The Bend Sustainability Fund (BSF), a Visit Bend project, announces it will open its grant application window on November 18, 2024, accepting applications through January 12, 2025, with a half of a million dollars available to grant out. An informational webinar will be held on November 18, 2024 at 3pm. Information about the application process, funding criteria, and tips on how to submit a successful application will be shared.
Registration information for the Q&A webinar can be found here.
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:
- 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
- Has grassroots, community support
“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: sustainability.visitbend.com/projects.
About Visit Bend:
Visit Bend is a non-membership, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the visitor experience while stewarding a vibrant and sustainable community in Bend, Oregon. We’re a leading information provider on Bend, Oregon, hotels, restaurants, activities, and Oregon vacation planning.
About Bend Sustainability Fund:
The Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend Project, reinvests short-term lodging tax revenue paid by visitors into tourism-related facilities that create and steward sustainable experiences within Bend’s community.
The fund was created in 2021 with the aim of supporting the Bend community as a vibrant place to live and visit for generations to come. Since its inception, the Bend Sustainability Fund has awarded $3 million to 25 projects.
Visit Bend is funded by a portion of the transient room tax generated by visitors through short-term lodging stays within Bend’s city limits, distributed by the City of Bend. A portion of this restricted tax funds the Bend Sustainability Fund.
