Request for Proposals: 2027 Lodging Tax Fund

Submission Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026 at 4:00pm

GENERAL INFORMATION

Various municipalities within Kittitas County impose a lodging tax assessed on the sale or charge made for furnishings of lodging according to RCW 67.28.180 and RCW 67.28.181. In accordance with the tax and Washington State Law, Lodging Tax Advisory Committees may also be established by various jurisdictions. The committees’ purpose is to advise and recommend to the legislative authority of the city or county how excise taxes on lodging should be allocated to support tourism which in turn generates revenue.

Uses According to Law

According to State Statute and the inter-local agreement between Kittitas County and the Cities of Cle Elum, Ellensburg, and Roslyn, funds awarded under this process may be used for the following:

1. Tourism marketing;
2. The marketing and operations of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists;
3. Supporting the operations of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by nonprofit organizations described under 26 U.S.C Sec. 501 (c) (3) and 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501 (c) (6) of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended.

1. Tourism means economic activity resulting from tourists, which may include sales of overnight lodging, meals, tours, gifts, or souvenirs.
2. Tourism promotion means activities, operations, and expenditures designed to increase tourism, including but not limited to advertising, publicizing, or otherwise distributing information for the purpose of attracting and welcoming tourists; developing strategies to expand tourism; operating tourism promotion agencies; and funding marketing or the operation of special events and festivals designated to attract tourists.
3. Tourism-related facility means real or tangible personal property with a usable life of three or more years, or constructed with volunteer labor that is: (a) (i) Owned by a public entity; (ii) owned by a nonprofit organization described under section 501 (c) (3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as amended; or (iii) owned by a nonprofit organization described under section 501 (c) (6) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, a business organization, destination marketing organization, main street organization, lodging association, or chamber of commerce and (b) used to support tourism, performing arts, or to accommodate tourist activities.

Review Process

Cle Elum, Roslyn, Ellensburg, and Kittitas County have all agreed to collaborate in review of grant applications and awarding lodging tax funds for special events and festivals. Each municipality’s committee or designees will review all complete applications, score them based on the information provided by the application, rank the applications, recommend any funding awards, and forward the score sheets, ranking, and funding recommendations to Kittitas County.

The score sheets, rankings, and funding recommendations will be compiled by the County for further consideration by Consolidated Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (CLTAC). The CLTAC will be comprised of an equal number of members from each participating jurisdiction. The CLTAC will receive the scoring, ranking, and recommendations list and will conduct a public meeting where each applicant which received a funding recommendation will have the opportunity to present their application and answer questions. The CLTAC will publicly deliberate on the applications and the list to produce a final recommendation which will be forwarded to each participating jurisdiction’s legislative authority for final action.

Scoring sheets which determine the overall ranking of applications are included in this packet for your reference and information. Applications which do not receive an average minimum score of at least 50 points or who do not follow the submission instructions will not be eligible for funding.

Application Definitions

Below is a list of terms and phrases which have specific meaning within this application. It may be helpful for you to review these as you prepare responses so that you have a better understanding of the reviewers’ expectations.

Capital Purchase is any item with 3+ years life and costs over $5,000.00.

Community Support and Strategic Alignment in tourism involves coordinating tourism initiatives with broader community goals, regional development plans, and stakeholder objectives to ensure coherence and mutual benefit.

Date-specific is an event or project which occurs over less than one month.

Matching Funds is the amount of funding your organization is contributing to the project or event. This includes both direct and indirect fund support. Direct funds can be in the form of cash funding from your organization or funding secured from elsewhere but dedicated to the project or event such as other grants, loans, donations, etc. Indirect funding support includes in-kind support like labor, volunteer support, supplies, and services which directly relate to the project or event, including those provided by your organization and others.

New Projects/Events are projects/events which are in the first four years of existence. For example, a proposal for a barbeque competition which is in its third year would be defined as a new project/event. Likewise, a project by an existing museum which expands its current offerings, or a specific new strategy for appealing to a different target market that is in its first year, would be considered a new project. Ongoing general marketing and advertising campaigns or general operational support requests for organizations/event which have existed for longer than four years are not defined as a new project/event.

Ongoing Projects/Events are defined as projects/events that have been established for more than four years. Applications that qualify under this definition may be awarded up to 10% of the project’s/event’s expense budget.

Operation of Tourism Related Facility means all tourism activities and services undertaken by Applicant for the purpose of the Project or Event, including services for the operation and management of the Facility, leisure facilities and activities, food and drink facilities and services, trading, access to cultural, historic or natural sites etc.

Project Budget is a written description of the complete budget for your project or event. It must include anticipated revenues, expenses, and any potential profit or loss.

Seasonal means a project or event which operates at least 1 month and up to 6 months, and during at least 2 seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter).

Self-Sustaining is being able to provide for your own needs without the assistance of grant funds.

Supports County as a Tourism Destination means including strategies within your proposal which will assist in attracting tourists to our County during times of the year other than for your project/event alone. It may include cross-promotion agreements with other projects/events, it may include active marketing of other projects/events at your project/event, it may include referring attendees directly to other tourist opportunities in the county, etc.

Year-round means a project or event is ongoing and actively working to attract tourists for at least 6 months, and at least 3 seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter).

SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

Applications must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m., Friday, September 18, 2026
Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered. Applications may not be changed or amended by the applicant after the deadline for submission.

Schedule:

**Applicant Workshops are strongly encouraged. Attending the current year's workshop will be a scored portion of the application.

Project Management

Successful applicants shall be required, as a condition of the funding award, to enter into a contract. The agreement may include, but not be limited to, the specific amount of the award and what it may be used for, all reporting requirements associated with this funding, payment terms, and any and all other appropriate terms of the funding. Kittitas County will be the contracting agent for all approved projects. A condition of the grant award which includes funding from the City of Ellensburg may be that the MyEllensburg.com website be named on any organizational website.

All funds awarded under this program will be available in the form of reimbursable grants. The funds will be available for reimbursement beginning January 1 and ending December 31 of the calendar year immediately following award notification. Any unexpended funds will be returned to the Lodging Tax accounts from where they came and made available for re-appropriation. All requests for reimbursement shall be made to the Kittitas County Auditor’s office at the following address:

Kittitas County Auditor
Attn: Lodging Tax Grant Funds Reimbursement
205 W 5th Ave, Suite 105
Ellensburg, WA 98926
auditorsaccounting@co.kittitas.wa.us

For specific information and requirements regarding the reimbursement process, please contact the Auditor’s office at 509-962-7552.

Project Reporting Requirements

State law requires that all recipients of Lodging Tax revenues must submit a report to the municipality describing the actual number of people traveling for business or pleasure on a trip:

1. Away from their place of residence or business and staying overnight in paid accommodations;
2. To a place fifty miles or more one way from their place of residence or business for the day or staying overnight; or
3. From another country or state outside of their place of residence or their business.

A report form will be provided as part of the contract for receiving funds. We ask that you provide this information within 60 days after your event is complete once you have critiqued your event.

In addition, any reports which are produced as a result of a grant award must be submitted within 60 days of completion as part of your project reporting requirements. This will provide evidence that the work paid for by the grant has been completed.

Applicant Categories and Eligibility

Grants from lodging tax funds are provided for two types of applicants, New Projects/Events and Ongoing Event Support. An organization may apply for funding from one or both categories. If applying for funding from both categories, you must clearly identify Submit separate applications for each type. The categories are defined as follows:

The New Project/Events category is for applications from events/projects which are within the first four years of existence. Applications may be considered in this category from established events (older than four years) which are proposing a new or expanded project designed to increase tourism as part of an ongoing event.

The Ongoing Project/Event Support category is for applications from established events (ongoing for more than four years) which may request continuing support. Grant awards are limited in this category to no greater than 10% of the event’s expense budget. This category includes project/events which may be operating under a new board or organization, moving venues, changing dates, or implementing other non-substantial changes to a project/event which is ongoing for more than four years.

Prior Award Utilization and Future Funding Eligibility

Utilization of Awarded Funds

Lodging Tax funds are a limited public resource. When awarded funds are not utilized, those funds are unavailable for allocation to other applicants and projects that may have otherwise received funding. Therefore, applicants are expected to make reasonable efforts to utilize awarded funds during the contract period.

Future Eligibility Following Non-Utilization of Funds

Any applicant that utilizes less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the funds awarded during a grant cycle shall be required to disclose the reasons for non-utilization in any subsequent application.

Any applicant that utilizes less than fifty percent (50%) of the funds awarded, or does not utilize any awarded funds, may be deemed ineligible to apply during the following funding cycle unless the Consolidated Lodging Tax Advisory Committee determines that the non-utilization was due to circumstances beyond the applicant's reasonable control.

The Committee may grant an exception for circumstances including, but not limited to:

1. Event cancellation due to severe weather, wildfire, natural disaster, public safety concerns, or other force majeure events.
2. Loss of venue, required permits, or governmental approvals through no fault of the applicant.
3. Significant reductions in attendance or participation resulting from emergency conditions.
4. Cancellation by a major partner, performer, speaker, sponsor, sanctioning body, or governing organization.
5. Documented medical emergency, death, or incapacity of a key organizer.
6. Changes in state, federal, or local laws that materially impact the project or event.
7. Demonstrated inability to proceed due to circumstances determined by the Committee to be outside the applicant's reasonable control.
8. Other reasons approved by majority vote of the Consolidated Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.

Requests for exceptions must be submitted in writing and approved by the Committee before a subsequent application may be considered.

Prior Utilization as a Funding Consideration

In evaluating funding requests, the Committee may consider an applicant's historical utilization of awarded funds.

Except upon a specific finding by the Committee that circumstances justify a different award amount, the maximum recommended award for a returning applicant shall not exceed the highest amount of Lodging Tax funds actually expended and reimbursed by that applicant during the immediately preceding award cycle.

Example: If an applicant is awarded $20,000 but submits reimbursement requests totaling only $15,000, the maximum funding recommendation for the following cycle shall generally not exceed $15,000 unless the Committee approves an exception based on documented expansion of the project, increased tourism impact, or other compelling justification.

Committee Discretion

Nothing in this section shall obligate the Committee to award any specific amount of funding. The Committee retains full discretion to increase (not to exceed amount requested), decrease, or deny funding recommendations based on available funds, application quality, tourism impact, historical performance, and other factors deemed relevant by the Committee.

OTHER INFORMATION

Insurance: As part of its contract for performance, a municipality may require contractors to maintain liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 or more and name the municipality as an additional insured on its liability insurance policy.

Application Form: Beginning 2017, the application must be completed and submitted as an online form, available on the Kittitas County website. You must register and/or sign in to the site in order to complete the online form.

Grant Preferences: In the review of applications, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee or designees will grant preference to those proposals which (1) increase tourism, and (2) demonstrate ability toward eventual self-sustainability. (3) Applications received from not-for-profit organizations will be given preference over those from for-profit entities.

Guidelines and Requirements for Advertising Expenditures of Lodging Tax

Branding

Contractors who have been approved to utilize grant awards for advertising expenditures must incorporate Kittitas County and the appropriate City of Cle Elum, Ellensburg, or Roslyn tourism information as follows:

1. Websites and Social Media Sites must include the County’s and appropriate City’s tourism website logo or URL with an operational link to the site(s). The logo must be displayed on the contractor’s home page, it must be sized no smaller than 1/2 inch in height, and must be surrounded by appropriate white space to allow easy recognition and legibility. Contractors shall not change the logo(s) in color or appearance.
2. Print Advertising and Online Display Advertising of all types ( including but not limited to newspaper, periodicals, flyers, posters, billboards, direct mail, e-newsletters, third-party websites, streaming displays, social media, etc.) must include the County’s and appropriate City’s tourism website logo (or URL with a one-click away operational hyper link). The logo must be sized no smaller than 1/2 inch in height, and must be surrounded by appropriate white space to allow easy recognition and legibility. Contractors shall not change the logo(s) in color or appearance.
3. Video Advertising of all types (including but not limited to television, online, electronic kiosks, motion billboards, etc.) must include the County’s and appropriate City’s tourism website logo. The logo must be size no smaller than 1/2 inch in height, and must be surrounded by appropriate white space to allow easy recognition and legibility. Contractors shall not change the logo(s) in color or appearance.

All logos and website information may be obtained by contacting the Director of Tourism, Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce

Advertising Reimbursements

Please reference: 140__Reimbursement Exhibit B Guidelines and Requirements

APPLICATION

Attention:
Some users have experienced an error when taking a long time to complete this form online. We highly encourage you to compose your narrative answers in separate document so that you can open the form page, then copy and paste your responses into the form. For your convenience you can download a Word document (.docx) version of the application questions: Grant application question worksheet