Grants available for promoting tourism
By Barbara Arntsen
Published in News on October 8, 2004 1:59 PM
Up to $10,000 in grants will soon be available to local nonprofit organizations that promote tourism in Wayne County.
The Goldsboro Travel & Tourism Board voted Thursday to designate the money for qualifying applicants. The maximum grant per organization would be $2,000 and would require a four-to-one match.
"That means we would give four dollars to every one dollar the organization gives," said City Manager Richard Slozak. "I think that's a good match."
This year's application deadline will be the end of the first week in November.
The tourism board began looking into the possibility of grants at the request of the City Council.
During budget talks the council suggested that Slozak look at whether there was money available from the tourism office to fund some of the requests from nonprofits, like the Old Waynesborough Commission.
Slozak pitched the idea to the tourism board, which agreed to look into the possibility of creating competitive grants that could help one local attraction a year.
Tourism Director Marlise Taylor developed the grant guidelines based on the state tourism department's application.
Two members of the tourism board will review the applications before making a recommendation to the full board.
The local economic effect of the project and those projects promoting travel from out-of-state areas or locations more than 100 miles away will be given primary consideration.
Organizations may apply for grants every year. However, the grant must be for a different project each year.
For more information about the grant, contact the Travel & Tourism Department at 734-2245.