On October 17, the Tompkins County Legislature approved the award of over $349,000 in grants to local organizations through three categories of Tourism Program grants. County staff are pleased to announce the following grant awards.
Community Celebrations Grants
Grant awards totaling $10,875 were made to seven organizations in the Community Celebrations category. Community Celebrations grants support local events that convey the unique culture and history of Tompkins County. Their mission is to enhance quality of life for residents, improve understanding of local culture, and foster community identity and involvement in ways that are informative, educational, and just plain fun. Community Celebrations are required to be free and open to the public. The events funded in the Fall 2023 grant cycle include:
|
Event Name |
Date(s) |
|
Ithaca Reads Toni Morrison (Calvary Baptist Church) |
Nov. 3 – Dec. 17 |
|
Kwanzaa 2023 (Southside Community Center) |
Dec. 28 |
|
Festival of Fire and Ice (Ithaca Children’s Garden) |
3 février 2024 |
|
Enfield Cabin Fever |
24 février 2024 |
|
Groton Cabin Fever |
2 mars 2024
|
|
Soul Festival (GIAC) |
Sept. 16, 2024 |
|
Homestead Heritage Fair (Dryden Town Historical Society) |
Sept. 28, 2024 |
Tourism Advancement Grants
Grant awards totaling $48,675 were made to support five organizations in the Tourism Advancement category. Tourism Advancement grants support projects and marketing campaigns that attract visitors to Tompkins County. The proposals funded in the Fall 2023 grant cycle include:
|
Project Name |
Date(s) |
|
Creating Your Own Barn Quilt (Brooktondale Community Ctr.) |
Jan. 13, – Oct. 19, 2024 |
|
Mollusks Temporary Exhibit (PRI, Museum of the Earth) |
Mar. 15, 2024 – Jan. 30, 2025 |
|
Ithaca Festival 2024 |
May 30 – June 2, 2024 |
|
Juneteenth 2024 (Southside Community Center) |
Juin 15, 2024 |
|
Ithaca Shakespeare Festival |
July 18 – July 28, 2024 |
Tourism Capital Grants
Grant awards totaling $291,200 were made to six organizations through the Tourism Capital grant program, which is administered in partnership with Ithaca Area Economic Development. Tourism Capital grants support major investments in visitor generating projects. Two of the approved projects are for feasibility studies and four are for capital investments. The projects funded in the 2023 grant cycle include:
|
Organisation |
Project Title |
|
Friends of theIthaca Farmers Market |
Ithaca Farmers Market Site and Access Improvements |
|
Cycle-CNY |
Ithaca Mountain Bike Skills Park (study) |
|
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Foundation Inc. |
Feasibility Study to make Taughannock Overlook Visitor Center operational year-round |
|
Seventh Art Corporation |
Cinemapolis Space Purchase Down Payment |
|
Sciencenter |
Science Park Reimagined: Capital Project |
|
State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc. |
State Theatre Concessions Design and Equipment |
“These grants are an investment in our community's most valuable assets: our culture, our history, and our natural beauty," said Brett Bossard, chair of the County's Strategic Tourism Planning Board. "We are excited to support these organizations and their efforts to promote Tompkins County as a vibrant and welcoming destination, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact that the grants will have on the entire county.”
Impact of the Grants
Tompkins County Tourism Program grants are funded from the Hotel Room Occupancy Tax. Guidance to the County Legislature on room tax allocations is provided by the Strategic Tourism Planning Board. These grants support local organizations working to promote the county as a visitor destination. They fund a wide range of events and initiatives, including festivals, cultural programs, and outdoor recreation projects.
The grants also have a significant economic impact on the county. Visitors to Tompkins County spend money on hotels, restaurants, shops, and other businesses. The tourism industry supports thousands of jobs in the county and generates millions of dollars in tax revenue each year.
Upcoming Grant Cycles
Future funding rounds will be announced following the adoption of the 2024 Tompkins County budget. Details on upcoming grant programs can be found on the Tourism Program website. Notifications about funding opportunities are shared via the Tourism Talk e-Newsletter.
Contact
Nick Helmholdt, Principal Planner / Tourism Program Director
nhelmholdt@tompkins-co.org 607-274-5560