The Tompkins County Tourism Program is accepting pre-applications for the 2020 Arts and Culture Organizational Development (ACOD) grant cycle starting on October 1.
ACOD grants are intended to support organizations that enhance Tompkins County’s brand as an artistic and cultural destination. ACOD grants provide general operating support to local public museums and performing/visual arts organizations.
The ACOD grant program has been a cornerstone of the Tompkins County Tourism Program for nearly two decades. A total of $267,000 was budgeted for ACOD grants in 2020. The maximum grant award is $35,000.
Pre-applications are due online no later than Thursday, October 31. Organizations interested in applying should contact Community Arts Partnership (CAP) to review the pre-application. Grant guidelines and application instructions are available at www.tompkinscountyny.gov/tourism/grants.
Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria in the pre-application will be invited to submit full applications, which will be due by December 16, 2019. Full applications will be evaluated on four categories: 1) tourism impact, 2) local quality of life and economic impact, 3) administrative capability, and 4) artistic/cultural impact.
A free workshop for grant applicants will be held Tuesday, October 8, 2:00pm-3:30pm, at the Tompkins Center for History and Culture (2nd Floor Conference Room). Participants will learn about eligibility requirements, recent changes to the grant program, and the online grant portal. CAP and Tourism Program staff will be available to answer questions. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to tourism@tompkins-co.org by Friday, October 4.
The Tompkins County Tourism Program annually invests over $2.5 million in local hotel room occupancy tax dollars in community-based tourism to promote economic development and enhance quality of life. In 2018 tourism in Tompkins County supported 3,700 local jobs, generated $227 million in visitor spending, and raised more than $16.6 million in local tax revenues. Learn more at the Tourism Program website.