Spring tourism grant cycle opens in Roseburg

ROSEBURG, Ore. – The Roseburg Community Development Department will accept applications for spring 2024 tourism grants starting Wednesday, May 22.

Successful applicants may win grants of up to $7,500 or even more to help draw visitors to beautiful Roseburg and surrounding areas. The Roseburg Community Development Department and Roseburg Economic Development Commission will take applications for tourism grants until 5 p.m. Friday, July 5.

In April, the City Council authorized the Economic Development Commission to award tourism grants up to $7,500. Before that, the commission could award grants up to $5,000. The Council had to award grants higher than that.

“The Tourism Grant Program provides a great opportunity for local organizations to seek grant funding in order to assist in marketing and promoting events and programs intended to bring tourists to Roseburg. We look forward to reviewing applications,” said Roseburg Community Development Department Director Stuart Cowie.

The City’s Tourism Grant Program is funded through the Roseburg hotel/motel lodging tax collected within city limits.

The City offers a spring and fall grant cycle. For this cycle, applications will be accepted from registered businesses, registered 501(c)(3) organizations and other 501(c) tax-exempt organizations, and governmental entities. Online applications can be found on the Community Development Department’s “Applications, Forms and Fees” webpage.

Grants are typically awarded for such things as advertising, publicizing or distributing information to market special events and festivals designed to attract tourists or to attract and welcome tourists at tourism-related facilities; or capital improvement projects that have a substantial purpose of supporting tourism or accommodating tourism activities.

Past grants have been used to market such events as the Lavender Festival & Farm Tour, Great Umpqua Food Trail, Umpqua Velo Club’s Vineyard Tour, Challenge of Champions bull riding tour, Ghosts of Roseburg Past self-guided audio tour, and Umpqua Valley Arts Summer Arts Festival. One grant was used by Wildlife Safari to buy a portable stage, canvas tent and generator so the park could expand year-round events.

The commission is especially interested in events and projects that entice people to visit from Labor Day through Memorial Day, but all applications are strongly encouraged. The Economic Development Commission will review and consider all applications, and vote on submissions at its next meeting on Thursday, July 25.

For more information, contact the Community Development Department at cdd@cityofroseburg.org or 541-492-6750.