‘Opportunity to leverage those tourism tax dollars’: Visit Bend seeks Sustainability Fund grant requests
(Update: adding video, comments from Visit Bend, past grantee)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend project, has announced it will open its grant application window next Monday, accepting applications through January 12, 2025, with $500,000 available for organizations.
Nate Wyeth, senior vice president of strategy at Visit Bend, said, "This is a great opportunity to leverage those tourism tax dollars that are coming into our community from visitors to reinvesting back into our community in a way that improves and impacts that quality of life positively for everybody who lives in Bend."
One past recipient, Bend BMX, has been awarded the grant twice in recent years, receiving more than $150,000 for track improvements and installing new perimeter fencing.
Atul Buono, president of Bend BMX, said, "We had dreamed about for years being able to get like a professional track rebuilt or being able to do a soil treatment on the track or some of these things that were just pipe dreams for us. Bend Sustainability Fund made it a reality."
They plan to apply for the Bend Sustainability Fund again this year.
"We've gotten a lot of really positive feedback from bikers that is one of the best tracks they've ridden - definitely one of the best tracks in all the Northwest," Buono added.
The grant program will start accepting applicants next Monday.
An informational webinar will be held on Monday at 3 p.m., where. Information about the application process, funding criteria, and tips on how to submit a successful application will be shared.
Wyeth said, "It can't just be an idea. It's got to be something that's a shovel-ready project. And by shovel-ready, meaning like it's it's essentially ready to go. It just needs that final piece of funding to get it sort of over the top."
Registration information for the Q&A webinar can be found here.
Here's the rest of their announcement:
The Bend Sustainability Fund was created in 2021 to reinvest lodging-tax revenue into projects that help create sustainable experiences in the community. It has awarded $3 million to 25 projects.
“We welcome all to learn more about the Bend Sustainability Fund and potential funding opportunities through this webinar,” said Nate Wyeth, SVP of Strategy at Visit Bend. “By reinvesting tourism tax dollars back into our community, we can ensure that Bend remains a great place to live and visit for years to come.”
The BSF can fund projects meeting the following criteria:
Has grassroots, community support
Will protect, steward, or create a tourism-related facility with an impactful life of more than 10 years
Said facility will have substantial use by visitors
Has a clear timeline and measurable outcomes within the next 12 months
“The Bend Sustainability Fund is exemplary of the excellence that we want to uphold for our community when it comes to making sure we respect and care for our desirable destination here in Bend and its surroundings,” said Jeff Knapp. “We really want to support projects that put tourism dollars to use in a way that creates places and spaces benefitting visitors and locals alike–that’s the bottom line.”
"The Bend Sustainability Fund has been a game changer for Bend BMX, helping us make improvements we could only dream of before,” said Atul Buono, President, Bend BMX. “The rebuilt track is not only fun and challenging, but it is more durable in adverse weather and requires less volunteer maintenance, providing local riders a longer racing season. Facility upgrades improved the experience for both riders and spectators, putting Bend on the map for racers across the Northwest, which has attracted interest in hosting regional and even national events. None of this would be possible without assistance from Visit Bend and the BSF. Bend BMX feels very fortunate to be a part of this program."
Examples of previously funded projects can be found here: https://sustainability.visitbend.com/projects/
