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PCCVB commits nearly $30,000 to aid non-profits in promoting Putnam tourism

Friday, February 15, 2019

The Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCCVB) intends to contribute $28,500 to support Putnam County non-profit organizations with missions or programs that encourage tourism.

"All non-profits need reliable financial support," PCCVB Board Member Kit Newkirk said. "This program focuses on amplifying work being pursued by community volunteers and staffs, increasing their ability to tell their own stories and allowing more opportunity for them to attract visitors to the county. The support is designed to help fund promotion and marketing, with the intent being for guests to extend their stay and enjoy more things here through the outreach of the organizations themselves."

Greencastle Summer Music Festival Director Chris Flegal (left), and board members (from left) David Greenburg, Stu Fabe and Eric Edberg receive $3,000 from Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau board members Kit Newkirk, Gail Smith, Marilyn Culler, Todd Lewis and Laura Hatton in support of the 2019 GSMF series.

"We become so used to amenities here that we can overlook them," CVB Grants Committee member David Kirsch said. "We've all told people there's not much to do here, especially in the winter, and to highlight how untrue that is the CVB produced a 38-page Visitors Guide, filled with things designed for residents and guests to enjoy. The upside to tourism development is that, as we increase and improve amenities for guests, those amenities are for residents to enjoy as well."

The PCCVB Board reviewed a list of non-profits in Putnam County, honing it to 16 whose missions or programs relate to tourism.

"A one-page application was all we requested," Newkirk said. "The CVB intends to become more of a collaborator in these organizations' success at tourism-related promotion, so the program is intentionally simple."

Nine organizations have responded to the offer, which does not require a financial match and has no deadline.

The Bainbridge Improvement Society, DePauw School of Music, Greencastle Arts Council, Greencastle Civic League, Greencastle Summer Music Festival, Main Street Greencastle, Putnam County Comprehensive Services' Greenlight Studio, Putnam County Fair & 4-H Club Association, Putnam County Museum, and the Putnam County Playhouse have received a total of $19,500 in support so far.

This initiative adds to the CVB's two matching-grant programs. One is for up to $2,500, designed to help non-profit organizations promote programs and events to out-of-county residents, and another, for up to $20,000, helps non-profits create or expand assets that impact visitation from outside Putnam County. Two recent examples are support for the Robe-Ann Park bandshell and an expansion of People Pathways, both designed to be as beneficial to those visiting as they are to local quality of life.

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  • Yes keep the money in Greencastle!!!!That's always a great Idea after all everyone else in Putnam County don't count or Matter.

    What do we have to offer? nothing cause they keep the money for themselves. for bandshell and pathways and Nature Parks ETC ETC

    -- Posted by Franklinheart on Fri, Feb 15, 2019, at 1:31 PM
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    Clerl has a point. Let's take a look at the list of non-profits designed to promote tourism in Putnam County... hhmmmm, yep, except for two (Bainbridge Improvement Society & Putnam County 4H) it seems that most of the money is staying right there in Greencastle.

    Why not call it the Greencastle Tourism Grant and just be honest?

    And why is DePauw getting ANY money at all?

    In my opinion, Greencastle is NOT a tourist destination. People visit for a specific reason, and having found themselves here, partake of what is offered. (And there is quite a bit offered.) But unless they are coming for DePauw-affiliated stuff or school-related purposes, the vast majority of visitors to Greencastle are from a limited geographic area: certain points west of Plainfield, certain points east of Brazil, or certain points south of Crawfordsville. If someone can drive to any of these larger towns or Danville/Avon just as easy as Greencastle, they are not going to Greencastle. Its not a knock on Greencastle, or even Putnam County. Its just the reality of the situation.

    Now, if you could convince someone to open up a whiskey distillery in Russelville maybe, or start a art/music festival in another small town - that would be something. Once upon a time, the Mansfield covered bridge festival was little more than a large outdoor flea market once a year.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Fri, Feb 15, 2019, at 2:22 PM
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