May 23, 2024 3:20 a.m.
The Roseburg Community Development Department is now accepting applications for spring 2024 tourism grants.
A City release said successful applicants may win grants of up to $7,500 or even more to help draw visitors to Roseburg and surrounding areas. The department and the Roseburg Economic Development Commission will take applications for the grants until 5:00 p.m. on July 5th.
In April, the city council authorized the commission to award tourism grants up to $7,500. Before that, the commission could award grants up to $5,000 while the council had to award grant amounts that were higher.
Community Development Director Stuart Cowie said, “The Tourism Grant Program provides a great opportunity for local organizations to seek grant funding in order to assist in marketing and promoting events and programs intended to bring tourists to Roseburg”. Cowie said, “We look forward to reviewing applications”.
The release said the Tourism Grant Program is funded through the Roseburg hotel/motel lodging tax collected within the city limits. Roseburg offers a spring and a fall grant cycle. For this cycle, applications will be accepted from registered businesses, registered 501c3 organizations, other 501c tax-exempt organizations and governmental entities. Online applications can be found on the Community Development Department’s webpage: https://www.cityofroseburg.org/departments/community-development/links
Grants are typically awarded for such things as advertising, publicizing, or distributing information to market special events and festivals designed to attract tourists or to attract and welcome tourists at tourism-related facilities, or capitol improvement projects that have a substantial purpose of supporting tourism or accommodating tourism activities.
The commission is especially interested in events and projects that entice people to visit Labor Day through Memorial Day, but all applications are strongly encouraged. The commission will review and consider all applications, and vote on submissions at its next meeting on Thursday July 25th.