Capital Resources

Funding Opportunities

CHEA collects federal funding and foundation's opportunities that may be of interest to Black travel, tourism & hospitality enterprises looking to grow their businesses

Open Funding Opportunities

Tourism Reset Fund administered by UnTours Foundation

https://untoursfoundation.org/apply-to-the-reset-tourism-fund/

The Reset Tourism Fund has $10 million to invests catalytic capital into sustainable and community-enhancing tourism businesses.

2023 RAISE Discretionary Grant NOFO

Open through Feb. 28, 2023

Tourism Tip: RAISE projects are rigorously reviewed and evaluated on statutory criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.

Gather Food Sovereignty Grant 2023-2024

Deadline: Feb. 28, 2023

Tourism Tip: Increase awareness of and involvement with where food comes from, and expand knowledge of the linkages between foods and Native cultures through an agritourism event or tour.

USDA Rural Business Development Grants

Deadline: Feb. 28, 2023

Tourism Tip: Use this fund for various projects that could strengthen your community’s appeal to adventure seekers.

USDA Rural Business Development Grants

Deadline: Feb. 28, 2023

Tourism Tip: Support local tourism businesses, help build capacity or develop marketing strategies.

The Chisholm Foundation Grants – Chisholm Foundation

Deadline: Mar. 6, 2023

Tourism Tip: helps develop a world-class brand identity

USDA Agriculture Innovation Center (AIC) Program

Deadline: Mar. 6, 2023

Tourism Tip: Help local agritourism businesses build their tours or marketing strategies.

ARTSConnect Mid Atlantic Arts – Grants for Organizations

Deadline: Mar. 2, 2023

Tourism Tip: Use this grant to bring your Main Street or Community Square back to life. Visitors love to shop and buy with communities that have strong businesses.

AARP Community Challenge Grant

Deadline: Mar. 15, 2023

Tourism Tip: Grant can be used for a variety of community enhancement projects

WIC Community Innovation and Outreach Project (WIC CIAO)

Deadline: Mar. 23, 2023

Tourism Tip: Use to help create food sovereignty.

ANA Social and Economic Development Strategies

Deadline: Mar. 31, 2023

Tourism Tip: Use these funds to create an economic impact using tourism and promoting your tourism businesses.

Vision Maker Media Call for Proposals Now Open Year Round

Deadline: Next due is Mar. 31, 2023

Tourism Tip: Creating films creates awareness for your community.

ANA Social and Economic Development Strategies for Alaska

Deadline: Mar. 31, 2023

Tourism Tip: Use these funds to create an economic impact using tourism in Alaska and promoting your Alaskan tourism businesses.

Challenge America Grants

Deadline: Part 1 April 27 and Part 2 May 2

Tourism Tip: Building the arts in your community makes it more attractive for thriving businesses, the community and for visitors.

GusNIP NTAE funding announcement

Deadline: May 5, 2023

Tourism Tip: highlight proposed project plans that emphasize, culturally sensitive food and/or food practices, and economic and social equity. These ideals can be captured in a tour.

DOI/FWS: 2023 CESCF Traditional Conservation Grants Program (Region 2)

Deadline: May 8, 2023

Tourism Tip: Use the funds to conserve your waterways and help habitat. Healthy environments are a great way to protect your way of life and attract visitors to support that effort.

Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Department of Agriculture Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Deadline: June 30, 2023

Tourism Tip: use funds to help pay for your business start-up or development

Raven Indigenous Capital

Venture Capital Fund accepting applications

Tourism Tip: use funds to develop your new business or expand an existing business

ONGOING

Heirs’ Property Relending Program
Deadline: Ongoing

Bush Foundation: Community Innovation Grants
Deadline: Open

USDA: Economic Impact Initiative Grants
Deadline: Ongoing

USDA: Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
Deadline: Open

Nevada Arts Council: Folklife Community Grant
Deadline: At least 30 days before the proposed project

More Cultural Tourism Funding Resources

The following list of resources may provide funding support for cultural heritage tourism programming. The list includes federal grants, which are highly competitive and can often take several weeks, months and even years to build a strong proposal and compile the necessary information to apply.

Guides & Publications

USDA Resource Guide for American Indians and Alaska Natives

The USDA recently published a Resource Guide for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) to provide tribal leaders and tribal citizens, 1994 Land-Grant Tribal Colleges and Universities, AI/AN businesses and non-governmental organizations serving AI/AN communities with a tool for navigating USDA resources. This guide provides readers with a comprehensive summary of USDA Programs.

Recreation Economy at USDA Economic Development Resources for Rural Communities

USDA’s Forest Service (FS), Rural Development (RD) and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) developed this resource guide for rural communities to identify resources that develop the recreation economy. The report forecasts that interest in outdoor recreation will continue over the next 30 years.

Resources for Rural Entrepreneurs: A Guide to Planning, Adapting, and Growing Your Business

In 2022, in collaboration with a network of federal partners, the USDA Resources for Rural Entrepreneurs guide provides resources for start-ups and already-established rural businesses. RD offers more than 40 loan, grant, and technical assistance programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Many of these programs can also support community-based entrepreneurial planning and growth. USDA partners with community leaders and developers, local, state and Tribal governments, cooperatives, nonprofits, private organizations and a nationwide network of participating lenders skilled at building local economies.

Stronger Together, Federal funding and planning strategies designed to promote sustainable economic development in rural America

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) published Stronger Together a joint planning resource guide to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic development in rural America. The guide is separated into four key focus areas: Planning and technical assistance, Infrastructure and broadband expansion, Entrepreneurship and business assistance and Workforce development and livability.

Federal Resources for Native Arts & Cultural Activities

In 2020, the National Endowment for the Arts published the Federal Resources for Native Arts & Cultural Activities, a guide providing information to connect Native communities to resources that can sustain and invigorate arts and cultural heritage initiatives. It is a consolidation of opportunities offered by federal agencies for organizations looking for funding and other resources to support Native arts and culture activities.

Grants.gov

Grants.gov provides a unified site for interaction between grant applicants and the U.S. federal agencies that manage grant funds. The site allows applicants to search for funds by agency.

Federal Agencies

U.S. Department of Interior

Bureau of Indian Affairs (U.S. Department of Interior)

National Park Service (Department of Interior)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS)

U.S. Department of Transportation
www.transportation.gov/grants

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities

Additional Resources

Community Foundations
www.cof.org/community-foundation-locator

The Council on Foundations, founded in 1949, is a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Use their search tool to find local funding resources.

The Grantsmanship Center
www.tgci.com

The Grantsmanship Center offers training, publications and consulting to help organizations find funding. The Center provides free access to its Funding State-by-State database listing each state’s top grantmaking foundations, community foundations, corporate giving programs and State website homepages.

Candid (formerly the Foundation Center and GuideStar) candid.org/

Candid is an online source for grants available through private foundations, corporate foundations, and other nonprofits that accept grant proposals. It also provides research on nonprofits and guides, like the 990 Finder.