Dear Reader,

I’d like to invite you to become a part of the vibrant, prosperous and attractive Historic Charles Street District! Your membership to the Historic Charles Street Association establishes you as a dedicated partner of this community and presents many opportunities for joint advertising and promotional projects.

We are committed to promoting The Historic Charles Street District and depend upon the support of our members to continue to make an impact. In fact, we’re referring to 2012 as the year of more. Here are a few of the ways we’ll serve our members:

· We’ll host more Events. We’ll have more Let’s Eat Charles Street block parties. At our May 12th 2012 Street Festival, we shut down the entire 300 block of N. Charles Street and hosted more than 40 local food and clothing vendors! We had great live music sponsored by WTMD radio, and over a thousand people enjoyed their afternoon with us.

We also co-produce the First Thursday Concerts in the Park and help market the Monument Lighting, Flowermart, Artscape and Friday Farmers market events, to name just a few.

· We’ll guarantee you greater visibility: by promoting your business through our new, weekly Charles Street Insider eLetter and through Social Media like Facebook and Twitter. We currently reach several thousand residents in the Baltimore area!

· We’ll feature your business in our new Charles Street Map & Guide, which we’ll distribute to high-traffic areas such as the Visitor’s Center, the Inner Harbor and area hotels.

· We act as your advocate on issues affecting the Charles Street corridor community. We have hosted Safety Awareness meetings in conjunction with The Downtown Partnership, sponsored parking & loading meetings which included participation from City Enforcement officials, and are successfully getting several of our members to receive the Authentic Baltimore designation from the Baltimore National Heritage Area.

· We’ll help you generate online ‘buzz,’ as utilizing online marketing techniques directly and positively impacts your bottom line. We’ll have seminars on Facebook advertising, list building and other traffic techniques; Paypal accounts, Ebay and Etsy online marketplaces – in short, all of the new and important areas you need to know to grow your business in the Internet Age.

· We’ll work harder, on your behalf, to get new ‘feet on the street’ and replace the empty storefronts along Charles Street. We’ll do this by reaching out to excellent local and national businesses – but only those that are worthy of Charles Street’s distinctive history and prime location.

· And we’ll feature more member perks, such as access to discounted parking vouchers for your customers, ways to utilize University of Baltimore’s intern system and advice on the process, exclusive Zipcar discounts for members, and more.

2012 will be the best year yet for Charles Street. Join us in our commitment to serve our unique, vital and vibrant community. I look forward to reporting back to you on our progress.

Membership Levels

___ Monument Membership for Business or Property Owner $5,000
___ Corporate Sponsor $2,500
___ Charles Club Membership for Business or Property Owner $1,250
___ Premier Membership for Business or Property Owner $625
___ Basic Membership for Business or Property Owner $375
___ Small Business or Small Non Profit Organization $175

___Residents, Individuals and Friends of Charles Street $75

Please enclose your check made payable to The Historic Charles Street Association

And Mail to:

The Historic Charles Street Association – Membership

312 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

Any questions, contact me anytime at info@charlesstreet.net or call 410-332-4144.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Laura Rodini
Executive Director, The Historic Charles Street Association

The Historic Charles Street Association (HCSA) is a non-profit organization, 501 (c)(3),whose mission is to support and promote the businesses, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and retail establishments along the Charles Street corridor. HCSA serves as a problem solving and information resource for its members, as well as provides a forum for networking, communication and collaboration.