Inspire Iowa Grant
The Inspire Iowa Cultural Tourism Grant program will support a limited number of highly visible and high-impact arts, culture and heritage events, performances, productions or exhibitions. Projects will attract new visitors to Iowa communities and showcase our state as a cultural tourism destination.
This new funding opportunity recognizes Iowa’s arts, cultural and heritage venues as significant tourism attractions that anchor growing communities. Iowa’s creative sector generates more than $4.5 billion of economic impact annually, while stimulating local spending, supporting the broader hospitality industry, and attracting millions of visitors to our state.
Inspire Iowa is a partnership between the Iowa Tourism Office and Iowa Arts Council and is administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Funding is made possible through the Iowa Tourism Office.
Who: Nonprofit arts, cultural or humanities organizations or communities that operate a cultural facility in Iowa. The organization must maintain a cash operating expense budget, exclusive of other IEDA grant support, of no less than $250,000 per year.
What: $25,000 - $50,000 (max award of $100,000) with 1:1 cash match requirement
When: January 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. for award period of July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025.
How to Apply
Read the full guidelines
Submit an application
Managing Your Grant
Grant recipients will be required to report on the following performance measurements for this grant:
- Overall attendance/admissions or ticket sales of exhibit/event (locals and non-locals)
- Attendance of non-local visitors (those who traveled 50+ miles, based on zip code)
- ROI of Event/Exhibit = Revenue Generated / (State Investment + Local Investment)
Questions? Please contact David Schmitz, Iowa Arts Council Director, at david.schmitz@iowaeda.com or 515.348.6321.