New LinkThe 2021-2022 Tourist Impact Fund (TIF) Grant Application is now open
The Sonoma County Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is a tax on accommodations at lodging and camping facilities in the unincorporated areas of the county. From this fund, each Supervisorial District in the county receives a percentage for discretionary projects within each District from the Tourism Impact Fund (TIF).
These funds are then awarded in small grants to not for profit organizations to create improvement projects in their community. Awards are based upon the TIF funding area and criteria as listed in below. For geographical areas covered by Municipal Advisory Councils (MAC), the TIF policy has been determined by the MAC with input from the community. For those geographical areas not covered by a MAC, the application will go to District 5 staff and similar policy and procedures will be followed.
General Funding Criteria (No preferential order)
Applicants must be a not for-profit organization.
Extra points will be given to those projects that can demonstrate the following, although all good projects fitting the funding priority areas will be considered.
- Greatest Impact on Community
- Multi-Community Benefit
- Best Return for Dollars (Leveraging/Matching Funds)
- Geographic Fairness
- Environmental Sensitivity
River MAC funding priorities
- Trash removal
- Restrooms
- Community Resilience
- Parking / Crosswalks / Sidewalks
- Disaster preparedness
- Security
- Homeless prevention
Sonoma Coast MAC funding priorities
- Tourism Impact Mitigation
- Innovative Community enhancement projects
- Community Resilience
- Communications infrastructure
- Disaster preparedness
- Economic development
Grants are awarded throughout the year on a rolling basis. The application for the TIF Grants is linked here: https://forms.gle/3y1qtSaVrcB8xV1SA