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Destination Door County Awards $250,000 in Latest Round of Community Investment Fund Grants

May 12, 2025 – Door County, WI. Destination Door County (DDC) is excited to announce the latest round of grant awards through the destination organization’s Community Investment Fund grant program.

A total of $250,000 has been awarded to three local projects as part of the latest round of grant awards, announced today. Recipients include one local municipality and two local non-profit organizations, with project investments ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.

All awarded projects must meet specific requirements to qualify for funding. The dollars DDC uses for this program are generated from room taxes that overnight visitors to the county pay and that DDC receives as part of their agreement with the Door County Tourism Zone Commission. Wisconsin state statute dictates the use of those dollars.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the positive difference this program is having on our community,” said Julie Gilbert, President & CEO of Destination Door County. “What started as a hopeful idea in 2022 has now grown into something truly powerful—over $2.4 million invested directly into the heart of our communities. It’s proof that when we work together and reinvest tourism dollars with purpose, we can create lasting change,” she said.

Gilbert also noted this latest round of grant awards included a project in the Town of Washington for the first time, showing that projects from all over the county have been supported through the Community Investment Fund.

The projects that were awarded funding in the program’s ninth grant cycle include:

  • Town of Washington is awarded $100,000 to acquire a significant waterfront property that will increase availability and accessibility of public docking, public water access, and safety at the town boat launch.
  • Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park is awarded $100,000 to repair and improve the much-used stairway and observation platform on Old Baldy, the tallest sand dune in Wisconsin and on Lake Michigan’s Western shore.
  • Friends of Peninsula State Park is awarded $50,000 towards the creation of 11.3 miles of mountain bike trails that will add to the recently completed 7.5 miles that have quickly become well-used and loved, challenging mountain bikers of all skill levels.

These three most recent projects join 44 local projects that previously received grant funding, bringing the total impact from DDC’s Community Investment Fund to $2,410,082 since the program began in May 2023.

The next grant application deadline is Monday June 23, 2025, at 4 PM. Qualified applicants include 501(c)(3) public charities, 501(c)(6) organizations, and local units of government.

Destination Door County encourages any interested local non-profit organization or local municipality to schedule a meeting with the Door County Community Foundation, DDC’s Community Investment Fund administrative partner, to discuss their idea before submitting an application. Call the Community Foundation at (920) 746-1786 or email grants@givedoorcounty.org to schedule an appointment. For details about the program and to view funding requirements along with the online application, visit CommunityInvestmentFund.org.

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Destination Door County is the official tourism marketing and management organization for Door County whose mission is to inspire travel that drives community enhancement while working to ensure all travelers feel welcome, preserving the county’s way of life and protecting the region’s natural resources.

Media contact:
Julie Gilbert
President/CEO, Destination Door County

920-818-1131 or julie@doorcounty.com