The Main Street Alliance

What The Main Street Alliance does

The Main Street Alliance (MSA) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2008 that organizes a network of 30,000+ small business owners across 40+ states to influence economic policy. Its core constituencies are small business owners — including sole proprietors, family shops, and minority and women entrepreneurs — who face challenges around healthcare costs, childcare access, tax fairness, and corporate concentration. The organization operates through an integrated portfolio of programs: the Main Street Media Desk (a rapid-response communications and storytelling operation generating 50 million earned and digital media impressions in 2025), the Main Street Caucus (community organizing for direct engagement with elected officials), and the Care Is Capital campaign (advocacy for childcare, paid leave, and healthcare as economic infrastructure). Affiliate entities Main Street Action and Main Street Action PAC extend the network into political accountability and independent expenditure programs in 35+ competitive districts.

MSA's underlying technology is a website-based platform (built on Squarespace) for member communications, advocacy, and campaign management, supplemented by digital tools for rapid-response storytelling and coalition coordination. It does not maintain a public API, mobile app, or proprietary AI/ML systems. The business model is a nonprofit membership structure with four tiers: Community Builder ($10/month), Gathering Advocate ($25/month), Connector Champion ($50/month), and a free Ally tier, plus partnership contributions and likely philanthropic/grant funding. The go-to-market motion is community-led advocacy: data collection, coalition-building, elected official engagement, and high-leverage digital advocacy through roundtables, town halls, fly-ins, days of action, and online petitions. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization is governed by a board chaired by David Borris (owner of Hel's Kitchen Catering) and led by Executive Director Richard Trent (since May 2024).

Name

The Main Street Alliance

Legal name

The Main Street Alliance

Website

https://mainstreetalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Main Street Alliance is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 2008 that organizes 30,000+ small business owners across 40+ states to influence economic policy on healthcare, childcare, tax fairness, and trade through advocacy, media campaigns, and direct engagement with elected officials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advocacy and Public Policy Services

NAICS

Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Small business advocacy
• Policy advocacy nonprofit
• Membership coalition organizing
• Community-led organizing
• Economic policy campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Donations: Individual membership contributions at various tiers providing access to member-only trainings, tools, and network of 30,000+ Main Street Leaders. Includes Community Builder ($10/mo), Gathering Advocate ($25/mo), Connector Champion ($50/mo), and free Ally membership options.
2. Partnership Contributions: Coalition partnerships with organizations like Small Business Majority for shared advocacy initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Main Street Alliance is a national nonprofit advocacy organization that organizes 30,000+ small business owners into a coordinated network to influence economic and public policy. It delivers its mission through member-driven campaigns—Main Street Media Desk (rapid-response communications), Main Street Caucus (elected-official engagement), Care Is Capital (childcare, paid leave, healthcare advocacy)—plus coalition initiatives on trade and tax fairness, and an emergency relief fund (Open for Tomorrow Fund).

Product overview

Main Street Alliance is a national advocacy network of 30,000 small business owners organizing to reclaim economic and political power for local communities. The organization operates through several integrated programs: the Main Street Democracy Project (comprising the Media Desk, Main Street Caucus, and Care Is Capital initiatives) provides rapid-response communications, advocacy organizing, and care economy policy advocacy; the Coalition for New Trade advances trade policy reform; and the Small Business Tax Fairness Coalition advocates for equitable tax policy. These programs work together to elevate small business voices in policy debates and drive systemic change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Main Street Democracy Project: Initiative to strengthen democracy by elevating trusted small business voices and turning local businesses into civic hubs. Includes Main Street Media Desk, Main Street Caucus, and Care Is Capital.
• Main Street Media Desk
• Main Street Caucus
• Care Is Capital
• Coalition for New Trade
• Main Street Agenda 2025
• Small Business Tax Fairness Coalition

Products and services

• Main Street Media Desk A rapid-response communications, legal, and storytelling operation that elevates small business owner voices in moments of economic and political consequence, helping shape the economic narrative and counter disinformation.
• Main Street Caucus An advocacy community that organizes small business owners into a durable network engaging directly with elected officials through town halls, listening sessions, fly-ins, and digital programming at state and federal levels.
• Care Is Capital A flagship care campaign advocating for childcare, paid leave, and healthcare as economic infrastructure, combining state and federal advocacy with public action days, fly-ins, petitions, and member testimony.
• Coalition for New Trade A broad-based coalition led by former U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai building an alliance to advance trade and economic policies that work for workers, small businesses, and communities, connecting policymakers with the lived experiences of entrepreneurs.
• Small Business Tax Fairness Coalition (SBTF) A national coalition initiative launched with Small Business Majority to advocate for a tax code that prioritizes the needs of America's entrepreneurs, focusing on bottom-up tax reform and limiting disproportionate benefits to large corporations and high-income individuals.
• Open for Tomorrow Fund A targeted emergency relief fund providing rapid-response grants to stabilize small businesses facing sudden community-wide disruption, supporting continuity of critical operations during crises.
• Main Street Agenda 2025 A comprehensive legislative agenda designed to uplift small businesses and drive equitable economic growth, centered on three pillars: MSA Cares (care economy), MSA Thrives (vibrant Main Streets), and MSA Futures (future readiness).

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 million earned and digital media impressions generated in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Small Business MajoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched the Small Business Tax Fairness Coalition (SBTF) in November 2024 to advocate for tax code prioritizing small business needs. Partnership addresses disproportionate tax benefits to large corporations and high-income individuals, with focus on reforming pass-through deductions and care economy investments.
• Coalition for New TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by former U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, building broad alliance to advance trade policies working for workers, small businesses, and communities. MSA participates as member organization working to bridge gap between policymakers and entrepreneur experiences.
• U.S. Senate Small Business CommitteemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMSA members testified before the Senate Small Business Committee about tariff impacts on small businesses. Organization organized press conferences with Senate leadership and helped shape bipartisan legislation to limit executive tariff powers.
• Doctors for AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff with Main Street Alliance and several Democrat-led cities in lawsuit to overturn HHS regulation on ACA plans that restricts enrollment and causes coverage losses.
• Main Street ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization taking next step by organizing local leaders to defend values in halls of power. Main Street Action PAC conducts independent expenditure programs for accountability campaigns.
• Longfellow Business AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business coalition partnering with Main Street Action to urge elected officials to address Operation Metro Surge impacts on Twin Cities businesses.
• National Council of NonprofitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of coalition that challenged Trump administration's federal funding freeze in court, arguing the freeze would be economically catastrophic and fatal to operations.
• American Public Health AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in legal action against federal funding freeze affecting public health programs including Medicaid.
• SAGEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in challenging federal grant freeze affecting programs serving LGBTQ+ elders and other community services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Small Business Majority: National small business advocacy organization and MSA's explicit coalition partner in the Small Business Tax Fairness Coalition. Both organizations mobilize small business owners for progressive policy outcomes on tax, healthcare, and economic equity — making them the closest direct peer in mission, structure, and target audience.
• American Independent Business Coalition (AMIBA): National coalition that champions independent businesses against corporate concentration. Directly comparable to MSA on local-economy advocacy, antitrust/anti-monopoly framing, and small business owner mobilization, with significant overlap in member demographics and policy priorities.
• Small Business Rising: Coalition of small business owners and independent business groups advocating against corporate power and monopoly. Shares MSA's member-driven advocacy model, federal policy focus, and progressive economic reform agenda, including many overlapping coalition partners.
• American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN): Network of businesses and business organizations advocating for sustainable and equitable economic policy. Operates with similar coalition structure, federal advocacy focus, and progressive policy alignment as MSA, including overlapping interest in tax reform and care economy.

Broad incumbents

• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): The largest U.S. small business membership organization with hundreds of thousands of members. While politically opposite to MSA (conservative vs. progressive), NFIB is the structural incumbent comparable in scale, federal advocacy focus, and small business owner target audience.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest U.S. business federation and dominant voice on federal economic policy. While representing large corporations rather than small businesses, it competes for the same policy access and media attention as MSA, and is frequently the institutional counterweight MSA's campaigns position against.

Regional players

• Main Street America: National nonprofit focused on commercial district revitalization, often through historic preservation. Overlaps with MSA in 'Main Street' branding and small business support, but operates primarily through place-based district programs rather than federal policy advocacy.

Others

• Public Citizen: National consumer advocacy organization with comparable federal policy advocacy infrastructure, PAC activity, and progressive alignment. While not small business focused, Public Citizen shares MSA's coalition-driven advocacy model and is a natural adjacent peer in the progressive advocacy ecosystem.
• Center for American Progress: Major progressive policy think tank with deep board overlap to MSA (Molly Weston Williamson). Functions as a policy research and ideas partner feeding MSA's advocacy campaigns rather than competing directly, but is a key ecosystem participant with shared policy priorities and political alignment.
• People's Action: National progressive coalition organizing on economic justice, healthcare, and democracy issues. Comparable to MSA in grassroots-driven model, federal advocacy focus, and progressive alignment, with potential member/donor overlap though a broader working-family rather than small business focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mainstreetalliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mainstreetalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/main-street-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Main Street Alliance