JEM Grant Frequently Asked Questions
To apply for a JEM grant, go to grants.travelwisconsin.com.
If you’ve never used the electronic grant system, please contact the Grants Coordinator to set up your organizational account. See the Electronic Grant Program User Manual for additional instructions.
Who reviews the applications?
The application goes through an internal review at the Department of Tourism first. Following the internal review, the applications are then reviewed by the Joint Effort Marketing Grant Committee, a panel of tourism partners throughout the state selected by the Council on Tourism who bring a balance to the process in terms of geography, expertise and tourism sectors. The final approval is made by the Secretary's office.
What is the review panel looking for in a good application?
Make a big first impression with the project description and goals. Your concept should be creative, well thought out and different from your competitors. Provide a compelling reason to fund your request based on sound marketing principles that tie back to visitor counts and visitor spending. To accomplish this, you'll need a solid visitor tracking plan. It may help to think of your application this way: The Department of Tourism is upholding the taxpayers' trust in dispersing grant money, and we must demonstrate that it's indeed good "investment marketing."
Read about tracking your project expenditures.
When is my application due?
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the first day of the review month. An email confirmation will be sent to the applicant when submitted through the electronic grant system.
New Events, Existing Events, Sales Promotions and One Time/One-of-a-Kind Events applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on February 1, April 1, August 1 and November 1 each year.
Destination Marketing applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on April 1 and September 1 each year.
How soon after I apply will I know if I’ve been awarded a grant?
A final determination will be made 30-45 days following the deadline. The Grants Coordinator will contact you regarding the result of your application.
How often can I be reimbursed and how long does it take to get the reimbursement check?
No more than two or three reimbursements should be requested. You should receive the reimbursement check about a month after requesting reimbursement and project invoices with proof of payment. Also remember to include proof of your organization’s matching funds for each reimbursement. For example, if you are requesting a $7,500 reimbursement for a first-year grant, you must also include proof of $2,500 in matching dollars from your organization.
With your final reimbursement request, be sure to send in your evaluation, along with all remaining project invoices and materials. The final 10 percent of your reimbursement will not be released until the evaluation has been submitted and reviewed by the Grants Coordinator.
Why do I have to submit a report after the event or promotion is finished?
Grant recipients report back after the event or the promotion so the Department can learn what marketing tactics worked best, which media outlets delivered the most visitors and to track traveler spending results. The Department must report the increased visitor expenditures that result from our grant programs on a yearly basis.
What do I need to put in my grant project evaluation?
1. Provide a final media synopsis that includes metrics showing the success of the marketing strategy.
2. Identify and explain the actual results achieved for each of the project goals.
3. Provide the actual dollar figure of the increased visitor expenditures generated by the project and explain how you calculated this dollar amount.
4. Identify the ways your organization will modify these goals in the future.
5. Provide an actual income/revenue or profit-loss statement for the project.
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