August 14, 2026 – Door County, WI. Destination Door County (DDC) has awarded $190,260 in its latest round of Community Investment Fund grants, supporting three local projects focused on accessibility and historic preservation. With this funding cycle, the program has now supported 74 projects across Door County.
Three local nonprofit organizations were the recipients of funding, with individual project awards ranging from $29,060 to $87,000.
All awarded projects had to meet specific requirements in order qualify for funding as the dollars DDC is using for this program come from room tax collections 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.
“Tourism plays an important role in Door County, and this fund gives us a meaningful way to reinvest a portion of room tax dollars into projects that benefit our community,” said Jon Jarosh, President/CEO of DDC. “We’re excited to see these three projects move forward and the positive impact they will have for both our residents and visitors.”
The projects that were awarded funding in the program’s fourteenth grant cycle include:
- Destination Sturgeon Bay received support to create ADA-accessible public restrooms that improve downtown Sturgeon Bay for visitors and residents as they attend festivals, shop, dine, and enjoy historic 3rd Avenue. Investment amount: $87,000.
- Patriot Racing received support to preserve and restore the historic tall ship Utopia to expand maritime experiences, education, and veteran programming that is unique to Door County and its surrounding waters. Investment amount: $74,200.
- Open Door Bird Sanctuary received support to build a year-round, ADA-accessible songbird aviary that expands environmental education and wildlife experiences while providing a permanent home for non-releasable songbirds. Investment amount: $29,060. This project also received an additional $9,000 from other funds at the Door County Community Foundation, bringing the total investment for the project to $38,060.
These three projects join 71 local projects that previously received grant funding, bringing the total impact from DDC’s Community Investment Fund to $3,964,883 since the program began in May 2023. A list of every grant that has been awarded is available at DoorCounty.com/cif.
The next grant application deadline is Monday, September 28, 2026 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 [email protected] 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:
Jon Jarosh
President/CEO, Destination Door County
920.818.1133 or [email protected]
