From staff reports
Beaufort City Council approved the awarding of $379,411 in ATAX grants to 14 nonprofit local organizations at its January 9 Regular Meeting. This compares to $321,110, when Council last awarded grants in late 2022.
The grants are generated by the State Accommodations Tax (ATAX) revenue, and state law governs the distribution and use of the monies. A certain amount of these revenues is allocated for the grant process to non-profit groups focused on the promotion, marketing, and advertising of tourism. The Tourism Development Advisory Committee (TDAC) meets once a year to review, discuss and score applicant presentations for these grants.
The organizations and amounts awarded:
· Greater Beaufort-Port Royal Convention & Visitors Bureau (the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the City of Beaufort): $146,000 for destination marketing
· Greater Beaufort-Port Royal CVB: $34,500 for sales plan
· SC Lowcountry & Resorts Island Tourism Commission: $47,029 for promotion of City of Beaufort and Lowcountry
· The Original Gullah Festival: $33,825 for the festival
· Gullah Traveling Theatre: $25,950 for Gullah Symposium, and other events
· Tabernacle Baptist Church: $23,875 for the Harriet Tubman Monument and Combahee River Raid event
· Beaufort Area Hospitality Association: $18,250 for Oyster Festival
· Freedman Arts District: $10,625 for Street Chalk Arts Festival
· Friends of Hunting Island: $10,500 for lighthouse lens exhibit
· Penn Center: $8,075 for Heritage Days Celebration
· Port Royal Sound Foundation: $6,650 for reptile displays
· Mather School Museum: $6,125 for African-American history programs
· South Coast Cyber Center: $4,750 for Cyber Summit
· Friends of Spanish Moss Trail: $3,257 for visitor marketing
ATAX grants are awarded as reimbursements for expenses incurred by the organization. The organizations have two years from the date of the award to submit final reports for reimbursement.
To be considered for a grant, organizations must fill out an application and make a presentation to City’s the Tourism Development Advisory Committee.
