Invest in Frostburg’s Future: Donate to FrostburgFirst for 2022!

From the small-town charm to the friendly customers and neighbors you interact with every day, Frostburg is a great place to visit, live, and do business. But this year is different from any other. The challenges our local small businesses and community continue to face due to the pandemic are unprecedented, and FrostburgFirst is no exception.

When you invest in FrostburgFirst, you are investing in your community’s future.

A community’s central business district often accounts for as much as 30% of the town’s jobs and 40% of its tax base. More than that, the Frostburg Main Street and Arts & Entertainment District is also the community’s crossroad, a place in our hearts and minds that evokes strong emotions and helps define our identity. FrostburgFirst serves as a catalyst for economic development and facilitates collaboration and cooperation throughout the community.
As a designated Maryland Main Street Community and state designated Arts & Entertainment District, we strive to make Frostburg “cooler” by enhancing economic vitality and quality of life. FrostburgFirst places an emphasis on providing resources and promotional assistance to our small businesses and local artists while providing free events and regular updates to the general community. But our vision of downtown Frostburg as a thriving arts, cultural, and business community in the midst of Appalachian beauty requires much more.

In 2021, FrostburgFirst held multiple events, including the annual Fall and Spring Arts Walk, the 3rd Annual Pig Out in the Park BBQ Bash, the annual Cocoa Crawl, the inaugural Bite of the Burg Restaurant Week, and the return of Second Saturdays. We successfully launched a 3-month long Pop-Up Frostburg shop hosting multiple local vendors. Through grant funds, private donations, and our fundraising efforts, FrostburgFirst was able to allocate $120,000 in mini-grants to local small businesses struggling as a result of the pandemic. We worked with the City of Frostburg to install new public art and start the process for two new public art projects for the spring of 2022.

Among other projects, FrostburgFirst has also created and implemented an ongoing marketing and promotion strategy to highlight our beautiful downtown, including TV and streaming advertisements, online ads, social media campaigns, and through our partnership with local media.

Last year brought unique challenges to our community, and as a result, FrostburgFirst waived all membership fees in Fiscal Year 2021. In response, we took the year to revaluate how we connect with the community, businesses, and artists who help to drive our organization. As a result, we have shifted to a more inclusive investment structure, and we ask you to view your investment in FrostburgFirst as an investment in the continued revitalization of Frostburg. All investment donations are 100% tax-deductible, and directly support our programs and operations, making it possible for us to focus on downtown revitalization efforts and improving quality of life for the Frostburg community. 

By investing in FrostburgFirst, you have the opportunity to have direct involvement with FrostburgFirst events, provide input on organizational operations, proposed projects, and investor perks, and to increase the visibility of your business or organization in the Frostburg community and throughout the region. FrostburgFirst is proud to serve the Frostburg community and strives to contribute to the overall quality of life for residents, to encourage tourism, and to participate in economic development that will enhance downtown Frostburg.

We’ve included the different ways you can impact FrostburgFirst this year, and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions.

Please consider making a statement of support for our mission and operations by investing in our shared future today!