Grants

Writing Your Application  

Let’s start with the simple stuff first - the cover sheet.  It needs to include the following:

• Type of Joint Effort Marketing grant you are applying for (is it Year 1, 2 or 3?)
• Name and dates of project or event
• Name of Applicant Organization and FEIN # of Applicant Organization
• Applicant’s phone, mailing address, email, website, and fax (if available)
• Name of the person filling out the application
• Name of advertising agency used, if any
• Name of person who will be signing the contract if a grant is awarded
• Amount of grant funding requested

Along with the cover sheet, we’ll need to have the following information:

* Please see Program Downloads for Destination Marketing Application Materials.

• Project description, including information required by the specific category of grant you’re applying for
• Goals
• Estimated visitor spending
• Plan for tracking visitor spending
• Target markets
• Public relations plan
• Media plan
• Media tracking plan
• Promotional budget
• Operational budget
• Income and revenue statement
• Mock-ups of your marketing materials, such as brochures and advertising

While it looks like a long list, no worries.  We walk you through each of the bullet items beginning now.

Project Description

After you’ve selected the correct grant category, tell us about the event or promotion you’re planning by answering these questions:

• What makes it creative, unique, relevant and valued by visitors?
• How will you develop self-sufficiency so your project continues after the grant funding runs out?
• How can local businesses, community groups and surrounding communities get involved and benefit financially from this project?
• Remember, grants cannot be given for events that are fundraisers.  Any profit you generate must be put back into the event.

Goals

When you’re articulating your goal or goals for this funding, remember to be clear and concise.  Your goals need to be believable and reasonable.  It also helps to remember the goals you present must be measurable so you can report them later.  Our best advice is to focus on doing a great job with one or two goals rather than having many goals that are difficult to define and track.  Use real numbers to define your goals, not percentages.

Here are some good examples of how to state your goal: "The goal of our campaign/sales promotion is to increase the number of hotel rooms sold by an additional 1,000 rooms."  Or, "Last year, our festival had 200 people attend and 10 room nights were rented. In the coming year we will increase attendance to 500 and fill 100 rooms."

After your event or promotion wraps up, you will be required to track and report the results as part of the post-evaluation. This is a much easier task for an event where attendance can be counted and a representative sample of the attendees can be surveyed. With a first-year grant or One Time, One-of-a-Kind project, your goal may be a good faith guess based on similar, past events or promotions.

If your project is a Sales Promotion or Destination Marketing campaign, tracking your results will require some careful planning and good community support. To make certain you’re able to effectively track results, select something tangible to measure, justify it by relating it back to the purpose of the grant, and then count it. Counting additional area room nights is a good way to determine the results of your Sales Promotion or Destination campaign. For this to work well, your lodging partners will need to be looped in and committed to tracking and reporting the increase in room nights during the campaign period.

Calculating Visitor Spending

Going back to the example above, where the goal was to increase the number of attendees and room nights, feel free to use our chart to determine the average per person/per day expenditures: Per Person/Per Day Expenditure Charts.  If, on the other hand, you have a reliable source of your own, use that data, but be sure to tell us the source of your numbers.        

The estimated visitor spending of the project example would look like this: 
200 new overnight visitors x $135 (urban chart) = $27,000
100 day trippers x $45 = $4,500 
Therefore, the estimated visitor spending of the event is $31,500  

Tracking Expenditures

Once your estimated visitor spending expectations are set, next you'll put measures in place to track the actual numbers.  Here is an example: A new art festival will be able to count attendance because this will be a gated event and organizers are selling tickets. To track the number of overnight stays, event organizers will be surveying a representative sample of attendees. Here is an example of a survey this event might use: Joint Effort Marketing Survey

Use a survey like this throughout all days and times of the event or promotion, and attempt to get a minimum of 300-400 completed surveys (100 if your attendance is less than 200).

Collect the survey data and take the total number of nights (Q3) for each type of lodging or day trip (Q2) indicated on all surveys and divide these totals by the total number of surveys.  This gives you the percentage of visitors by lodging type by the average number of nights. Be sure to discount the percentage of responses to Q2 - these are people who live in the area and are therefore classified as non-tourism attendees.  

Multiply each percentage of lodging type/number of nights and day trip percentage by the total number of non-area attendees (your total ticket count) and you will have the approximate visitor category size per day for each lodging/daytrip category. Here’s an example of the math:  20% of 500 total attendees stayed 2 nights = 100 people x 2 nights = 200 people/night/dollars spent.  

Use the per-person/per day lodging expenditure chart that best describes your community (urban, rural or resort area) and multiply the number of visitors in each lodging category from your visitor estimates with the corresponding expenditure amount from the expenditure chart.

Add each of the categories together and you will have an estimate of the total expenditures made by the visitors or attendees to your event, attraction or promotion. Use the results from question #1 to gauge your PR and advertising effectiveness and report those findings in the research measurements required by this grant program. Use the findings in question #4 to get a sense of how much your community was also able to financially participate and report those finding in the research measurements.  

Use the responses from questions #5 and #6 to determine the kinds of group sizes you served and the best media mix for promoting future similar events, attractions or promotions.  

What if you don't have a gated or contained event, then what? Because it is impossible to project expenditures into an unknown volume of visitors to determine the estimated visitor expenditures, an acceptable alternative is to measure the overall effectiveness of your marketing plan. That approach is covered in the section below titled, Tracking the Marketing Plan's Effectiveness.

Target Markets

Your marketing plan is your roadmap to success. This is where all of the promotional elements are outlined and integrated communication objectives and strategies are presented. Quick note - don’t forget to include publicity, as that’s a great way to stretch promotional dollars.  

Crafting your marketing plan by first by choosing appropriate target markets, and consider the following:

• Who comes to your event or destination now?
• What are their ages and gender?
• How many are in the average travel party?
• Where are they coming from?
• What geographical markets provide growth potential?
• What do I want the target market to do after receiving the message and how can I encourage the call to action?

Develop a Public Relations Plan

A public relations campaign is a very cost-effective form of marketing and capitalizes on the most important method of information delivery - word-of-mouth.  In planning a public relations campaign, you’ll want to determine the best timing and best story angles for reporters.  The more opportunities you create to have your project discussed in the media, the more attention it’s likely to receive. It is customary to plan publicity activities before, during and after the event.  In public relations, creativity is rewarded, so brainstorm on inspired public relations tactics.

Develop a Media Plan

A good media plan is needed to generate significant exposure for your project. Use your target market information as a guide to determine your media strategy. We offer reduced advertising rates through our co-op advertising programs, so you may want to consider including elements of those as part of your media plan. Make sure your application clearly identifies the media outlets you will use and specifics about the media buy, complete with dates and ad sizes.

Outline How You’ll Track the Marketing Plan's Effectiveness

Once you’ve created your marketing plan, you’ll need to outline how you’ll track its effectiveness. You'll propose the tracking plan in your application and then document results in the evaluation. Here are some tracking methods to consider:

• Create a bounce-back component to your direct mail piece. Count the direct mail pieces that are mailed back.
• Create a dedicated 800 number used specifically for the project. Keep track of incoming calls to this number.
• Survey callers who request information about the project and ask where they heard about it. Keep a log of what advertising is mentioned.
• Create a special banner or link on your Web site for information about your project. Ask your Web-master to keep track of the Web hits.
• Create a form on your Web site that the visitor fills out to get more information. On this form, have a survey asking how they heard about the project.
• For e-mail campaigns that link to your Web site, track from the launch to the end of the campaign to see if there is an increased number of hits on your site. Use e-mail software to track open or click-through rates of the e-mail message.
• Monitor the number of people who have completed an e-mail subscription form.
• On radio and television ads, put tags on them such as "Tell them Mark sent you" or "Tell them you saw it on WZOO". Give an incentive for people to remember these lines and call for more information. This is a good way to track where callers heard about your project.
• Use coupons in your print advertising with a variation on each so you can track what print outlet they came from. Ask local businesses to save these coupons and report back to you.
• Encourage local lodging, retail, and restaurant establishments to ask visitors to fill out a brief survey with their name, address and where they learned about the project.
• Hire or recruit volunteers to perform surveys during the project, asking visitors where they heard about the event.

Grant Matches

The Joint Effort Marketing program is just that, a joint effort between the Department of Tourism and you.  Here’s a handy breakdown of how dollars are matched.

Promotional Budget: The JEM program can help reimburse funds for promotional costs only.

Year 1: The Department of Tourism will pay for 75% of the eligible expenses in the promotional budget. Your financial responsibility can be covered either by having costs paid for by your organization or by services received in-kind.  Example: if your promotional budget is $10,000, we will reimburse up to $7,500 of the eligible expenses. Your organization will be responsible for at least $2,500 of the promotional budget.

Year 2: The Department will pay for 50% of the eligible expenses in the promotional budget.  Example: if the promotional budget during the second year is increased to $15,000, we would reimburse up to $7,500 of the eligible expenses and you would be responsible for the other $7,500.

Year 3: The JEM grant covers 25% of the promotional budget, and your organization kicks in the other 75%.

 

Create Your Promotional Budget Worksheet

Now it’s time to turn your marketing plans into your promotional budget plan. First, research the cost of your public relations campaign and media plan. The Department of Tourism's Co-op Advertising Program is a good resource for finding advertising rates.  Once you’ve researched the cost of your marketing plan, you’ll fill out the Promotional Budget Worksheet.

Place costs that you are asking for grant reimbursement in the "JEM Dollars" column. Costs your organization incurs and/or in-kind services belong in the "Recipient Dollars/In-Kind" column. The total of the “JEM Dollars” and "Recipient Dollars/In-Kind" should appear in the "Total Dollars" column. The total of the JEM dollars column must match the total JEM request. Remember to meet the match requirements discussed earlier.

Operational Budget: Along with the promotional budget, you’ll need to submit an operational budget. The operational budget should include all costs not in your promotional budget. Examples of operational expenses include staff salaries, travel costs, facility rentals, insurance, computer equipment, promotional incentives and port-a-potties.

Create Your Operational Budget Worksheet

Define all non-promotional costs and list each item on the Operational Budget Worksheet.

JEM request cannot be more than 50% of the promotional budget + the operational budget.

Create an Income/Revenue Statement

This statement is necessary to determine the profitability of your project. Fill out the Income/Revenue Statement Worksheet without the grant funding you are requesting. Include all sponsorships, cash donations, contributions, in-kind services or goods, along with expenses and earnings your organization is anticipating.

Here’s a reminder regarding this part of the application: Profits from Joint Effort Marketing-funded events must be included in the income/revenue statement and used in the following year.

Years of Funding, Award Amounts and Submission Deadlines

Click here to view a chart showing the maximum number of years a grant can receive funding, the maximum award amounts and submission deadlines per category.  Remember, this grant program may fund only one project per event.

Eligible Expenses

We can reimburse costs for eligible promotional expenses only. Eligible out-of-state markets based on the Department’s marketing plan include Wisconsin with the exception of your local area, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, and Michigan. If you are including in-state markets, remember to include your rationale for that.

Advertising with a wider reach may be possible for the Destination category, and for projects tied to meetings and conventions, group travel by bus, and niche markets.  

This list gives you an idea of eligible expenses:

• Advertising design/production
• Billboards
• Direct mail pieces that are mailed, DVDs, postage costs
• E-mail marketing
• Fulfillment pieces: these are an eligible expense for the Destination category only and requires an approved distribution plan
• Internet: banner ads, development/production, Web site updates
• Print media: magazines, newspapers, newsletters, trade journals
• Public relations campaigns: media kits (excluding gifts and coupons), press releases, postage costs
• Radio
• Sport/promotional shows: this is an eligible expense for the Destination category only and only includes booth space, support equipment, material shipment and promotional imagery
• Television

Ineligible Expenses

While the following promotional expenses will not be reimbursed by JEM, they can be used as part of your matching funds:

• Any local advertising: banners, flyers, posters, buttons, stickers, place-mats,  print/radio/television advertising not outside the local area where the project will occur
• Memberships prorated for the project duration
• Brochures not designed for direct mail
• Research/tracking cost, including 800 numbers
• Fulfillment pieces and sport/promotional shows for all categories except the Destination category

When Funding Can Begin

Funding can start 90 days after receipt of your application. For example, if you want to begin advertising your project on November 1st, submit your application by August 1st. Here’s an important reminder: If a media organization requires pre-payment, you can pay before the start date, but you cannot be reimbursed until after the start date. Under no circumstances can the advertising appear before the funding start date.

Contracting and Reimbursement

Since this is a reimbursement program, the Department of Tourism cannot pay for promotional expenses before they are incurred. We will only reimburse an invoice that has already been paid by your organization.  It’s important you not create a budget your organization cannot financially assume. However, we do allow progressive reimbursement.

Contract

In your contract packet you’ll receive an official state contract for services. This is a binding legal document outlining the expectations of the State of Wisconsin and the applicant organization. If you find it necessary to change any part of your contract, you must get pre-approval through Abbie Hill, ahill@travelwisconsin.com, our Joint Effort Marketing Coordinator.  

Reimbursement

Also in your packet will be a reimbursement log. This document is where you'll clearly note each invoice, the date it was paid and the check number. Invoices will be reimbursed only for the amount that was contracted in the approved budget and what was actually paid. Once an invoice is submitted for reimbursement, it will be processed based on the contract between the Department of Tourism and your organization. Payment is made approximately 30 days from the date you receive a pay memo from the Department.

Samples

Hard copies of print ads, DVDs, printed promotional pieces and any other funded advertising materials must be provided to the Department prior to reimbursement. All samples will be checked to ensure the appropriate logos or copy points are included. If they are not, the expenses will not be reimbursed.

Send It In!

At this point, all that’s left to do is send in your application.  Here’s the mailing address:

Wisconsin Department of Tourism
JEM Program
Abbie Hill
201 West Washington Avenue
Madison, WI  53703  

Applications may also be emailed to ahill@travelwisconsin.com. 

Best of luck in your tourism pursuits.  We’re rooting for you.