Match game: Shores & Islands Ohio again offering grant program to help businesses, organizations

Shores & Islands Ohio is eager to meet you halfway. 

For the second straight year, the organization promoting tourism in Erie and Ottawa counties is offering its Destination Development Grant Program.

The grants are available to partnering governments, businesses and non-profit organizations for projects that, according to the official language, “target the development of quality-of-place amenities, attractions, and facilities that enhance the visitor experience and foster connectivity with the specific destination or geographic area.” 

It’s a matching grant, so any recipient must designate the same amount of money awarded for the project.

“We’ve been able to take a pretty healthy chunk of our budget and put it back into our destinations and different communities,” says Amanda Smith Rasnick, Shores & Islands Ohio destination development director, during a recent phone interview. 

The program was created early in 2022 when Shores & Islands Ohio reorganized with a greater focus on destinations, she says. 

In its first year, the program awarded a total of more than $440,000 to 29 Erie County-based recipients and nearly $100,000 to 19 Ottawa-based entities. 

Again this year, a total of $500,000 is up for grabs to Erie applicants and $100,000 available for Ottawa candidates, with the respective awards capped at $25,000 and $10,000. The reason for the difference, Smith Rasnick says, is Shores & Islands Ohio’s funding comes from lodging tax, and more of it comes from Erie than from Ottawa. 

Apparently, the word is out on the available funds.

“This year is going to be extremely competitive,” she says. “The amount of inquiries that I have received and amount of grants packets that I have distributed has been insane, so I would expect (more applicants) than last year.” 

For that reason, she says, there likely won’t be a repeat of last year – when about 95 percent of applicants received some level of funding. Those in that other roughly 5 percent didn’t match the qualifications or were missing elements in their applications, she says.

Those who still want to apply have until noon April 20.

Smith Rasnick is a member of the committee that vets and scores the prospective projects, as are President Larry Fletcher and Christopher Lewis, marketing and sales director, as well as a few members of the board. 

Although Shores & Islands Ohio staggered the counties last year, that deadline is the same for both this year, with Erie finalists slated to be notified by May 12 and their Ottawa counterparts on May 19.

Smith Rasnick says doing all at the same time “Might be a little crazy, but that’s OK.”

An applicant looking for feedback during the proposal can reach out to her – but don’t procrastinate.

“I’m happy to review proposals ahead of time … (but) I cannot guarantee that if it’s within a week or two (of the deadline). So for people interested, I would highly recommend getting (started) on the process, getting in contact with me.”

All the improvements that come out of this initiative play a part in the mission of Shores & Islands Ohio, she says. 

“We have to have a really great destination – with great partners, welcoming residents, – if we are going to successfully promote it as a place to come and visit and live.”