The City of Bellingham is now accepting applications for its annual tourism grants, with awards ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. The program is funded by lodging tax revenue collected from overnight stays at Bellingham hotels, motels, and short-term rentals. Organizations with ideas that can draw visitors to Bellingham are encouraged to apply by Friday, September 4, 2026.
Lodging tax grants are a tool many Washington cities use to reinvest tourism revenue back into tourism-generating activities. The intent is to fund programs and events that create overnight stays, which in turn produce more lodging tax revenue for the city. Projects do not need to be large-scale to qualify -- the grant range from $5,000 to $100,000 reflects a broad spectrum of eligible activities, from community events to tourism marketing campaigns to visitor-facing amenities.
Past recipients of Bellingham's lodging tax tourism grants include well-known local events and organizations. Fire and Story, Ski to Sea, SeaFeast, the CASCADIA Women's International Film Festival, the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, and the Max Higbee Center's April Brews Day have all received awards in previous years. This range of past recipients illustrates the breadth of activities the program supports -- from established cultural institutions to community events with regional draw.
The application is available through the City of Bellingham's website. To apply, visit the tourism funding section and complete the tourism grant application form. The city encourages organizations that have received grants in the past and new applicants alike to review the criteria and submit before the September 4 deadline. The city also asks current applicants to share the opportunity with others who may be eligible.
Bellingham sits at the intersection of the Pacific Northwest outdoor recreation economy and a growing cultural tourism sector. Events like Ski to Sea, which attracts teams from across the region for a multi-sport race from Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay, and SeaFeast, a waterfront seafood festival, draw significant overnight visitors. The symphony and film festival attract arts tourists who represent high-value lodging tax contributors. The grants program has helped sustain and grow these events over time.
For organizations that serve Whatcom County beyond Bellingham city limits, the county also administers a separate lodging tax grant program through the Whatcom County government. Both programs have application cycles, so organizations interested in both should track deadlines separately. The Bellingham program's September 4 deadline applies only to city-administered awards funded by lodging tax collected within Bellingham city limits.
To access the Bellingham tourism grant application or to learn more about eligibility criteria, visit cob.org and search for "tourism grant application." For questions, contact the City of Bellingham's tourism and economic development staff directly through the city's website. Organizations are encouraged to submit early, as the September 4 deadline does not allow for last-minute extensions.