VISIT FLORIDA administers the Cultural, Heritage, Rural and Nature Marketing Grant program (CHRN-Marketing) to publicize the tourism advantages of Florida’s cultural, heritage, rural, and nature tourism products and the Cultural, Heritage, Rural and Nature Tourism Education Grant program (CHRN-Education); to support educational efforts of the tourism advantages of Florida’s cultural, heritage, rural, and nature tourism products. The CHRN Grant program is a reimbursement grant program.

Allocation:

CHRN-Marketing: Each grant awarded under the program shall be limited to no more than $5,000 and must be matched by non-state dollars. This is a dollar for dollar matching grant. However, the matching requirement for counties with no local tourist option tax is reduced to 50% match by non-state dollars.

CHRN-Education: Each grant awarded under the program shall be limited to no more $2,000 and does not require a match by non-state dollars. Tourism Education grant funds must be used to host educational workshops, lecture series, or provide an educational opportunity to educate or increase awareness of tourism advantages of Florida’s cultural, heritage, rural, and nature tourism products.

To receive an award under the CHRN-Marketing or CHRN-Education Grant program you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
•Applicants must be a public entity governed by a county, municipality, school district, community college, college, university or an agency of state government, or a not-for-profit (501c3 or 501c6); and
•Applicants must be a current VISIT FLORIDA partner.

VISIT FLORIDA will award funds once proof of expenditure and performance has been provided for the project/program. All project/program expenditures must be completed during the fiscal year of the award and completed by June 15. VISIT FLORIDA will not reimburse any expenditure prior to the start of the fiscal year.

Applicants should consider involving at least one or more counties or VISIT FLORIDA partners.

CHRN-Marketing: Grant funds should be used for marketing purposes to promote tourism advantages of the State of Florida cultural, heritage, rural, and nature tourism products through advertising (print, broadcast, digital, social media or out of home), direct mail, brochure production, website development, as well as other related projects. Marketing efforts cannot include VISIT FLORIDA opportunities, i.e. Welcome Center brochure distribution or VISIT FLORIDA produced publications.

CHRN-Education: Grant funds must be used to host educational workshops, lecture series, or provide an educational opportunity to educate or increase awareness of tourism advantages of Florida’s cultural, heritage, rural, and nature tourism products.

All marketing efforts must include the VISIT FLORIDA Grant Logo in compliance with the brand guidelines. The VISIT FLORIDA Grant Logo Guidelines can be found at www.VISITFLORIDA.org/grants in the Grants Toolkit.

No applicant may be considered for or receive more than one CHRN Grant per year.

No applicant may use any other VISIT FLORIDA grant funds, for the same project or as matching funds. Dollar-for-dollar match and/or in-kind goods or services must be demonstrated. Staff salaries are not eligible towards matching funds. In-kind goods or services must be provided by third party entities.

Submission and Selection Criteria: Applicants must demonstrate that the program will directly or indirectly contribute to the promotion of tourism advantages within the State of Florida. All Grant application submissions must:
1.Provide proof of organization designation.
2.Describe project or program in which grant funding is requested.
3.Describe economic impact on the community.
4.Detail marketing strategy.
5.Identify if program is an extension to a previous program.
6.Include implementation plan and budget.
7.Demonstrate a need for advertising assistance. (i.e. Will this project/program happen without these grant funds?)

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