Hotel/Motel Funds

The Ingham County Hotel/Motel Funds for Arts and Tourism program supports cultural activities that promote and encourage tourism and convention business in Ingham County, Michigan. The program is funded through five percent of Ingham County hotel and motel revenues pursuant to an Ingham County Board of Commissioners resolution and is administered by the Arts Council of Greater Lansing under contract with the County of Ingham. Grants are made annually based on estimated revenue for the following year. The program is intended to help eligible organizations attract visitors from outside Ingham County through cultural, artistic, educational, historical, and entertainment activities. Grant funds are specifically earmarked for publicity and promotional projects designed to attract out-of-county visitors into Ingham County. Funding provided to an agency must be used to promote tourist and convention business through advertising and distribution of programs or brochures directed toward out-of-county residents. Eligible requested-fund costs include the planning, design, production, and dissemination of promotional materials or messages outside Ingham County and surrounding counties. Applicants must describe their complete promotional plan, identify promotional tools such as digital, social, print, or outdoor marketing, explain how the success of each tool will be measured, identify innovative marketing methods, and describe where out-of-county marketing will occur. The maximum grant request for any one agency is 10000 dollars, and an organization may not receive more than the amount requested. No matching or cost-share requirement is stated. Eligible applicants must be Michigan public or private not-for-profit corporations established primarily for cultural, educational, artistic, historical, or entertainment purposes. Nonprofit status must be documented through an Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) determination letter or Michigan Articles of Incorporation, although public universities and units of government are exempt from furnishing proof of nonprofit status. Activities must be open to the general public and must take place in Ingham County. Eligible organizations may operate permanent cultural facilities, provide regular schedules of qualifying performances, or provide annual or non-regular performances, events, or entertainment. Events and programming must be highly artistic in nature and have high artistic and cultural merit. Organizations receiving funds through the Ingham County annual budget process or a supplemental appropriation during the same budget year are ineligible, as are organizations in bankruptcy or default to Ingham County and organizations with delinquent reports to the Arts Council. Applications are completed through SlideRoom, and no organization may submit more than one grant request each year. Applicants provide agency information, mission and organizational purpose, events and activities, anticipated attendance goals, evidence supporting those goals, and methods for measuring attendance. Project information includes the promotional plan, a summary of promotional activities of 75 words or less, the activity or attraction being promoted, marketing strategies, locations of out-of-county marketing, anticipated marketing audience, promotional costs, historical and estimated out-of-county visitor numbers, and partnerships with hotels, visitors bureaus, tourism organizations, or similar entities. Applicants must also explain the connection between their event and overnight stays in Ingham County. Financial information includes the total organizational promotional budget, the promotional budget for the activity seeking support, the grant request, and a prioritized budget covering the requested grant funds. Required attachments include results for the proposed activity generated through the Americans for the Arts Arts and Economic Prosperity IV Calculator and uploaded as a PDF, a list of the current Board of Directors, the current agency fiscal year operational budget, and proof of nonprofit status when applicable. Applicants also answer questions concerning accessibility of facilities and programs to persons with disabilities and whether staff members are informed and trained regarding access issues. Proof of comprehensive general liability insurance may be submitted with the application but is not required until after an applicant has been notified of an approved grant award. Upon receipt of a grant, the required coverage is at least 1000000 dollars per occurrence and/or aggregate, with Ingham County and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing named as riders. The Arts Council reviews applications and required supplemental information to determine eligibility under the governing statute, ordinance, and resolution. Applications from eligible agencies are forwarded to a Grant Review Panel for review and a funding recommendation, and scopes of services for recommended agencies are forwarded to the County Attorney for approval. Agencies are then notified and contracts are developed. The application materials emphasize measurable out-of-county attendance, evidence supporting attendance goals, methods for measuring visitor origin, promotional effectiveness, and the relationship between the proposed activity and tourism. The funding period is May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. Award payments are made by quarter, with the first and second quarters combined in one check after required documentation is received and approved, followed by a third payment and a fourth payment after final reports are received and approved. The application deadline was 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2026, and the SlideRoom system does not accept applications after that time or accept incomplete applications. The program page identifies the opportunity as closed. Because the guidelines state that grants are made annually and only one grant request per organization is permitted each year, the program is treated as recurring. Based on the March deadline and the annual cycle, the next cycle is anticipated around March 2027, although the source does not provide an official next-round opening or deadline date. General program questions may be directed to the Arts Council of Greater Lansing at info@lansingarts.org or 517-372-4636.

Build the request around measurable out-of-county tourism impact. Explain how attendance goals are supported and how attendee origin will be measured. For every promotional tool, state how success will be measured. Direct funded promotion outside Ingham County and surrounding counties, prioritize requested budget items because partial funding may follow that order, and ensure requested funds equal the requested-funds budget total. Submit a complete SlideRoom application before the deadline because late or incomplete applications are not accepted.