what we do
'The Downtown Guides have been instrumental in the safety and success of my cafe."
-Shelby Haggard, Owner The Owl’s Nest coffee & pastries
Advocacy
GOAL: Channel the voice of the downtown businesses and other stakeholders to compel action in both local and state government.
The Alliance is taking on the following initiatives to accomplish this goal:
- City of Olympia
- Work to retain and grow support from the City in marketing, events, and placemaking endeavors.
- Advocate for policy, projects, and services that support a clean, safe, and healthy downtown that are directly administered by the City and/or fund Alliance services and projects that accomplish this goal.
- Support or oppose policies that impact the viability and prosperity of Alliance stakeholders.
- State
- Further State leadership to expand mental health and chemical dependency resources*.
- Create emergency housing while we wait for permanent supportive housing
Clean, Safe, & Healthy
GOAL: Support a welcoming environment to ensure business success and a thriving downtown.
The Alliance is taking on the following initiatives to accomplish this goal:
- Downtown Guide Program-This program, through support from the downtown investors and the City of Olympia, has a mission of helping visitors, residents, and employees feel comfortable, welcome, and safe in our community.
The scope of services includes:
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- Hospitality-Provide a warm greeting to Downtown patrons, sharing information and offering recommendations
- Safety-Be vigilant and present a distinctive presence to help deter crime
- Partnership-Call on both City of Olympia and social service resources to work together to address challenging behaviors Downtown
- Crisis Outreach-Engage individuals suffering from houselessness, mental health crises, drug addiction in an effort to connect them with available resources in the community.
- Downtown Maintenance Program-This program helps to support a clean and beautiful downtown.
The scope of service includes:
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- Cleaning-Blowing, picking up litter, wiping down fixtures, and removing graffiti tags and stickers
- Landscaping-Watering and maintaining plants, pulling weeds, and leaf and snow disposal
- Pressure washing-The Alliance aims to pressure wash one sidewalk section downtown per week.
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- Downtown Cleanups-Twice a year, the Alliance invites community members downtown to help clean up downtown in advance of Arts Walk and engage in special projects, often placemaking interventions
- Love Oly Painters-This program works to clean up graffiti tags and paint downtown buildings with the help of amazing volunteers!
- Olympia Resources
Economic Development
GOAL: Develop programming and leverage community partnerships to support a vibrant downtown economy, including current and future businesses.
The Alliance is taking on the following initiatives to accomplish this goal:
- Offer new businesses downtown a welcome packet, informing them of resources and tips to help them succeed downtown
- Maintain an inventory of vacant spaces downtown, offering this resource to businesses interested in opening or expanding operations downtown
- Plan entrepreneurial pop-up opportunities in vacant spaces downtown
- Partner with other economic development partners in the region to leverage opportunities available to downtown businesses
LoveOly Business Connect: Get to Know Your Neighbors
Join us on the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 5:15 PM – 6:30 PM to connect, collaborate, and grow with fellow downtown businesses!
|
MONTH (2026) |
BUSINESS |
|
Jan |
Olympia Federal Savings |
|
Feb |
Altitude 15 |
|
March |
Noctua Emporium |
|
April |
Odds & Ends |
|
May |
Kosmo Coworking |
|
June |
OlyAHA Museum & Visitor Center |
|
July |
On hold: Join us at Music in the Park instead! |
|
Aug |
Batdorf & Bronson Legacy Cafe |
|
Sept |
Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar |
|
Oct |
TBD |
|
Nov |
TBD |
|
Dec |
TBD |
Imagemaking
GOAL: Improve the community's perception of downtown through enhancements to the physical environment, production of quality events and experiences, and strategic communications and marketing.
The Alliance is taking on the following initiatives to accomplish this goal:
- Events-In addition to an Annual Members Meeting and a Summer Member barbeque, the Alliance produces five signature events to draw our community downtown. Click here to learn more! (link to events page)
- Love Oly Shop & Dine Week
- Love Oly SummerFest
- Love Oly Music in the Park
- Halloween Trick-or-Treat Event
- Love Oly Downtown for the Holidays and WinterFest
- Marketing-Work to inform the community of all the great shopping, dining, and experiences they can find downtown through its social media channels, weekly newsletter, earned media, and advertising. The Alliance also produces the Downtown Visitor Guide, offering visitors a hard copy directory of downtown businesses, recreational opportunities, and a map.
- Placemaking-Employ placemaking strategies to improve public and private spaces to inspire our community and support a more welcoming downtown.
- Love Oly Microgrant Program-This program offers grants up to $500 per business to help fund small placemaking interventions such as new planters, a fresh coat of paint, or new signage. The program also offers the opportunity to use the funding for promotional events within businesses.
- Lighting-Work to increase lighting levels downtown, targeting downtown street trees and alleys.
- Holiday décor-Invest in décor and decorations downtown that help to lend to a festive and fun environment.
LoveOly Microgrants
The LoveOly Microgrants program empowers businesses to enhance shared spaces through thoughtful, community-driven projects.
The program is rooted in placemaking, a collaborative, human-centered approach to designing and managing public spaces that enhances community well-being, social connection, and the identity of a place.
The goal is to create places that feel welcoming, accessible, and uniquely Olympia.
The 2026 LoveOly Microgrants program is sponsored by:
By the Numbers
79
grants awarded
$37,502
total awarded
3.69X
return on investment
$138,549
total downtown investment
Your Project: Funding & Categories
Selected downtown businesses are eligible for a reimbursement grant of up to $500, with applications limited to one per seasonal cycle.
To receive funding, projects must be fully documented; reimbursements are issued once all project documentation is complete, within 30 days following the documentation deadline.
Grants are designed to support two specific areas of improvement:
Physical Space Enhancement
Improve your storefront with permanent or semi-permanent upgrades.
Examples: Murals, planters and greenery, functional lighting, accessibility features (ramps or inclusive seating), outdoor gathering spaces.
Event Space Activation
Host creative experiences that invite the public in and bring energy to your location.
Examples: In-store events that are free and open to the community, live music or DJs, temporary art installations, sidewalk or alleyway activations.
Eligibility
Selection Criteria
- Cultural & Aesthetic Value: Does the project provide a rich cultural experience and increase the overall attractiveness of downtown?
- Site Impact: How significantly does the project enhance the specific site and benefit the community?
- Diversity & Inclusion: Does the project intentionally invite diverse audiences and incorporate inclusive practices to attract a broader community?
- Investment Ratio: Is the applicant also committing personal or business funds to the project's success?
Applications will be vetted by Olympia Downtown Alliance Design and Promotions committees with staff assistance, utilizing the above criteria to evaluate each application. Note: Special consideration is given to first-time applicants and projects that address multiple scoring criteria.
LoveOly Microgrants Timeline
FALL 2026
Please check back for the Fall 2026 application schedule. Applications normally open around mid-August. Thank you!Contact Us
