign rather than a place-based nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/oakharbormainstreet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oak-harbor-main-street-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oak Harbor Main Street Association