The goals of the existing organization complement or enhance the goals identified for downtown. If the decision is made to align with an existing organization, it is important to document the situation, defining staff, overhead, and process issues in writing. This situation should be approached as any other type of business affiliation would be. If the review of existing organizations does not produce a suitable match, the interim working group would then move to create a new organization that focuses on the downtown initiative. The traditional model is a structure composed of a Board of Directors and working committees.
Professional staff is hired to direct the effort, with the organization providing oversight.
The organization can be run with volunteers. However, the progress will be slower and the quality of work might not be as high. DHCD has several publications to assist with reviewing options for economic development organizations or entities in the community. Please refer to the end of this section for resources that offer additional information on types of approaches to economic development.