Getting grants to fund your efforts
Federal and state grants are a great source of financial assistance for non-commercial businesses. These grants are funded by our tax dollars and are often awarded to non-profits, but also go to businesses in the medical, education, and scientific research or technology development industries.
These grants are typically funded on merit and need, but there are some additional ways to become eligible for a grant that you may not know about. If you’ve got love for the state your business is located in, and promote travel and tourism on its behalf, you could be in a position to win a grant matching a portion of the money you put towards those efforts.
State matching programs
Many state matching programs will give a dollar for every dollar that organizations invest in efforts to drive economic growth for the state. Promoting travel and tourism is one of the easiest ways to do this, as many consumers go to state tourism websites to get information for vacations and other things to do when making travel plans. If your organization helps take on some of that responsibility, you are likely eligible for a grant.
One way that you can promote tourism through your business is by staying in constant communication with your customers and partners, and inviting them to visit your facilities for a meeting or event. This is a great way to remain in contact with your consumer base, and you can give discounts on air travel or hotel stays to give an incentive for them to travel to your state. Or if a major festival is going on, you can promote the event on your own website and communications vehicles in order to increase reach and awareness.
Finding grant opportunities
Showing your chamber of commerce that you are a contributor to your city and state’s tourism industry will show favorably on your business. You can also find other unique grant opportunities through sites like GrantWatch.com, which can segment out funding opportunities based on location. They have a wide range of postings, including grants for working to improve city water quality, education efforts or meeting the needs of the community in an impactful way. Utilize sites like these and the Small Business Association’s website for additional grant opportunities.
