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4theVille Strategic Plan 2025-2027
Executive Summary
History teaches everything, even the future. - Alphonse de Lamartine
4theVille stands at a pivotal moment in preserving and amplifying The Ville's legacy. Since 2017, we've championed restorative narratives for Black stories, arts, innovations, and residents. Our three-year strategic plan (2025-2027) provides our roadmap to celebrate, preserve, and amplify The Ville's legacy through community-guided initiatives. Over the next few years we will focus on the following priorities:
Internal Infrastructure
Strengthening systems, team capabilities, and community-centered governance for sustainable growth.
Growth & Sustainability
Fostering long-term stability through diversified funding, partnerships, and enhanced communications.
Placekeeping
Enhancing community vibrancy through cultural and artistic public improvements celebrating our legacy.
Cultural Heritage & Tourism
Protecting and promoting cultural assets through storytelling, ensuring our history endures.
We are confident our strategic plan positions us for momentum and growth, ensuring we steward cultural and historic preservation within our beloved community. By increasing internal capacity, securing sustainability, and leading in placekeeping and cultural tourism, we're safeguarding our past while actively shaping a vibrant, equitable future.

Call to Action
Join us in championing The Ville's legacy. Whether through partnership, funding, or active engagement, your support is crucial. Together, we ensure The Ville's rich legacy thrives and inspires future generations.
Purpose, Mission & Core Values
Purpose
Rooted in The Ville's profound legacy, we steward community-guided initiatives that preserve and amplify Black stories, people, and spaces. Through collaboration, we reclaim narrative, celebrate culture, and cultivate our community's future.
Mission
4theVille is a Cultural Heritage Development Organization (CHDO) dedicated to championing The Ville's legacy. We build upon this legacy through collaborative growth, activation, and stewardship, ensuring a vibrant future for all community members.
Core Values
Kinfolk
Rooted in Ubuntu philosophy—I am because we are—we place people at our heart. By honoring residents, artists, and business owners' unique talents and stories, we cultivate opportunities that empower individuals and build deep pride, connection, and belonging.
Preservation
Without preservation, our rich history risks erasure. We recognize and honor The Ville's invaluable assets—stories, arts, innovations, and historic places. By actively preserving these treasures, we ensure our community's legacy endures while inspiring future generations.
Place
Creative placekeeping honors and enriches The Ville's cultural and historical identity, ensuring it remains vibrant and inclusive. We craft initiatives celebrating our rich legacy, building upon existing assets through arts and culture to enhance our creative scene.
Future
With eyes on the horizon, we actively shape a sustainable, enriched future for all. We invest in next generations, creating opportunities and laying groundwork for enduring success. We refuse to let past or present challenges hinder progress, turning obstacles into opportunities.
Our Theory of Change
Reclaim. Restore. Transform.
Our Vision
We envision The Ville as a vibrant, thriving community and cultural destination, setting the standard for cultural preservation, placekeeping, and economic mobility. Picture a bustling commercial corridor with unique shops, preserved landmarks, diverse public art, and green spaces—public spaces pulsing with life and well-maintained amenities.
Imagine community ownership and entrepreneurship flourishing, fostering creativity and joy. Strong civic leadership ensures The Ville is celebrated as a thriving community, reflective of its historic cultural identity and consistently present in St. Louis's larger narrative.
Impact
The Ville will be recognized as a priority in convention, tourism, and innovation sectors—a bedrock of Black arts and culture. Robust educational infrastructure will support the community, increasing resident pride. Families will experience tangible wealth increases. Next-generation storytellers will emerge, keeping history alive. Residents and business owners will flourish, supported by respected community governance. Economic viability will thrive with more jobs and development, all while preserving unique culture.
Residents will be healthy, safe, and active
Public spaces will be well-maintained and accessible
The Ville will thrive, benefitting all stakeholders
Outputs & Activities
Key Outputs
  • Increased neighborhood programs and events
  • More funding flowing through community
  • New businesses with occupied retail space
  • Increased foot traffic
  • More public art installations and tours
  • More studio space for artists and storytellers
  • More engaged and committed neighbors
Core Activities
  • Community engagement and advisory
  • Arts and culture programs: festivals, exhibitions, performances
  • Educational partnerships with schools and universities
  • Economic and real estate development support, especially for community-owned enterprises
  • Public art commissions and installations
  • Public space creation and maintenance
  • Tourism promotion through tours and merchandising
Our Strategy
Dedicated staff, board members, students, and community champions driving initiatives forward.
Relationships
Strong partnerships with community, non-profits, foundations, businesses, schools, and government agencies.
Marketing
Effective strategies promoting The Ville's legacy, programs, and initiatives for broad awareness and engagement.
Resource Autonomy
Building our own capital base beyond traditional funding, maintaining control to drive long-term initiatives effectively.
Strategic Priorities & Implementation
4theVille has identified key strategic priorities guiding our efforts to preserve and amplify The Ville's legacy. These priorities address critical areas for growth, impact, and sustainability, providing a clear roadmap. We're committed to ensuring our strategies come to life through actionable steps, continuous monitoring, and adaptive management.
Our implementation plan translates strategic vision into practical actions with specific objectives, timelines, and key performance indicators (KPIs). As we progress, KPIs will become more specified, considering internal and external factors. Oversight mechanisms, including regular reviews and stakeholder engagement, help us stay on course and achieve our goals.
Internal Infrastructure
Building capacity
Growth & Sustainability
Securing resources
Placekeeping
Enhancing vibrancy
Cultural Tourism
Preserving legacy
By combining clear strategic priorities with robust implementation plans and effective oversight, we aim to drive meaningful change and lasting impact in The Ville.
Priority 1: Internal Infrastructure & Capacity Building

Impact Statement
Strengthening internal infrastructure and capacity creates a resilient, adaptive organization capable of effectively serving our community and achieving sustainable growth. A strong foundation allows us to respond to challenges with agility and scale our efforts.
Three-Year Implementation Roadmap
1
Year 1: Foundation
  • Research community-centric governance best practices
  • Develop board recruitment strategy
  • Launch practicum and internship program
  • Develop job descriptions and SOPs
  • Set initial KPIs for leadership
2
Year 2: Growth
  • Assess and refine governance structure
  • Implement targeted recruitment
  • Expand student enrichment opportunities
  • Hire foundational operations positions
  • Implement flat hierarchy
3
Year 3: Maturity
  • Empower committees to lead work
  • Fill all board and leadership roles
  • Scale student programs
  • Hire key programmatic staff
  • Stabilize operations
4theVille will be powered by the community, with the community, and reflect the spirit of the community. Every investment in our internal infrastructure will be for The Ville.
Priority 2: Organizational Growth & Sustainability

Impact Statement
Achieving organizational growth and sustainability ensures 4theVille can continue supporting and amplifying the community's legacy, driving long-term impact and stability. Sustainable growth allows us to scale initiatives, reach wider audiences, and secure resources necessary to maintain and expand programs.
Compelling Narrative
Craft powerful messaging that resonates broadly
Development Operations
Standardize and optimize fundraising
Major Giving
Expand significant individual contributors
Grassroots Support
Broaden base through values-aligned campaigns
Institutional Revenue
Secure grants and foster institutional relationships
Earned Revenue
Develop new revenue-generating opportunities
Three-Year Implementation Roadmap
1
Year 1: Foundation Building
Audit narrative, establish SOPs, implement development calendar, hire consultants, identify donors, launch grassroots tactics, increase grant readiness, conduct market analysis, formalize partnerships.
2
Year 2: Expansion & Refinement
Launch marketing campaigns, scale development systems, maintain donor relationships, host first fundraising event, strengthen institutional relationships, pilot revenue models, hire marketing & communications consultant.
3
Year 3: Optimization & Sustainability
Integrate narrative into culture, hire full-time director, establish recurring donations, focus on grant renewals, secure long-term partnerships, optimize collaborative efforts, assess financial health.
Our supporters will become our diverse community of ambassadors with deep understanding of and commitment to the impact of their contributions.
Priority 3: Placekeeping

Impact Statement
Placekeeping preserves and celebrates The Ville's cultural and historical identity, fostering a vibrant, beautiful, and inclusive community environment. By prioritizing placekeeping, we honor the past while shaping a dynamic cultural future that is inclusive and reflective of the community.
Cultural Boulevard
Advance development of the Cultural Boulevard, creating a central hub for cultural and artistic activities aligned with neighborhood planning efforts.
Arts & Culture
Curate diverse programs highlighting local talent and celebrating The Ville's authentic culture through public and community arts projects.
Historic Preservation
Champion preservation of historically significant sites and structures, maintaining their stories for future generations.
Education
Provide educational programs raising awareness of creative placekeeping's importance while fostering involvement and participation.
Community Governance
Co-create governance frameworks empowering residents to take active roles in cultural district development stewardship.
Cultural Anchors
Initiate significant cultural land-use projects that catalyze future investments and establish hubs for cultural expression.
Implementation Timeline
1
Year 1
Complete Cultural Blvd Master Design, secure funding, create arts calendar, develop preservation plans, workshop development concepts, host placekeeping workshops, develop governance strategy.
2
Year 2
Implement first phase installations, expand to two annual events, begin artist residency pilot, secure preservation funding, secure risk capital and site control, pursue community project funding, pilot governance structure.
3
Year 3
Secure second phase funding, expand to quarterly programming, begin preservation design and engineering, support project pipeline through pre-development, implement first community project, institutionalize governance structure.
The community's public spaces will be imbued with cultural legacy, and our heritage-based approach to development will catalyze strategic land use and market activity.
Priority 4: Cultural Tourism

Impact Statement
Preserving The Ville's history fosters pride and continuity for future generations while attracting visitors and scholars, ensuring a lasting legacy. Cultural Tourism solidifies The Ville's identity, providing a foundation for future growth and a source of inspiration and education for all.
Go-To Organization for Black Stories
Position 4theVille as the leading authority on cultural tours highlighting the rich history and contributions of Black St. Louis through market analysis, competitive strategy, and PR campaigns.
Scale Tourism Operations
Expand tourism initiatives to reach broader, more diversified audiences, enhancing The Ville's economic impact and visibility through booking platforms, expanded tour menus, and marketing campaigns.
Career Pipeline Development
Develop training and career programs focused on cultural tourism, history interpretation, and storytelling, ensuring transfer of necessary skills and knowledge to future generations through the Black Heritage Academy.
Docent Training Program
Train and retain a dedicated team of docents to lead tours and educational programs, providing visitors with engaging and informative experiences through structured training and ongoing development.
Gift Shop & Merchandising
Increase merchandising and open gift shop as enhancements to revenue, arts, and tourism activities, featuring high-quality branded merchandise celebrating The Ville's history and cultural significance.
Three-Year Implementation Journey
1
Year 1: Foundation
Complete market study and SWOT analysis, develop booking platform, onboard tour guides, design marketing plan, explore non-traditional offerings, execute Black Heritage Academy MOU, pilot docent training, design merchandise inventory.
2
Year 2: Expansion
Implement competitive strategy, expand tour menu and frequency, complete community-based tourism plan, identify tour pipelines, complete Academy strategic plan, evaluate docent pilot, launch second training class, pilot gift shop.
3
Year 3: Optimization
Consolidate competitor offerings, run PR campaign, launch tourism marketing campaign, strengthen community partner participation, stabilize Academy programming, institutionalize docent training, expand gift shop operations.
By Year 3, we will have established 4theVille as the premier cultural tourism organization in St. Louis, with consistent operations, strong community partnerships, institutionalized training programs, and sustainable revenue streams supporting our mission to preserve and amplify The Ville's legacy.
Champion The Ville Legacy With Us!
The spirit of The Ville reaches far beyond our neighborhood, city, regional, and national boundaries. Over time, it has proven its value to our collective memories. Whether through partnership, funding, or active engagement, your support is crucial to reclaiming, restoring, and transforming this legacy. Together, we can ensure The Ville inspires generations to come.
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