2026 Butler County Tourism Foundation Grant Application

1. Grants will be awarded to a current partner, or combination of partners, of EBC that submits a grant request (between $500 and $2,000). All applicants and partners must be current partners in good standing of EBC for at least one year as of the application deadline (March 6, 2026). No partner with a lapse in membership dues will be eligible.

2. Grants must be in compliance with Pennsylvania Act 18, which requires a cash or in-kind local match of at least 25%.

“Programs, expenditures, or grants that are directly and substantially related to tourism or a business, convention, or meeting travel destination within the county, augment and do not compete with private sector tourism or travel efforts and improve and expand the county as a destination market as deemed necessary by the recognized tourist promotion agency.”

3. Foundation grants may be awarded in the following two categories:

• Preservation Projects: Scheduled improvements that benefit tourism and augment the visitor’s experience by preserving or enhancing existing tourist attractions or amenities. Capital projects related to restoring, replacing, or repairing physical attributes to your business will not be funded if the project is deemed to be a normal cost of doing business.
• Educational Projects: Those that provide visitors with education or training that will enhance their knowledge on tourism-related sites and historical content

*The grant program will not fund advertisements in local publications or programs. All projects must carry the current BCTF logo. The logo will be supplied to you at your request from the EBC office.

4. Grants will not be awarded for standard operational expenses such as payroll or utilities, religious or political purposes, or websites.

5. Priority of awards will be given to applications that:

• Assist in preserving a physical landmark or feature, pertinent to Butler County History
• Show significant educational value of a Tourism site
• Include collaboration with additional members
• Enhance the visitor experience
• Promote collaboration among lodging and activities

6. All applicants will be asked to present their project to the committee for consideration for a maximum time of five (5) minutes. This will allow the applicant the opportunity to show their passion for their project and be able to answer any pending questions the committee may have. Applicants can present in person or by a pre-approved Zoom call.

7. An organization may only apply for one individual grant per year, per grant program. An organization may also be listed as a partner on one other application per year. Winners may reapply every year, but new projects will receive priority consideration. It should not be presumed that any applicant will be awarded a grant on an annual basis, nor should the availability of these grant awards be considered an annual part of any applicant’s budget.

8. The BCTF Grant Review Committee will review all grant applications to select the awardees.

9. Nothing shall prevent the BCTF Grant Review Committee from withholding part or all of the total monies available for annual awards should they feel that insufficient qualified requests have been submitted.

10. This document will be reviewed annually to enhance and amend.

11. All funds will be awarded at the completion of the project. Recipients are responsible to complete a final report in the requested format that may be submitted for reimbursement any time prior to June 15, 2027. Criteria and format for the final report will be provided to each recipient and includes a summary, photos, receipts, and proof of their 25% match.

* Grant participation requirements are to show good faith in your organization and partnership with Experience Butler County PA. The grant program was designed for Experience Butler County to invest in our partners' businesses, ideas, and initiatives. Your participation shows your investment in us.