About Properties of Merit ™

The basis of Properties of Merit ™ programs is that better maintained properties, public spaces, neighborhoods and communities deliver a higher quality of life to communities and their residents. By giving citizens the opportunity to easily become stakeholders without requiring undue investment of time or money, you also grow the human infrastructure needed to accomplish the slow and often frustrating work of transforming and enhancing communities. Read More +/-

The root causes of community challenges are always complex. Properties of Merit ™ programs seek to provide simple, easily executed solutions that can positively contribute to solving those challenges over time. Its programs are not “silver bullet”, top down, heavily funded solutions but rather the opposite. Simple actions, with immediately observed results, repeatedly and consistently executed on an annual basis by volunteer citizens with relatively low cash and time outlays will over time make a difference in any community. Properties of Merit ™ programs are designed to be flexible and adaptable while also adhering to basic principals that have been found to work in the often glacial work of community revitalization and improvement.

Often the power of a simple thank you is overlooked. The bulk of municipal energy goes towards punishing quality of life offenders, leaving no resources to thank those that for no other reason than personal and civic pride take the extra time to plant flowers, tend lawns, weed sidewalks, and replace street trees. As a volunteer driven 501 c 3 non-profit organization Properties of Merit ™ programs make sure the thank you is given. By delivering that thank you others are encouraged to do the same. Michele Unger, Allentown, PA member of the Old Allentown Historic District and past Properties of Merit ™ Awards Program Nominating Captain, felt the effect in her Properties of Merit ™ Nominating Area. "Three years ago, I had to really search some of the neighborhoods to find qualifying properties. Now I see a difference."

Two observed and studied human behaviors drive Properties of Merit ™ programs. Acclaimed economist Steven D. Levitt, University of Chicago and recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal, awarded every two years to the best American economist under forty comments on the first such behavior. He writes, “the broken window theory …conceived by the criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling…argues that minor nuisances, if left unchecked, turn into major nuisances: that is, if someone breaks a window and sees it isn’t fixed immediately, he gets the signal that it’s all right to break the rest of the windows and maybe set the building afire too.” The second behavior is a basic tool of all educators and sales managers. If you thank someone for doing something they are likely to continue to do it. And if you publicly recognize their accomplishment, others may strive to earn that some recognition.

Never underestimate the power of a simple thank you. Never underestimate the “Tom Sawyer” power of cleaning up and getting others to join you. Both can have dramatic impact if done on a community wide basis consistently over time.


Board of Directors and Staff

2008 Statewide Board of Directors

Special Reports

Financial Documents