Visit Central Oregon has begun accepting applications for the Central Oregon Future Fund, an annual grant program aimed at supporting tourism-related projects that benefit both residents and visitors. The application window will be open through Friday, Feb. 14.
For 2025, the Central Oregon Future Fund will award $280,000 in grants, funded entirely by revenue generated from Travel Oregon Transient Room Tax collections that are managed by Visit Central Oregon. The Future Fund is designed to support tourism-related projects and leave a lasting, positive impact on the region.
“The Central Oregon Future Fund has remained a key component in Visit Central Oregon’s commitment to sustainable tourism and our responsibility to mitigate its impact on our community,” said Scott Larson, CEO of Visit Central Oregon. “By reinvesting revenue generated from visitors into projects that directly benefit the people who call Central Oregon home, we can further our mission of driving economic growth through sustainable practices, while supporting a thriving tourism market. Further, it reinforces our ongoing efforts to promote education, preservation, and enhancement of the natural resources and unique beauty that make Central Oregon so special to so many.”
The goal of the Central Oregon Future Fund is threefold: investing in projects that create, protect, or preserve a tourism asset; creating positive long-term impact for both residents and visitors; and funding projects that have broad community support. Project applications must be aligned with at least one of the following program pillars:
- Sustainability: Projects that improve or mitigate the impacts of tourism.
- Cultural Tourism: Projects that enhance the region’s economy through cultural tourism, focusing on non-peak seasons and bolstering regional rural communities.
- Access Adventure: Projects that expand access to both visitors and the community.
Prospective applicants can also attend an informational webinar at noon on Jan. 8. To register for this event, please click HERE.
Since its inception, the Central Oregon Future Fund has awarded nearly $1.3 million in grants to 27 recipients. Examples of 2024 Central Oregon Future Fund grant recipients include:
- Antelope 3, LLC for its Antelope Pavilion project to provide a safe and inclusive “stopping place” for travelers as well as a multi-use outdoor event space for the community
- DarkSky Oregon’s “Beautiful Oregon Night Skies Educational Outreach” initiative in its efforts to halt and reverse the disappearance of the region’s starry night skies
- Onward Project for its AdvenChair AdvenTours collaboration with Wanderlust Tours to provide guided trips for people with disabilities in natural areas of Central Oregon
- Central Oregon Trail Alliance for its Cline Butte Mountain Bike Trail Enhancement proposal to build over two miles of a well-maintained and sustainable trail for residents and travelers to enjoy while mitigating environmental impact
In addition to the Central Oregon Future Fund, Visit Central Oregon has invested more than $800,000 in grants and other strategic investments over the past five years through a partnership with Travel Oregon to manage the Regional Collaborative Tourism Program. The funding has benefited a wide range of projects, from arts and culture offerings to special events and stewardship programs. The list of beneficiaries includes Discover Your Forest, Deschutes Trails Coalition, Central Oregon Trail Alliance, Warm Springs Community Action Team, Museum at Warm Springs, In a Landscape, Sunriver Nature Center, and The High Desert Museum, among others. In 2024, Visit Central Oregon was reappointed by Travel Oregon as a Regional Destination Management Organization until fiscal year 2032-33.
Grant recipients will be announced on Friday, April 4. To learn more or to apply for the Central Oregon Future Fund, visit visitcentraloregon.com/Future-
ABOUT VISIT CENTRAL OREGON:
As the regional destination marketing organization for Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, and South Wasco counties, Visit Central Oregon drives year-round overnight visitation to the region to support a thriving tourism economy. A 501(c)(6) organization, Visit Central Oregon inspires travel to the region through collaboration with industry partners and an integrated marketing campaign that celebrates the area’s unique culture, people, and landscapes. As the Regional Destination Management Organization (RDMO) appointed by the Oregon Tourism Commission dba Travel Oregon, Visit Central Oregon also manages the Regional Cooperative Tourism Program, leveraged by the Deschutes County budget to maximize tourism’s positive economic impact and foster a shared healthy vision for tourism for Central Oregon. For more information visit www.visitcentraloregon.com or call 800-800-8334.
