Community Events Grants

Visit Baltimore & Baltimore Tourism Improvement District (BTID) Community Events Grants are now available.

Community Events Grants

Apply now for a community event grant in Baltimore, distributed by Visit Baltimore through the Baltimore Tourism Improvement District (BTID) to support and promote local community events. These grants aim to enhance Baltimore’s cultural, social, and economic vitality by providing financial assistance to organizations and individuals planning community-focused events. The grants are designed to encourage the development and execution of a diverse range of events that attract visitors, engage residents, and contribute to the overall vibrancy of the city. To align with the BTID’s overall goals, the funding must be used exclusively for marketing and promotion of a multi-day event in order to drive paid room nights into area hotels, drive attendance at the event and increase economic impact. No part of the funds may be used for operational costs associated with the planning or execution of the event.

Hop Around

Overview

The grant provides a maximum amount of $15,000 per applicant without requiring any matching funds. The Community Event Grant funds are usually awarded as a partial contribution and may only cover part of the event budget. However, applicants can utilize additional grants, donations, in-kind contributions and volunteer services to enhance their projects. Grantees will receive 50% of their awarded grant upon approval and the remaining 50% once the post-event report is submitted and approved.

Deadline to Apply

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through May 1, 2025 in order to provide enough time for events taking place during fiscal year 2025 which begins July 1, 2024 and ends June 30, 2025. Applicants must apply at least two months before the scheduled event date. 

Notification

Applicants will be notified of the results of their submission approximately 3-4 weeks after application submission. 

Eligibility

  • The event must occur in Baltimore City. 
  • The event must take place over multiple days (no single-day events). 
  • The event website must help promote hotel bookings for overnight stays, through collaborations and partnerships with Baltimore city hotels. 
  • The event must have all appropriate permitting and insurance coverage as required by the city of Baltimore. 
  • Non-profit organizations, community groups, businesses, and event organizers based in Baltimore City are eligible to apply. 
  • Applicants must apply at least eight weeks before the scheduled first event date to be considered. 
  • Requested funds must be for the purposes of advertising and marketing only.
  • The event must be submitted for posting to the Visit Baltimore events calendar on Baltimore.org at least two weeks prior to the first event date. Event submissions do not have to be live before the grant application is submitted.
  • Applications must be completed in full to be considered. 
  • Applicants may be awarded twice per year for different multi-day events.

Event Criteria

  • The event should provide opportunities for hotel room nights, tourism promotion, economic impact, or visitor experience enhancement. 
    • Tourism Promotion: Opportunities to showcase the city’s unique attractions, cultural offerings, historical sites, entertainment options and diverse neighborhoods to attract leisure travelers, business travelers and convention delegates. 
    • Economic Impact: Opportunities include attendees spending on accommodations, dining, shopping, entertainment, museums, attractions and other tourism-related activities, increasing revenue for local businesses and job creation. 
    • Visitor Experience Enhancement: Opportunities include collaborating with local partners to enhance the quality of hospitality services and ensure visitors have a positive and memorable stay in Baltimore.
  • Preference will be given to events highlighting diversity, equity and inclusion (such as ​​diverse vendors, accessibility options, collaboration with traditionally marginalized communities, diverse representation, etc.). 
  • Events will be rated on alignment with grant objectives, event sustainability and planning, community engagement and inclusion, event impact and reach and budget and resource management. 
  • Event plans must include proper permitting and incorporate safety/security protocols in collaboration with the Baltimore Police Department.

Application

Application Requirements

The grant application must include the following: 

  • Completed online grant application
  • IRS W-9 Form (upload into grant application) 
  • Event Budget Summary (upload into grant application)

Please submit any questions or concerns to [email protected]. 

Start your application now

Please note: the DMC reserves the right to modify the eligibility criteria as appropriate.

Wrap-Up Report

Required Evaluation and Reporting

All grant recipients must submit a post-event report, including attendance figures, economic impact data, and an evaluation of the event’s success in meeting its objectives no more than one month after the completed event. Recipients will be required to refund their grant if their report does not show alignment with the proposed event.

Grantees will receive 50% of their awarded grant upon approval and the remaining 50% once the post-event report is submitted and approved.