Q: Do I have to be a nonprofit organization to apply?
A: No, any type of organization may apply – including government agencies.

Q: Can an individual apply for funding?
A: Yes, if they are engaged in cultural tourism activities.

Q: Do I have to be based in Bend to apply?
A: No; however, your activity must benefit Bend.

Q: What are the eligibility criteria that will determine if the panel reviews the application?
A:
1. Does the proposed program have the immediate or long-term potential of attracting incremental tourists from outside a 50 mile radius of Bend?
2. Is the proposed program base in arts and/or culture?
3. Has the application been completed?

Q: What activities can be funded by this grant?
A: The definition is from ORS 320.300 and can include any of the following activities: Advertising, publicizing or distributing information for the purpose of attracting and welcoming tourists; Conducting strategic planning and research necessary to stimulate future tourism development; operating tourism promotion agencies; and marketing.

Q: What is included in the scope of cultural activities?
A: The BCTF identifies cultural activities broadly as: Destinations and activities that include historical sites, modern urban districts, ‘ethnic pockets’ of town and fairs/festivals.

Q: Do you have any examples of Cultural Tourism activities?
A: Yes, please refer to the Examples page here.

Q: Where can I find information on Bend Tourism?
A: Visit Bend has a lot of public information on the website here.

Q: How much money is available for granting?
A: The amount available is determined on an annual basis – funds are allocated from Visit Bend, with 7.5-10% of the total annual public funding allocated by the City of Bend.

Q: How much can we request in an application?
A: You can ask for what you need to have a successful project. Do keep in mind that there are limited public funds available, and not all competitive applications will receive funding. It is possible that an applicant will only receive a portion of their request.

Q: Is there a match required?
A: No, however we anticipate that this will be a competitive process, so an organization or individual that has more resources invested in the project may be viewed as more competitive.

Q: What is the grant deadline?
A: The grant deadline is generally in April of each year. Specific dates and times will be included on the grant application. This is an on-line application so please plan accordingly.

Q: When will grant awards be made?
A: The Commission will review and make award recommendations each year in May. The recommendations will be presented to the Visit Bend board of directors for its final approval  in June.

Q: We missed the grant application deadline. Can we still apply for a grant?
A: No. You will have to apply at the next deadline.

Q: May we submit more than one grant application per deadline?
A: No, you may apply once in either category, not both.

Q:If we receive funds in this round, may we apply again next year?
A: Yes

Q: If we are a named partner in one application, can we be the lead applicant in another?
A: If it is a different activity, yes.

Q: How will grant awards be determined?
A: The Commission will review, comment, score and make recommendations to be approved by the Visit Bend Board of Directors.

Q: Is there a minimum score an applicant must receive to be eligible for funding?
A: Yes – an application must receive a minimum of 80 points to be eligible for funding.

Q: Is there guidance on what the reviewers will look for in a high scoring application?
A: Yes, please contact the program administrator with any questions.

Q: The application asks for the designation of a month that the activities will take place. What if my activities occur over a number of months?
A: Choose the month when the primary tourist participation will occur. For example, if you are proposing a festival that occurs in February, but you will have to incur much of the costs prior to the event, use February as the month of impact. Keep in mind that if you do not have a time that will get 20 points, it will be very difficult to be competitive.

Q: Will there be more than one deadline this year?
A: At this time, no. As we develop more funds for the application we anticipate increasing the number of deadlines.

Q: Who should I contact if these don’t address my questions?
A: Contact Laurel MacMillan, BCTF program administrator: laurel@laurelmacmillan.com or 503.803.8260.