The City of Columbia is accepting applications for Hospitality Tax Grant Funding for the 2025-2026.
Donor Name: City of Columbia
State: South Carolina
City: Columbia
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/28/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Hospitality Tax Grant presents a tremendous opportunity for nonprofit organizations focused on improving visitors’ experiences and drawing tourists to the City of Columbia! If your organization is a registered nonprofit with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office and actively contributes to the community, they are eager to support your exciting projects and events.
Grant Period
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
Eligible Expenditures
The HTAX grant funds can be utilized to cover the following expenses:
- Advertising/Promotions/Marketing (including designing, printing, postage for items mailed to attract tourists).
- Security/Emergency Services (Fire, Police, Fencing, Barricades etc.).
- Entertainment/Speakers/Artist Performances fees.
- A portion of an employee’s salary may be eligible if hired to perform an approved function (e.g., marketing manager).
Eligible Requirements
To receive H-tax funding, organizations/projects/events must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Organization/program/event must meet one of the stated uses described in South Carolina State Law S.C. Code 6-1-730 for Hospitality Tax Uses
- The organization or fiscal agent must provide proof of their non-profit status with documentation from the South Carolina Secretary of State Office or be exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(C) of the Internal Revenue Code whose primary goal is to attract additional visitors through tourism promotion (letter of exemption from the IRS must be provided).
- Organization/Project/Event must be in the City of Columbia limits.
- Organization/Project/Event must promote the attraction of tourists and promote dining in the City of Columbia. Columbia City Council has determined that a tourist is anyone traveling from outside of the city limits.
- All projects/events must be completed during the fiscal year they are funded. The fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.
- Grant funds requested must be for eligible expenditures only.
- If funding is approved for an event, the event must be marketed and open to the public.
- The organization must have a current City of Columbia business license.
- No person, on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), disability, military status and veteran status, political affiliation, socioeconomic background or any other characteristic protected by applicable law should be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under the program or activity funded in whole or in part by Hospitality Tax Funds.
- Employment made by or resulting from Hospitality Tax funding shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), disability, military status and veteran status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, and local laws.
For more information, visit City of Columbia.
