Kendall Whittier Main Street

What Kendall Whittier Main Street does

Kendall Whittier Main Street, Inc. (KWMS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and nationally accredited Main Street program founded in 2010 to revitalize the Kendall Whittier commercial district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the intersection of Admiral Boulevard and Lewis Avenue along Historic Route 66. The organization operates as the local implementing body for the Main Street America four-point approach (Design, Organization, Economic Vitality, Promotions), coordinating district-level investment among local retailers, restaurants, service providers, entertainment venues, property owners, volunteers, and municipal partners.

KWMS delivers its mission through a portfolio of grant programs, community events, and ancillary commercial activities. Core offerings include district revitalization coordination, the Facade Grant Program (dollar-for-dollar matching grants of $1,000 to $3,000 for building improvements), recurring events such as the Levitt BLOC Music Series, the Tulsa Farmers Market (Saturdays April-October), Small Business Saturday (American Express partnership), After Hours Business Networking mixers, and Keep Kendall Whittier Clean volunteer days. Capital deployment is channeled primarily through the Oklahoma Main Street Incentive Program, which awarded $150,000 in 2025 and $300,000 total ($150,000 grant plus $150,000 matching) in 2026, with KWMS explicitly not retaining any portion of those funds for project management.

The revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit structure combining individual donations (one-time and monthly tiers of $10-$25), grants and matching contributions from foundations, banks, and municipal partners, a small e-commerce line of branded merchandise (t-shirts $15-$25, tote bags $12, stickers $1), and community partnership sponsorships. The organization operates with 11-50 employees led by Executive Director Evon Markum, governed by a board including President Bailey Stokes, Vice President Owen Cowdery, Treasurer Liz Horkey, and VP Secretary Casey Robinson, and holds no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint is a Squarespace website with a standard online store. KWMS serves three primary constituents: local small businesses and retailers needing foot traffic and marketing support, property owners seeking facade improvement assistance, and community residents/visitors engaging through events and volunteer programs.

Name

Kendall Whittier Main Street

Legal name

Kendall Whittier Main Street, Inc.

Website

https://visitkendallwhittier.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kendall Whittier Main Street (KWMS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that revitalizes the Kendall Whittier commercial district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, through Main Street America programs, facade grants, community events, and partnerships with local businesses, property owners, and funders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development / Commercial District Revitalization

NAICS

Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Commercial district revitalization
• Community development programs
• Facade improvement grants
• Nonprofit main street program
• Small business support

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: KWMS accepts one-time and monthly donations from community supporters. The donation page offers preset amounts ($10, $20, $25) as well as custom amounts. Donors can optionally cover transaction fees.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: KWMS receives funding through the Oklahoma Main Street Incentive Program, which provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants for district improvement projects. The 2026 program totaled $300,000 ($150,000 grant plus $150,000 matching funds).
3. Merchandise Sales (KW Swag): Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts ($15-$25), tote bags ($12), and stickers ($1) through the KWMS online store.
4. Facade Grant Program Fees: KWMS administers the Facade Grant Program offering dollar-for-dollar matching grants of $1,000 up to $3,000 for building improvements. While KWMS does not receive funds for project management, this program facilitates investment in the district.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kendall Whittier Main Street is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that coordinates commercial district revitalization in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It administers matching facade grants for property owners, organizes community events (Levitt BLOC Music Series, Tulsa Farmers Market, Small Business Saturday, Keep Kendall Whittier Clean), recruits and manages volunteers and board committees, and sells branded merchandise to support operations. The organization implements the Main Street America four-point approach (Design, Organization, Economic Vitality, Promotions) in partnership with local businesses, property owners, and residents.

Product overview

Kendall Whittier Main Street (KWMS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and nationally accredited Main Street program that operates as a single unified offering focused on commercial district revitalization. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected programs and events including district revitalization coordination, the Facade Grant Program (dollar-for-dollar matching grants of $1000-$3000), community events (Levitt BLOC Music Series, Tulsa Farmers Market, Small Business Saturday, Keep Kendall Whittier Clean), and merchandise (KWMS T-Shirts, 2024 KWMS T-Shirt, Tote Bags, and Stickers). Additional offerings include volunteer and community partnership programs, and donation opportunities. KWMS was created in 2010 to transform the Kendall Whittier district and is one of 32 Main Street programs in Oklahoma among approximately 800 nationally accredited by the National Main Street Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Facade Grant Program Dollar-for-dollar matching grants ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 for improvement and preservation of Kendall Whittier commercial properties, available to building and business owners in the district.
• Levitt BLOC Music Series Free outdoor concert series at Kendall Whittier Park featuring live music, food trucks, interactive art, and kids' activities, funded by the Levitt Foundation Levitt BLOC Music Series Grant.
• Tulsa Farmers Market on the Square Oklahoma's premier Farmers' Market operating every Saturday from 7-11 a.m. April through October at 1 S. Lewis Ave, offering fresh food from Green Country producers.
• Small Business Saturday Annual holiday shopping event partnering with American Express Small Business Saturday to encourage consumers to shop at Kendall Whittier small businesses.
• Community Partnership Program Partnership program offering Community Partner and Building & Business Owner alliance tiers with perks for organizations supporting Kendall Whittier revitalization efforts.
• Keep Kendall Whittier Clean Volunteer-led community clean-up initiative to maintain and improve the appearance of the Kendall Whittier district.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer recruitment and management program for board members, Main Street committees (Design, Organization, Economic Vitality, Promotions), and community events.
• Donation Program Charitable giving program accepting monthly or one-time donations to support Kendall Whittier Main Street's revitalization efforts, with options to cover processing fees.
• KWMS T-Shirt Official Kendall Whittier Main Street t-shirt featuring the new KWMS logo, available in Tan in XL and XXXLarge sizes, starting at $25.00.
• 2024 KWMS T-Shirt Jade Green t-shirt featuring an image of the Kendall Whittier Square, commemorating the 2024 year, priced at $15.00 in sizes S through XXLarge.
• Tote Bag Kendall Whittier branded tote bag available in blue and yellow colors for $12.00, intended for carrying items while showing KWMS pride.
• Stickers Kendall Whittier branded stickers available in 1x1 inch and 3x3 inch sizes, in colors including Black, Green, Original, Red, and White with Black Logo, priced at $1.00 each.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2026 Incentive Program secured $300,000 total investment ($150,000 grant plus $150,000 matching funds) for district improvements including art sculpture, wrapped utility boxes, gateway markers, and district signage
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Oklahoma Main StreetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level program providing the $150,000 Incentive Program grant for 2026 district improvements. Part of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce. Offers training, resources, and technical assistance for historic commercial district revitalization.
• American Express (Small Business Saturday)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner with American Express Small Business Saturday campaign, promoting holiday shopping at Kendall Whittier businesses on November 28, 2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Main Street Center: The national accreditation body and parent program under Main Street America. KWMS is one of approximately 800 accredited programs nationally; the NMSC provides the framework, training, and network that defines how KWMS operates.
• Levitt Foundation: National foundation funding free outdoor concert series, current funder of KWMS's Levitt BLOC Music Series. Provides funding infrastructure that supports KWMS event programming.
• Main Street America: The umbrella movement of which KWMS is a part; sets accreditation standards, training curriculum, and the four-point approach (Design, Organization, Promotions, Economic Vitality) used by KWMS and ~800 peer Main Street programs nationwide.
• Oklahoma Main Street: State-level coordinating program of the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce that administers the Incentive Program funding ($150K grant in 2026) and provides technical assistance to KWMS and 31 other Oklahoma Main Street programs.

Direct peers

• Downtown Tulsa Partnership: Nonprofit focused on the economic development, programming, and placemaking of downtown Tulsa. Closely comparable to KWMS in mission, nonprofit structure, district-level revitalization activities, and donor/grant funding model, though operating in the downtown core rather than the Kendall Whittier corridor.
• Cherry Street Main Street: Another Tulsa Main Street program applying the same four-point Main Street America approach to the Cherry Street commercial district. Direct comparable in methodology, accreditation pathway, and event-driven district programming.
• Greenwood District (Tulsa): Historic Tulsa district with parallel nonprofit-led cultural preservation and economic revitalization work; shares the community-development, heritage-tourism, and small-business-support mandate that defines KWMS.
• Brady Arts District (Tulsa): Tulsa cultural/commercial district with comparable nonprofit-led revitalization, arts programming, signature events (e.g., First Friday Art Crawl), and small-business support focus.
• Local First Tulsa: Local independent business advocacy organization with overlapping mission of supporting Tulsa small businesses, shop-local campaigns, and community-driven economic development complementary to KWMS district work.

Broad incumbents

• LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation): National community development financial institution supporting commercial corridor revitalization through financing, technical assistance, and grants. Operates at a much larger scale than KWMS but pursues adjacent community/economic development outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/historicKWMS
• Facebookfacebook.com/visitKendallWhittier
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kendall-whittier-main-street-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Kendall Whittier Main Street