Grants Available

The Tompkins County Tourism Program offers a variety of grant programs. All tourism grants are funded from the Hotel Room Occupancy Tax. The Strategic Tourism Planning Board  advises the Tompkins County Legislature on all tourism grant programs and awards.

All grant applications must be submitted online through Common Grant Application. Please watch this brief video to learn about Common Grant Application.
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View all grant programs and start an application.

Check the resources below for additional guidance.  

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Detailed information on specific grant programs is below:

Arts & Culture Organization Development Grant

Funding provided through the Arts & Culture Organization Development (ACOD) grant supports organizations that enhance Tompkins County's brand as an artistic and cultural destination. Eligible organizations include public museums and performing / visual arts organizations in Tompkins County.

The Community Arts Partnership (CAP) assists with the administration of this grant program. All parties interested in this grant are strongly encouraged to reach out to CAP at their earliest convenience.

Applications are now being accepted for 2025 - 2026 ACOD grants. There are two parts to the ACOD grant application process. Part 1 (also known as pre-application) includes a list of questions to determine if applicants are eligible for this award. Eligible organizations are invited to complete Part 2 of the application (also known as the full application).

The deadline for ACOD Part 1 applications is October 24, 2024. Full applications are due on December 10, 2024.

ACOD Stabilization & Recovery Fund

Past ACOD grant recipients were eligible to apply for the Stabilization and Recovery Fund. This grant program is no longer accepting applications.

Community Celebrations Grant

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. The County Historian provides guidance on this grant program.

The fall 2024 Community Celebrations grant cycle is closed. Awards will be announced in October.  

Tourism Advancement Grant

Tourism Advancement grants fund projects and marketing campaigns that attract visitors to Tompkins County for overnight stays.

The Tourism Advancement grant combines and replaces the Tourism Project and Tourism Marketing grants offered prior to 2023. This grant can fund product development and marketing expenses. 

The fall 2024 Tourism Advancement grant cycle is closed. Awards will be announced in October.

Tourism Capital Grant

Tourism Capital grants support major investments in visitor-generating projects such as theaters, museums, and other major cultural and recreational attractions. The funds can be used for design, renovation, and new building projects; investments in unique permanent installations such as exhibits; and feasibility studies of potential capital projects.

The 2024 Tourism Capital grant cycle is closed. Awards will be announced in October.

Ithaca Area Economic Development assists with the administration of this grant program. All parties interested in this grant are strongly encouraged to schedule a pre-application meeting.

Tompkins Outdoors Grant

The Tompkins Outdoors grant is intended to increase the capacity of organizations that enhance the county's profile as a leading destination for outdoor recreation. All applicants must either be responsible for stewardship of an outdoor recreation asset in Tompkins County or offer outdoor recreation programming in the county. 

The 2024 Tompkins Outdoors grant cycle is closed. 

Strategic Tourism Implementation Grant

Strategic Tourism Implementation (STI) grants support projects that substantially advance actions identified in the Strategic Tourism Plan. This funding opportunity is intended to be flexible in terms of the types of proposals that will be considered which may include local tourism program and industry research priorities. Please see the grant guidelines below for detailed information about eligibility, award ranges, and the evaluation process. 

The STI grant program is not accepting applications at this time.