Promoting Tourism and Cultural Activities
The purpose of the Tourism Grant Program is to promote tourism and cultural activities in Bellingham.
Activities funded through this program increase economic activity by bringing visitors to Bellingham. A “visitor” is defined as a person who travels from a place of residence to a different town, city, county, state, or country, for purposes of business, pleasure, recreation, education, arts, heritage, or culture.
This grant program has supported events such as Fire and Story (photographed at the top of this page; photo by Mataio Gillis).
About the Grants
This program is supported by the City’s share of a special excise tax collected on overnight stays within the city limits (lodging tax). These funds support many programs and projects, including two annual grants: the Standard Tourism Grant and the Start Up Tourism Grant.
Each year, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) – a sub-committee of the Tourism Commission – provides recommendations for how to use funds.
The grants provide seed money for new events or marketing funds for ongoing events. Funding is limited to activities that draw tourists to Bellingham.
Standard Tourism Grant
The Standard Tourism Grant is for well-established events and activities, typically over three years running. In some cases, newer events backed by a well-established and experienced team may still rank well in this category. There is no expressed limit for fund requests in the Standard Grant category; however, generally the funding ranges between $5,000-$30,000.
Start Up Tourism Grant
The Start Up Grant is for events or activities that are new, often running for less than three years. Grants in this category have less requirements than the Standard Grant and are capped at $5,000.
Tourism Grant Program Awardees
Some past awardees include Ski to Sea, SeaFeast, CASCADIA Women’s International Film Festival, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, Max Higbee Center (April Brews Day), Downtown Bellingham Partnership, Paper Whale (Fire & Story Festival, and Noisy Waters Mural Festival), Pickford Film Center (Doctober), Bellingham Bells, Bellingham Bay Marathon, and many more.
>> Learn more about the grant and see more awardees.
Signature Event Grants
Unlike the Standard and Start Up Tourism Grants, the Signature Event Grant is not offered annually. The Signature Event Grant is an opportunity for qualified producers or operators with the experience, industry contacts and innovative vision to launch an event that will encourage commerce, maximize national and regional exposure, enhance the existing quality of life for residents and become self-sustaining.
For more information, please visit the Signature Event Grant webpage.
