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Latest Round of Community Investment Fund Grants Award $256,190 to Five Local Projects

August 8, 2024 – Door County, WI. Destination Door County (DDC) is excited to announce $256,190 has been awarded to five local projects as part of the latest round of grant awards from the organization’s Community Investment Fund.

The projects were awarded grants ranging from $6,190 to $100,000. Recipients included four local non-profit organizations and one local unit of government.

All awarded projects must meet specific requirements to qualify for funding. The dollars DDC uses for this program are generated from room taxes that overnight visitors to the county pay and that DDC receives as part of their agreement with the Door County Tourism Zone Commission. Wisconsin state statute dictates the use of those dollars.

“We are pleased with how these projects will positively impact Door County,” said Julie Gilbert, President/CEO of Destination Door County. “Our Community Investment Fund is doing exactly what we hoped it would, and that’s to inspire and financially support impactful local projects that provide new or enhanced experiences for visitors and our residents,” she said.

The projects that were awarded funding in the program’s sixth grant cycle include:

  • Kolberg Athletic Club is awarded $100,000 to build accessible bathrooms and concessions with running water, providing greater offerings and accommodations for baseball games, sports camps, and community events.
     
  • Village of Ephraim is awarded $50,000 towards the creation of a pedestrian trail in North Ephraim, creating a safer route for foot traffic within the village and between neighboring communities.
     
  • Door County Historical Society is awarded $50,000 to help reconstruct the barn and summer kitchen at Eagle Bluff Lighthouse to enhance historical accuracy and visitor engagement at the iconic site.
     
  • Door County YMCA is awarded $50,000 towards the purchase and installation of a new swim meet timing system and displays for the Sturgeon Bay YMCA aquatic center, increasing opportunities to host more swim meets that bring in swimmers from throughout Wisconsin.
     
  • Belgian Heritage Center is awarded $6,190 to create outdoor campus exhibits that will help visitors learn about the history, buildings, and cemetery found at the site (this project also received an additional $4,450 from other Funds at the Door County Community Foundation).

These five projects join 28 local projects that previously received grant funding, bringing the total impact from DDC’s Community Investment Fund to $1,663,442 since the program began in May 2023.

The next grant application deadline is Monday, September 23 at 4 PM. Qualified applicants include 501(c)(3) public charities, 501(c)(6) organizations, and local units of government.

Destination Door County encourages any interested local non-profit organization or Door County municipality to schedule a meeting with the Door County Community Foundation, DDC’s program administrative partner, to discuss their idea before submitting an application. Call the Community Foundation at (920) 746-1786 or email grants@givedoorcounty.org to schedule an appointment. For details about the program and to view funding requirements along with the online application, visit CommunityInvestmentFund.org.

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Destination Door County is the official tourism marketing and management organization for Door County whose mission is to inspire travel that drives community enhancement while working to ensure all travelers feel welcome, preserving the county’s way of life and protecting the region’s natural resources.