The Hospitality Tax County Promotions Grants provide financial support to organizations and projects whose primary mission is to attract tourists by promoting dining and overnight accommodations in unincorporated areas of Richland County.
Donor Name: Richland County
State: South Carolina
County: Richland County (SC)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/04/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
County Promotion Grants are funded through Hospitality Tax (H-Tax) revenues collected in unincorporated Richland County as well as incorporated municipal areas of the Town of Irmo which lie in Richland County and the entire incorporated municipal area of the Town of Eastover. These funds may be used for tourism related events and programs in Richland County, with a priority of funding projects in those areas where H-Tax funds are collected.
Funding Priorities
Priority will be given to projects that:
- Promote dining at restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments where Richland County collects Hospitality Tax (Unincorporated Richland County, Town of Eastover and the Richland County portions of the Town of Irmo);
- Generate overnight stays in unincorporated Richland County’s lodging facilities; and
- Promote and highlight unincorporated Richland County’s historic and cultural venues, recreational facilities and events and the uniqueness and flavor of the local community.
Funding Information
County Promotions award amounts ranged from $ 625 to $15,000.
Grant Period
July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
Applicant organizations must have been in existence for at least one (1) year prior to requesting funds.
- Applicants must provide proof of their non -profit status or fall into one of the following categories:
- Organizations exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and whose primary goal is to attract additional visitors through tourism promotion. The letter of exemption from the Internal Revenue Service must accompany your proposal.
- Destination Marketing Organizations, which are recognized non -profit organizations charged with the responsibility of marketing tourism for their specific municipalities, counties or regions, such as Chambers of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureaus an d Regional Tourism Commissions.
- The Town of Eastover and the Town of Irmo may also apply for funds.
- Richland County will not award H-Tax funds to individuals, fraternal organizations, or organizations that support and/or endorse political campaigns.
- Religious organizations may receive funding; however, Richland County may not sponsor nor provide financial support to a religious organization in a manner which would actively involve it in a religious activity (i.e. public funds must not be used for a religious purpose). Thus, any funds provided must be solely utilized for secular purposes and the principal or primary goal of the sponsored activity must not be to advance religion.
- Grantee organizations may not re-grant County funds to other organizations. All funds must be spent on direct program expenditures by the organization that is granted the allocation.
- Council approved that beginning in FY17 all organizations that use a fiscal agent to administer grant funded projects through the Hospitality Tax gr ant program can only do so for one fiscal year, after which they must have a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt status to receive future Hospitality Tax grant funds from the County.
For more information, visit Richland County.
