Tourism Cares is the organization dedicated to preserve the travel experience and wonderful treasures around the world for future generations. Tourism Cares offers funds to non-profit, tax-exempt organizations from across the globe that work to preserve tourist attractions at different places, or educate tourists about these sites. Tourism Cares also offers scholarships to individuals willing to make a career in travel and tourism and dedicated towards protection and preservation of wonderful tourist places for future generations.
In this context, Tourism Cares is seeking letters of enquiry at first stage for its worldwide grants program 2012 from eligible related projects and programs around the world.
Funding Available
In 2012, Tourism Cares intends to give two groups of six Worldwide Grants at $10,000 each for an annual total of $120,000.
Eligibility Criteria
– The organization requesting grant funding must be located:
-> in the United States, and be classified as a bona fide non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service (except U.S. Native American tribes that have U.S. government nonprofit, tax-exempt status) OR outside the United States, and be classified by the country’s official taxing authority as a non-profit, tax exempt organization
Note: Applications from organizations working with, or in, developing countries are welcome.
– The site the organization is requesting grant funding for must be:
-> A tourism-related site with actual visitation (not projected future visitation). Funding requests for new sites that have never been open to the public will not be considered.
Note: An exception would be a site that had visitation in the past, but is closed for restoration purposes. If this is the case, the applicant needs to explain why the site is closed, specific timeframe when it will re-open to the public and projected visitation numbers for first year re-opened.
-> a cultural, historic, or natural site of exceptional significance, defined as “critical to the interpretation of the local area, or essential to the maintenance of the history or culture of local indigenous peoples”
– The project or program the organization is requesting funding for may be:
-> either a self-contained project, or an identifiable component of a larger project
– The project or program the organization is requesting funding for must also be for one of the following:
-> brick-and-mortar capital improvements that help conserve, preserve or restore the structures or its contents at the cultural, historic or natural site, such as replacing windows or doors; or heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing or electrical upgrades
Note: Administrative overhead, planning, events, marketing, public relations, advertising or web projects will not be considered. Requests for new construction will not be considered.
-> educational programs that will enhance the way the site is interpreted, such as those relating to cultural, heritage, or sustainable tourism, or those demonstrating innovative approaches or best practices. The programs should engage members of local host communities and the travelers to the site in the educational process, for example, responsible guiding.
Note: Staffing costs, benefits, travel costs, etc. connected to the educational program will not be considered for funding.
Last date for submitting the online applications for Initial Letter of Inquiry Phase is March 1, 2012.
For more information, visit this link.
