Destination Management Strategic Funding Handbook

Destination Management Strategic Funding Handbook 2020

Table of Contents

I.

Overview · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 3

II.

Grant Schedule · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 4

III.

Application Instructions · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 4

IV.

Previous Grant Awards · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 5

V.

Grant Priorities and Evaluation Criteria · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 6

VI.

Eligibility Requirements · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 7

VII.

Selection and Award Process · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 9

VIII.

Grant Authorization Requirements · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 9

IX.

Disclaimer · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 10

I. Overview Travel Portland’s Destination Management Strategic Funding (DMSF) provides grants to groups whose programs are committed to closing gaps in local visitor experiences through placemaking, events and festivals. Funding awards are based on an organization’s mission being closely aligned with the guidelines in Travel Portland’s Tourism Master Plan, specifically: “Travel Portland seeks to responsibly and sustainably develop, build on and share experiences that both enhance visits and enrich life for locals — giving them audiences, appreciators and consumers for their original ideas and their works, and making their leisure more enjoyable and their city more livable.”

Eligible projects must be located in Multnomah County.

Grants are awarded through a competitive process and selected by a committee representing all departments within Travel Portland. Full or partial funding of projects will be determined by the committee. In 2020, the following funds will be available: Funding Area

Amount Available

Tourism Development

$100,000 (up to $50,000 each)

Festivals & Events: Capacity-Building

$60,000 ($10,000-$25,000 each)

Multicultural Heritage

$20,000 (up to $5,000 each)

Neighborhood Placemaking

$20,000 ($5,000 each; distributed through Venture Portland)

Priority will be given to nonprofit organizations, neighborhood and business associations and neighborhood groups; however, for-profit entities registered in the state of Oregon are welcome to apply. See Eligibility Requirements for each funding area for more specifics of who may apply.

Travel Portland first introduced the DMSF in 0 8 and has since awarded $ 00,000 in grants to four projects: Sneaker Week, Redefining Alberta, Venture Portland and Portland Winter Light Festival (see p. 5).

II. Grant Schedule Application Timeline

Date

Application Period Opens

Friday, Jan. 10, 0 0

One-on-One Assistance

To request an appointment, email communityrelations@travelportland.com

Application Period Closes

Friday, Feb. 14, 2020

Awards Announcement

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

III. Application Instructions The application for the DMSF grants is available on the Travel Portland website at travelportland.com/grants. Follow the steps below to apply for the grant: • Step 1: Click on the "Apply Now" link to access a preliminary interest form that collects basic information about your proposed project.

• Step 2: Fill out all fields and click submit. You will receive a confirmation email promptly with a link to the grant application.

• Step 3: Fill out all fields on the application form. If you need to save your application and return to it later, click the "Save and Continue Later" button in order to receive a unique link that will save your responses and allow you to return to the form.

• Step 4: Submit your application. You will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your responses for your records.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. PST Friday, Feb. 14, 2020.

Note: Any costs associated with preparing grant applications are the responsibility of the applicant.

IV. Previous Grant Awards In 2018 Travel Portland introduced its DMSF and awarded $100,000 to four projects.

These projects provided opportunities to promote Portland as a unique destination for both tourists and conventions by spotlighting the city’s creative community and neighborhoods.

Portland Winter Light Festival Our capacity-building grant helped this celebration of winter grow and scale to attract 54,000 attendees with an estimated economic impact of $ . million dollars.

Sneaker Week A capacity-building grant provided an opportunity that brought together sneaker enthusiasts, industry influencers and aspiring creative professionals to Portland, the sneaker capital of the world. More than 3,600 physical and 4,500 digital attendees participated in 7 community events that earned 3 ,36 ,64 social and online views.

Alberta Street Black Heritage Markers With our placemaking grant, 0 historical markers that document and honor the history of the African American community were installed on Alberta Street.

Venture Portland Destination Investment Grants We awarded Venture Portland with funding for their Destination Investment Grants program which in turn was used to create for various placemaking projects including a district website for 8 nd Avenue; a district map for Lloyd; a pocket park in Woodstock; and lamppost banners in Central Eastside, Hawthorne, Montavilla, St. Johns and the Williams District.

V. Grant Priorities and Evaluation Criteria The decision to fund a grant proposal will be determined by its strength in the following areas: • Creating new tourism demand during need periods (November–March) in alignment with Travel Portland’s mission.

• Supporting a narrative of Portland as a diverse and inclusive environment where all people feel welcome.

• Enhancing neighborhood districts which are popular for visitors.

• Embracing the shared values of Portland and contributing to the uniqueness of the destination.

The level of funding will be determined by the criteria below: • Project has already secured funding for a minimum of 5% of the overall estimated budget.

• Project team has at least two years of event or placemaking experience.

• Preference will be given to applicants that are nonprofit or have secured a nonprofit as a fiscal sponsor; if not, the project should benefit underserved populations, e.g., communities of color or people with low incomes.

• Project proposal must include a complete plan that covers feasibility, schedule and budget.

• Project demonstrates ability to be completed in timely manner within a year of award (i.e., March 0 ); however, in some cases, we may extend that timeframe for more complex projects.

• Ensure that wherever possible, events and projects are barrier-free, affordable and inclusive.

VI. Eligibility Requirements In order to be consider for DMSF funding all proposals must meet the following eligibility requirements: • Projects must be located within Multnomah County.

• Projects must have a visitor-facing (tourism) element.

• Priority will be given to nonprofit organizations, neighborhood and business associations and neighborhood groups. While for-profit entities registered in the state of Oregon are welcome to apply, preference will be given to projects with a 50 (c)3 or 50 (c)6 nonprofit organization serving as their fiscal sponsor.

• The grant application package must be complete. Incomplete applications or applications that do not comply with application specifications, or that are submitted after the due date, will not be considered.

Applications for the following funds have additional requirements:

Tourism Development (up to $50,000 each) Tourism development grants funds are designated to provide support for capital improvements, unique opportunities or unforeseen needs. Examples of eligible events may include, but are not limited to, expansion projects, art installations and feasibility studies. Maximum grant request: $50,000.

Applicants must meet the following requirements: • Have a total prior year’s organization budget of at least $100,000 (including inkind services support not to exceed 25% of total cash project budget) based on the last completed fiscal year.

• Have reached a critical stage of development in programming or institutional development.

• Possess the potential to achieve regional, national or international visibility as evidenced by current programs and management structure.

Festivals & Events (Capacity-Building) ($10,000-$25,000 each) In order to be eligible for funding, the event must be of limited duration, open to the general public and of interest to a broad spectrum of visitors. Examples of eligible events may include, but are not limited to, exhibitions, fairs, festivals and lifestyle events. These grants are intended to help grow the event, reach a wider audience and attract out of town visitors.

Applicants must meet the following requirements: • Have secured a minimum of 5% of the overall estimated budget.

• Project team has a minimum two years consecutive history of producing successful festivals or events.

• Have a significant and positive impact on the perception of Portland as a dynamic community and tourism destination.

• Project must feature at least one community of color in Portland and provide direct benefit to the community.

• Document and honor a neighborhood’s cultural diversity and history.

• Partner with other community and neighborhood groups or associations.

Neighborhood Placemaking (up to $5,000 each) Neighborhood placemaking grants are distributed through Venture Portland’s Destination Investment Grant program. These grants, awarded once a year, provide strategic financial support for significant physical improvements that enhance the customer/visitor experience in business districts, reinforce the district’s identity, and promote the district as a destination. Districts may apply for one-time-only funding in each of six key categories of medium-scale, publicly accessible physical improvements: accessibility, greenery, public art, seasonal decorations, signage and trash cans.

Following the successful completion of a destination investment project, business districts are eligible to apply for a project in one of the other destination investment categories. Applicants for these grants must apply through Venture Portland at ventureportland.org/member-center/grants-2/destination-investment-grants/.

VII. Selection and Award Process All grant application evaluations and funding recommendations will be made by a review committee composed of Travel Portland staff and representatives from Portland’s hospitality and tourism community. The selection of grant recipients will follow this process: • The committee will review all proposals that meet the Eligibility Requirements.

Applications that are incomplete or that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

• The committee will rate qualifying applications against the Evaluation Criteria and make funding recommendations to the Travel Portland Senior Leadership Team, which will make the final award decisions.

• As part of the evaluation process, applicants may be asked for additional information to clarify their proposal or be interviewed by the committee.

• Applicants will be notified of the award decisions, then a media release will be posted on the Travel Portland website.

• Following the completion of the project, Travel Portland will require a summary report to include expenses; attendance (if relevant); press information (e.g. ,media impressions and any regional, national and/or international media coverage); and social media analytics to include all applicable social media channels with impressions, engagement and reach.

VIII. Grant Authorization Requirements Grant recipients must supply the following information: • Applicants must sign and submit the Travel Portland Substitute W-9.

• Following the announcement of grant allocation, Travel Portland will draft a Grant Agreement that outlines the terms and conditions in order to disburse funding and this Agreement will serve as the legal commitment of both parties to the scope and quality of work and the amount of funds committed.

• In order to disburse funding, documentation must be submitted to show that all the terms and conditions of the Agreement have been met.

IX. Disclaimer Travel Portland reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine which proposals best serve the public good and to: • Revise the solicitation, evaluation or selection process including extending the deadline or canceling without selecting a proposal.

• Waive minor informalities and irregularities in a proposal received in response to this Grant Program.

• Disqualify without recourse or appeal any of the proposals.

• Verify and investigate any of the information provided in the proposal.

For questions related to the application criteria, process or submission, please contact: Michelle Comer Senior Equity and Community Affairs Manager Travel Portland 100 SW Main St., Suite 1100 Portland OR 97209 503-964-7127 mcomer@travelportland.com

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