Tourism Aspects Worldwide

Tourism Cares’ Worldwide Grant Program distributes charitable grants to worthy tourism-related non-profit organizations worldwide for capital improvements or educational programs as outlined below. The 2008 Worldwide Grant Program goals for grantmaking call for a balanced distribution to U.S. and non-U.S. recipients. Typical grants are $10,000; However, based on availability of funds, grants up to $100,000 will be considered. The steps to the grant funding process can be found below. Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Worldwide Grant Program attempt to address other questions that are not explained elsewhere

Tourism Cares’ Grant Funding Goals and PreferencesPrimary consideration is to fund projects and programs, whose goal is • capital ("brick-and-mortar") improvements that serve to protect, restore, or conserve sites of exceptional cultural, historic, or natural significance, or • the education of local host communities and the traveling public about conservation and preservation of sites of exceptional cultural, historical, or natural significance.
Preference is given to organizations with projects or programs that • allow our grant funding to be leveraged to provide increased philanthropic support, through vehicles such as matching grants or challenge grants that have already been secured from an external source. • are endorsed by the local, regional, or national tourism office. • demonstrate strong support from and involvement of the local community.

Procedure for Grant Letter of Inquiry Packet and Full Proposal Process
The following steps outline the grantmaking process, from letter of inquiry to grant funding. Links are provided to more detailed information for some steps.

1. Verify that your U.S.-based organization has IRS non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status, or that your non-U.S.-based organization has status equivalent to the U.S. IRS 501(c)(3).

2. Verify that the project or program for which you are seeking funding fits Tourism Cares’ Grant Funding Goals and Preferences for its Worldwide Grant Program.

3. If your organization and project meet the above conditions, please visit our World Wide Grant Program: Procedure for Grant Letter of Inquiry Packets page for detailed instructions for submitting your Letter of Inquiry Packet.

4. Letters of Inquiry Packets will be reviewed and some organizations will be asked to submit a full proposal for further consideration. You will find detailed instructions for this step on the Worldwide Grant Program: Full Proposal Requirements page.


5. Full proposals will then be subject to an in-depth review.

6. Grant applicants, who have submitted full proposals and are chosen for funding by Tourism Cares, will be notified and asked to complete several mandatory compliance steps, described in detail on our World Wide

Grant Program: Grant Recipient Compliance page. These requirements include, among other things, • spending the grant funds within 12 months of receipt, unless otherwise stated in the grant agreement. • submitting a report at the end of the grant term documenting the use and outcomes of the Tourism Cares investment.

Tourism Cares reviews the letter of inquiry packets and endeavors to respond to all letters within six to eight weeks after the applicable letter of inquiry deadline. All organizations that submit letter of inquiry packets will receive written notification of the status of their letter. Due to the volume of letters of inquiry packets we receive, we kindly ask that you do not call to check on the status of your letter. Grant funding generally falls no later than six months after the applicable letter of inquiry deadline, but it could take up to nine months. The Executive Director and the Blue Ribbon Panel, composed of experts in the fields of conservation, preservation, restoration, and tourism, evaluate suitable applications and make recommendations to the Tourism Cares Board of Directors. Final approval is made by the Tourism Cares Board of Directors. Grantmaking goals are set annually by the Board of Directors and are subject to change.