Ongoing Initiatives
Sign & Facade Grant
Matching funds that help downtown Rochester NH property and business owners invest in signage, facades, and exterior improvements.
The Downtown Sign & Facade Grant provides matching funds that help property and business owners invest in better signage, facades, and exterior improvements, the upgrades that make every storefront, and the whole street, more inviting.
What the grant covers
Signage, facades, and exterior improvements that strengthen the district’s historic character: a new hanging sign, a restored storefront, paint and repair work that brings an old facade back to life. One improved storefront lifts the whole block, which is exactly the multiplier the grant is designed to buy.
It pairs with the Richard Southard Historic Preservation Grant, which handles the bigger preservation projects, and with the design work you can see across the district on our accomplishments page.
How it’s funded
Grant funds come from our fundraisers, charitable gaming partnership, sponsorships, and donations, so every dollar given downtown can end up on a storefront. We don’t just organize events; we put real funding into the buildings that give downtown its character.
Contact us for current guidelines and application details, or see the grants page for the full picture of what we fund.
More ongoing initiatives
Richard Southard Historic Preservation Grant
A grant honoring Richard Southard that helps downtown Rochester NH property owners preserve and restore historic architecture.
Rochester Thank A Cop
Community-led since 2018, Rochester Thank A Cop honors Rochester NH police officers with gifts and Paint the City Blue displays each September.
Downtown Scholarship
An annual scholarship for a Spaulding High School senior who lives, works, or volunteers in downtown Rochester NH, funded by local donors.
