Is your community or organization working to make Oregon a welcoming destination for all? Do you have an inclusive project that will drive economic prosperity while delivering a remarkable visitor experience? This grant program is designed to increase access and equity for those who may have experienced barriers to visiting the great state— whether by better addressing various mobility challenges or celebrating the diversity of people and communities who live in and travel to Oregon.
Donor Name: Travel Oregon
State: Oregon
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/15/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Grant funds are intended to support projects that align with Travel Oregon’s vision: Oregon is a welcoming destination where tourism drives economic prosperity, benefits the natural environment and celebrates rich, diverse cultures. In alignment with the objectives and strategies above, the 2024-2025 Competitive Grants Program will focus funding on projects that increase access and inclusion for historically and currently underserved or underresourced communities as defined in the State of Oregon’s DEI Action Plan.
Travel Oregon’s 10-Year Strategic Vision holds four objectives:
- Oregon’s tourism economy is flourishing.
- Oregon is striving to be a place of equity.
- Oregon delivers remarkable experiences.
- Oregon respects its natural environments.
The 2024-2025 Competitive Grants Program is designed to address the following parts of Travel Oregon’s 2023-2025 Biennial Plan:
- Reduce high visitation pressures and increase community livability by investing in the development of niche tourism product that is based on growing visitor demand and Oregon’s competitive advantage (e.g., outdoor recreation, culinary, agritourism, arts and culture).
- Expand opportunities for residents and tourism stakeholders to actively engage and collaborate in destination management processes.
- Align and support communications across the tourism industry to improve visitor behaviors and experiences with timely information, responsible recreation practices and respect for all communities.
- Support the development of new and existing tourism-related facilities and products (e.g., visitor experiences, attractions, and public spaces) to better serve historically and currently underserved and under-resourced communities.
- Increase demand by leveraging Oregon’s brand through engagement of broader audiences inclusive of Oregon’s diverse cultures, people and places.
Funding Information
Total funding available for the 2024-2025 Competitive Grants program is expected to be $5.2 million. Of that, $1,000,000 will be dedicated to tourism promotion projects that increase access and inclusion. Requests between $20,000 to $150,000 will be accepted.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include those listed below that are doing business in Oregon and can demonstrate direct work in support of improving the economic impacts of Oregon’s travel and tourism industry:
- Local governments
- Port districts
- Federally recognized tribes
- Non-profit entities registered with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office.
For more information, visit Travel Oregon.
