Tourism Development Grant Program

The Logan County Visitors Bureau Tourism Development Grant Program provides financial assistance for tourism-related development intended to strengthen Logan County as a visitor destination. The program supports projects, initiatives, events, attractions, and placemaking efforts that increase visitation, improve the visitor experience, generate economic impact, encourage overnight stays, and contribute to the long-term development of Logan County tourism assets. The Logan County Visitors Bureau recognizes tourism development as extending beyond marketing and events and identifies investments in attractions, festivals, public art, beautification, wayfinding, destination amenities, and visitor-focused infrastructure as ways to create memorable visitor experiences, encourage repeat visitation, and strengthen community pride. Funding may support new or expanded tourism-related projects. Eligible event and festival activities include new festivals, events, and tourism experiences; expansion of existing events intended to attract additional visitors; off-season and shoulder-season events; and cultural, heritage, arts, agricultural, outdoor recreation, and sports tourism initiatives. Attraction development may include creating or enhancing visitor attractions, tourism-focused amenities, interpretive exhibits, visitor displays, educational experiences, and projects intended to encourage longer stays and repeat visitation. The program also supports murals, public art installations with tourism value, interactive art experiences and photo opportunities, and projects celebrating Logan County history, culture, and identity. Additional eligible activities include downtown beautification, gateway and community entrance improvements, streetscape improvements with a demonstrated tourism impact, public gathering spaces supporting visitation and community events, landscaping, public amenities, and other placemaking initiatives that enhance destination appeal. Tourism infrastructure and visitor amenities may include wayfinding signage, visitor information kiosks, trailhead improvements, tourism-related signage and interpretive panels, and visitor-serving enhancements that improve accessibility and navigation. The Logan County Visitors Bureau may also consider innovative tourism initiatives that demonstrate measurable impact on visitation, visitor spending, destination awareness, or the overall visitor experience. The source does not specify award minimums, award maximums, total program funding, number of awards, or a required applicant match or cost share. Eligible applicants identified by the program include nonprofit organizations, businesses, municipalities, schools, and community organizations undertaking qualifying tourism projects in Logan County. The source does not provide additional organizational-status requirements, business-size restrictions, fiscal sponsorship requirements, or other detailed applicant qualifications. Applicants must provide a detailed project description, explain the project's impact on tourism, provide a timeline for completion, identify the requested funding amount and other potential funding sources, and submit a budget breakdown. Supporting materials may include project plans, designs, quotes, and letters of support. Submitted applications will be reviewed by the Logan County Visitors Bureau Council. The source does not state a separate pre-application, letter of intent, concept paper, or other gating requirement. It also does not provide a scored evaluation rubric, award notification date, project performance period, or grant payment schedule. Applicants should therefore ensure that their application clearly demonstrates the project's tourism impact and provides the requested project, financial, timeline, and supporting documentation described by the program. The 2026 application window opens September 1, 2026 and closes September 30, 2026. Applicants may apply using the online application option described by the Logan County Visitors Bureau or complete the PDF application and submit it by email or mail. Completed applications may be emailed to jthornton@logancountyohio.com or mailed to Logan County Visitors Bureau, 100 S. Main St., Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311. Questions may be directed to Jamison Thornton, Logan County Visitors Bureau Director, at jthornton@logancountyohio.com or 937-599-5121. The provided source does not state that the grant recurs annually or on another regular schedule, so no future recurrence is recorded.

Demonstrate a clear tourism impact, with emphasis on increased visitation, visitor spending, destination awareness, improved visitor experience, longer stays, or repeat visitation. Provide a detailed project timeline and financial information and include relevant plans, designs, quotes, and letters of support.