Cultural Tourism Funding Opportunities
AIANTA collects funding opportunities that may be of interest to Indigenous or Native American tourism & hospitality enterprises looking to grow their tourism, culture, heritage, arts, agritourism or other culture and heritage programming.
Open Funding Opportunities
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Graham Foundation Grants to Individuals Deadline: September 15, 2023 Tourism Tip: Explore your architectural history, including landscape architecture. The Foundation supports architects, scholars, writers, artists, curators and educators. Landscape Architecture Foundation Deadline: September 15, 2023 Tourism Tip: This $25,000 fellowship allows architecture professionals to work on a project for your community. Deadline: September 21, 2023 Tourism Tip: The opportunity for individuals from your community to develop their leadership. Open to 23 Native nations in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. DOT Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Program Deadline: September 28, 2023 Tourism Tip: Use this funding to mitigate barriers and improve access for economic development, including tourism and recreation. BIA NATIVE Act Tribal Tourism Cooperative Agreement Deadline: September 29, 2023 Tourism Tip: funding is to support a national program to support Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience ATALM Native Craft Artist Readiness Program Deadline: September 30, 2023 Tourism Tip: Share this with your art community to support capacity building for individual artists. National Park Foundation ParkVentures Program Deadline: October 5, 2023 Tourism Tip: Work with a nearby National Park to develop activities that are culturally affirming and relevant to your community. EDA Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program Deadline: October 5, 2023 Tourism Tip: Apply for a Strategy Development Grant to create a plan for economic opportunity in your community and connect people to good jobs. USDA Farm To School Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement Deadline: October 10, 2023 Tourism Tip: National or regional organizations can develop programs to expand community food systems to schools and educate farmers. HUD: 2023 HOPE VI Main Street Grant Deadline: October 12, 2023 Tourism Tip: Redevelop central business districts to enhance economic development. Consider creating arts districts providing galleries, workspaces and housing for artists. National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Program Deadline: October 16, 2023 Tourism Tip: Use the funds to improve data collected for fisheries including recreational and for-hire. Western SARE Farmer + Rancher Research and Education Grant Deadline: October 25, 2023 Tourism Tip: Educate producers about using agritourism to share sustainability and culture. USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Deadline: October 30, 2023 Tourism Tip: Apply for a planning project to improve your community’s food security. If you have a food project, apply for the development grant for a one-time infusion of funding to become self-sustaining. USDA Conservation Innovation Grants: Classic Deadline: October 30, 2023 Tourism Tip: Explore innovative new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands USDA Conservation Innovation Grants: On-Farm Conservation Innovation Deadline: October 30, 2023 Tourism Tip: Provide technical assistance and incentive payments to producers to compensate for risks associated with implementing new conservation practices. Western SARE Professional + Producer Grant Deadline: October 31, 2023 Tourism Tip: Become a technical advisor working with producers to address identified needs in sustainable agriculture. NDN Collective Community Action Fund Deadline: October 31, 2023 Tourism Tip: Funds support self-determination and projects developed in “a regenerative and sustainable manner” based on “values and connection to land, culture and identity.” Western SARE Professional Development Grant Deadline: November 1, 2023 Tourism Tip: Develop a “train the trainer” program focused on increasing knowledge and capacity for agricultural stakeholders to provide training to producers. National Historical Publications & Records Commission National Archives Program Deadline: November 2, 2023 Tourism Tip: Develop a project that promotes an understanding of your nation’s history, democracy and culture using the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as a theme. DOT Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program Deadline: November 6, 2023 Tourism Tip: Fund construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of nationally significant projects within, adjacent to or accessing Federal and Tribal lands. NOAA Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants Deadline: November 8, 2023 Tourism Tip: Build organizational capacity to implement projects to reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitats for tribally important species. IMLS Inspire Grants for Small Museums Deadline: November 15, 2023 Tourism Tip: Use a small grant of $5,000 to $25,000 for exhibits, education, planning, technology, audience development, professional development or more. IMLS Museums for America Grants Deadline: November 15, 2023 Tourism Tip: Apply for project-based programs (exhibitions, interpretive programs, digital learning, professional development, public programs or collections management). IMLS Museums Empowered: Professional Development for Museum Staff Deadline: November 15, 2023 Tourism Tip: Use funds to train staff to use the most current and trending museum technology and management. IMLS National Leadership Grants for Museums Deadline: November 15, 2023 Tourism Tip: Develop projects to strengthen museum services for the American public. IMLS Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program Deadline: November 15, 2023 Tourism Tip: Designed to support Native museums in sustaining indigenous heritage, culture and knowledge. Deadline: December 7, 2024 Tourism Tip: Fund supports projects that center culture, language, values, traditional knowledge systems and healthy lifeways. NOAA Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes Deadline: December 19, 2023 Tourism Tip: Advance community-driven coastal habitat restoration, climate resilience and capacity building. AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants Deadline: January 4, 2024 Tourism Tip: Build a community service program that can use AmeriCorps volunteers to improve and strengthen your community. Deadline: January 10, 2024 Tourism Tip: Apply for either planning or implementation for radio programs, podcasts, documentary films or documentary films. NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grants Deadline: January 11, 2024 Tourism Tip: Explore innovative, experimental or computationally challenging digital projects. Program support collaborations between library and archives professionals. NEH Public Humanities Project Grants Deadline: January 11, 2024 Tourism Tip: Apply for either planning or implementation of public projects focusing on exhibitions, historic places and humanities discussions. USDA Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program Deadline: January 11, 2024 Tourism Tip: Use funds to acquire forest lands to conserve wildlife habitat, protect water sources and provide recreation and tourism opportunities. NEH Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions Deadline: January 12, 2024 (anticipated) Tourism Tip: Use a consultant to improve your ability to preserve and care for your collections (books, archives, photos, archaeological, ethnographic artifacts, etc.) NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Grants Deadline: January 12, 2024 (anticipated) Tourism Tip: Apply for funding to assess or implement programs to provide preventive conservation and safeguard your humanities collections. ONGOING DEADLINES Bass Pro Shop & Cabela’s – Community Support Grants Deadline: Ongoing Tourism Tip: Apply for programs that conserve wildlife and habitat or connect new audiences to the Outdoors. Deadline: Ongoing Tourism Tip: Develop programs in natural resource programs and recreation for the youth in your community. Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Grants Deadline: Ongoing Tourism Tip: The Foundation will invest and help provide support to entrepreneurs for a three-year funding cycle to launch and expand their ventures. Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund Tribal Energy Plan Grant Deadline: Ongoing Tourism Tip: Funds support the development of new solar projects, long-term energy plans and solar education, training and workforce development. |
Guides & Publications
USDA Resource Guide for American Indians and Alaska Natives
The USDA recently published a Resource Guide for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) to provide tribal leaders and tribal citizens, 1994 Land-Grant Tribal Colleges and Universities, AI/AN businesses and non-governmental organizations serving AI/AN communities with a tool for navigating USDA resources. This guide provides readers with a comprehensive summary of USDA Programs.
Recreation Economy at USDA Economic Development Resources for Rural Communities
USDA’s Forest Service (FS), Rural Development (RD) and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) developed this resource guide for rural communities to identify resources that develop the recreation economy. The report forecasts that interest in outdoor recreation will continue over the next 30 years.
Resources for Rural Entrepreneurs: A Guide to Planning, Adapting, and Growing Your Business
In 2022, in collaboration with a network of federal partners, the USDA Resources for Rural Entrepreneurs guide provides resources for start-ups and already-established rural businesses. RD offers more than 40 loan, grant, and technical assistance programs to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Many of these programs can also support community-based entrepreneurial planning and growth. USDA partners with community leaders and developers, local, state and Tribal governments, cooperatives, nonprofits, private organizations and a nationwide network of participating lenders skilled at building local economies.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) published Stronger Together a joint planning resource guide to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic development in rural America. The guide is separated into four key focus areas: Planning and technical assistance, Infrastructure and broadband expansion, Entrepreneurship and business assistance and Workforce development and livability.
Federal Resources for Native Arts & Cultural Activities
In 2020, the National Endowment for the Arts published the Federal Resources for Native Arts & Cultural Activities, a guide providing information to connect Native communities to resources that can sustain and invigorate arts and cultural heritage initiatives. It is a consolidation of opportunities offered by federal agencies for organizations looking for funding and other resources to support Native arts and culture activities.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov provides a unified site for interaction between grant applicants and the U.S. federal agencies that manage grant funds. The site allows applicants to search for funds by agency.
Federal Agencies
U.S. Department of Interior
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- National Park Service
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation
Bureau of Indian Affairs (U.S. Department of Interior)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development
- Division of Transportation
- Division of Economic Development
National Park Service (Department of Interior)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Administration for Native Americans (ANA)
- Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS)
- Sustainable Employment and Economic Development Strategies (SEEDS)
- Native Youth Initiative for Leadership, Empowerment, and Development (I-LEAD)
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Business & Industry Loan Guarantees
- Community Connect Grants
- Rural Business Investment Program
- Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program
- Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
- Socially-Disadvantaged Groups Grant
- Strategic Economic and Community Development
- Value-Added Producer Grants
- U.S. Forest Service (trail construction, archaeology)
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
- Our Town ($25,000 – $200,000)
- Challenge America ($10,000 underserved populations)
- Art Works ($10,000 – $100,000)
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
- Division of Preservation and Access
- Documenting Endangered Languages
- Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections
- Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions
- Office of Challenge Programs
Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS)
- Native American Library Services: Basic Grants
- Native American Library Services: Enhancement Grants
- Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants
- Museums for America
- Inspire! Grants for Small Museums
- Museums Empowered
- National Leadership Grants for Museums
- Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
- Museum Assessment Program
- Accelerating Promising Practices for Small Libraries
U.S. Department of Transportation
www.transportation.gov/grants
- Office of Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
- National Scenic Byways Program
- Office of Tribal Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
State Tourism, Arts & Economic Development Agencies
Arts.gov State and Regional Arts Councils
arts.gov/partners/state-regional
California Arts Council
arts.ca.gov/grants
California Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development
business.ca.gov
Montana Tourism Office
marketmt.com
Nevada Arts Council: Folklife Community Grant
nvartscouncil.org/grants
New Mexico Tourism Office
newmexico.org/industry/work-together/grants
Oregon Tourrism
traveloregon.com/grants
Additional Resources
Community Foundations
www.cof.org/community-foundation-locator
The Council on Foundations, founded in 1949, is a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Use their search tool to find local funding resources.
The Grantsmanship Center
www.tgci.com
The Grantsmanship Center offers training, publications and consulting to help organizations find funding. The Center provides free access to its Funding State-by-State database listing each state’s top grantmaking foundations, community foundations, corporate giving programs and State website homepages.
Candid (formerly the Foundation Center and GuideStar)
candid.org/
Candid is an online source for grants available through private foundations, corporate foundations, and other nonprofits that accept grant proposals. It also provides research on nonprofits and guides, like the 990 Finder.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
Native American Agriculture Fund
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Bureau of Land Management
National Endowment of the Arts
National Park Service
United States Forest Service
