Downtown Natchez Alliance

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2023, downtown natchez alliance (dna) continued its work as a Mississippi main street association (mmsa) member to implement the main street four point approach, as well as facilitating the city's downtown natchez master plan. Dna made a successful application to the Mississippi main street revitalization grant program (mmsrg) for a project to landscape the public park at the depot on the bluff. Also, through mmsa, successful application for two rounds of arpa grant funds was made for $161,400. The funds will be used to carry out dna's transformation strategy of placemaking with recreation of original balconies and installation of awnings on historic commercial downtown buildings. Dna also partnered with mmsa and other Mississippi towns in a usda grantfunded for the real estate game plan and showcase with consultant joe borgstrom, to produced a possibilities and pro forma program. On behalf of the city, dna also managed the engineering/landscape design team to create a detailed construction plan for hiram revels plaza, a new public park to be located in the black history district downtown. In addition, dna hosted seasonal events throughs the year, including: ring in spring, celebrate the blooms crepe myrtle festival, christmas in july, downtown natchez pumpkin patch festival, holiday host & toast open houses. The keep natchez blooming awards for beautification were presented. Dna's 2d annual downtown pumpkin patch festival lasted one month as a family activity downtown. The downtown halloween rubber duckie scavenger hunt brough hundreds of children downtown to find the rubber ducks. Dna also produced a holiday open house on the second sunday in november, and worked with the christmas in natchez organization on holiday season events that add value to downtown. Other actives include "destination downtown," dna's newspaper column, which was published weekly in the local newspaper to promote dna's mission and the community experiences that downtown offers. Monthly merchant meetings were hosted by dna in partnership with the natchezadams county chamber of commerce. A downtown building inventory was created and updated to identify vacant buildings that need restoration and also locations of potential new businesses. In 2023, there was a net gain of three new businesses and three expansions of existing businesses.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 62.3%; rating input score 62
• Program expense ratio: 94%; rating input score 94
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 34.4%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.87; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 36.7%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 28.4% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -39.5% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 32.6% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings