Grants are awarded annually to provide marketing and promotion support for Salem historic and cultural facilities, tourist attractions, and special events. Grants are funded by revenue from Salem’s transient occupancy tax—a tax on rentals of hotel rooms and other temporary lodging spaces.

The majority of TOT grant funding is for non-profit organizations recognized by the State of Oregon and the Internal Revenue Service. If this is something your organization is interested in pursuing, go to the State of Oregon’s Non-Profit Services and learn how to become a non-profit.

The Cultural and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board recommends how funds are used. The Salem City Council makes final grant award decisions.

Fiscal year 2024–25 Grant applications will become available online October 12, 2023, and will close November 13, 2023.

General requirements

Funds may only be used for:

• Enhancement and beautification of vehicular and pedestrian entrance-ways to the city

• Urban beautification generally

• Improvements to, or operation of, major tourist attractions or cultural facilities

• Activities performed directly by the City or through contracts that promote use of Salem for conventions, conferences, seminars, or general tourism

Applicants and grant recipients must meet certain reporting requirements and deadlines. This may include reports of how grant funds from a previous fiscal year were used.

More information about the transient occupancy tax and use of its revenue can be found in Chapter 9, Section 56 of the City Charter.

Applicant eligibility

Most of TOT grant funding is for non-profit organizations recognized by the State of Oregon and the Internal Revenue Service. If this is something your organization is interested in pursuing, click the link here or the button link on this page to the State of Oregon’s Non-Profit Services and learn how to become a non-profit.

To be eligible for most grants, your organization must be a non-profit corporation with tax-exempt status under section 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code. You must provide a copy of your organization’s current 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) IRS determination letter when you submit your application.

Your organization may be eligible to apply for funding, even if not currently listed with the IRS as a 501(c) non-profit. To be eligible in this case, your organization must have an interest in promoting cultural and community events in Salem and apply for a small grant ($2,000 or less).

How to apply

Applications for grants are only accepted during the submission period, which occurs once a year in the fall.

1. You must attend a Transient Occupancy Tax Grant Orientation meeting for funding consideration. One or two orientation meetings are held right before the application submission period opens, usually in October.

   2023 Orientations will be held:

   • Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
      Via Zoom Meeting, organizations must submit email request for the link to cneider@cityofsalem.net or kskelly@cityofsalem.net.

   • Thursday, October 12, 2023, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
     Via Zoom Meeting, organizations must submit email request for the link to cneider@cityofsalem.net or kskelly@cityofsalem.net.

2. You must meet all of the applicant requirements detailed in the current application manual. Read the instructions and all application materials very carefully.

3. Complete and submit all of the application materials listed on the grant application checklist. Applications missing any of the required materials will not be considered for funding.

Application forms

The links below take you to the online application forms. The application process will ask you to upload a budget/audit spreadsheets which can be downloaded and completed from the link in parenthesis after the application link.

Facility grant application (Facility Grant Budget Sheet; Facility Grant Audit Report)

Capital or asset grant application (Capital Grant Budget Sheet)

Event or Project grant application for 501(c) organizations (Event Grant Budget Sheet)

Event or Project grant application for Non-501(c) organizations (Event Grant Budget Sheet)

Types of grants

• Capital asset or improvement project grants
• Facility operation grants
• Event and project grants

Grant awards for events range from small (up to $2,000) to large (up to $10,000) for large events hosted by non-profit 501(c) organizations. Non-501(c) organizations are eligible for small grants.

All events proposed for funding must be:

• Open to the public
• Take place within Salem city limits
• Be scheduled between July 1 and June 30 of the fiscal year for which the grant is awarded

Past grant recipients 

Past recipients of grant funds include:

• Bush House Museum
• Deepwood Museum and Gardens
• Elsinore Theatre
• Gilbert House Museum
• Magic at the Mill
• Riverfront Carousel
• Salem Art Fair
• TEDxSalem
• Willamette Heritage Center
• World Beat

Adults and children alike enjoy family-friendly events in Salem year-round, such as this group at the Deepwood Easter Egg Hunt.

Hundreds of visitors enjoy the Salem Art Fair every summer in Bush’s Pasture Park.

The City of Salem helps to support historic cultural facilities such as the house at Deepwood Museum and Gardens (pictured), tourist attractions, and special events. Grant awards for the promotion of cultural and community events are available in amounts of up to $2,000 or $10,000.

© 2008 Ron Cooper