
To grow the economic impact of tourism by inspiring and encouraging travel to the community through innovative marketing & economic development strategies, benefiting our visitors, community, and business partners.
A $5.8 million grant to the City of Wisconsin Dells for development of the Elm Street Plaza shows how Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau Inc uses philanthropy as a tool for destination development. The bureau’s giving links tourism promotion, economic development, and visitor amenities, with awards aimed at projects that bring people to the Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton area. In 2024, the foundation also backed a $3.2 million development grant for Land of Natura LLC’s attraction project, reflecting a pattern of support for capital projects tied to the visitor economy. Smaller awards in the same year reached local festivals and sports event organizers, indicating that the funder works across both place-based development and event attraction. Its grants are typically project-specific and often tied to marketing, transportation, venue readiness, or similar event costs. The bureau’s stated purpose is to grow the economic impact of tourism by encouraging travel to the community through marketing and economic development strategies, benefiting visitors, community members, and business partners.
A major part of the bureau’s work is tourism and attraction development. In 2024, it gave $66,364 to Lajali LLC (Yeti Yard) for development of Adventur Park, a project aligned with recreational park and attraction development. It also made a large capital award to the City of Wisconsin Dells for Elm Street Plaza, linking public open space development with the visitor economy. Event-based support is another clear thread. The bureau awarded $30,000 to Netlynx Inc for a sports grant to bring events to the Wisconsin Dells area, and $5,500 to Varsity Spirit LLC for the same purpose. It also supported local programming through a $121,780 general-support grant to Wisconsin Dells Festivals Inc. Across these examples, the funding connects visitor traffic, event hosting, and local economic activity.
Typical grant size ranges from a first quartile of $39,091 to a median of $94,072, with the third quartile at $2,430,445. That spread points to a mix of smaller event grants and much larger development awards. The 2024 roster shows both local recipients and outside event organizers, suggesting the bureau funds recurring destination-building needs as well as one-off event opportunities. The foundation is not a donor-advised fund and does not fund individuals. Several active programs are open to unsolicited requests, including sports and meeting/convention grants; one meeting/convention grant listing specifies applications must be submitted at least 90 days in advance.
$9.2M
$33.4M
$18.5M
$21.2M
Most grants fall between $39K and $2.4M, with a median of $94K.
25th Percentile
$39K
Median
$94K
75th Percentile
$2.4M
About 67% of grants go to recipients in WI.
JOHN CHASTAN
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Giving is regional and heavily centered in Wisconsin. Sixty-seven percent of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin, and the recent grants list is entirely U.S.-based. Wisconsin Dells appears repeatedly, including City of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Dells Festivals Inc, and Lajali LLC (Yeti Yard). The bureau also funded recipients outside the immediate area, including Loves Park, Illinois, and Memphis, Tennessee, for sports events that would bring participants to Wisconsin Dells.
It funds tourism, marketing, economic development, meetings and conventions, sports events, and visitor services. Recent awards also show support for attraction development, public plaza development, and festival or event support when those projects are tied to bringing visitors to Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton.
The grant-size distribution is wide: the 25th percentile is $39,091, the median is $94,072, and the 75th percentile is $2,430,445. That pattern indicates the bureau makes both modest event grants and much larger development grants.
Yes, several active programs are marked as accepting unsolicited requests, including sports grants and meeting/convention grants. One meeting/convention listing also says applications must be submitted at least 90 days in advance.
Wisconsin is the top state by grant count, and 67% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent awards include multiple Wisconsin Dells recipients, alongside a smaller number of out-of-state event organizers.
Recent grantees include a city government, a local attraction developer, a festival organization, and sports-event organizers. The listed awards show support for place-based development as well as event recruitment that brings participants to the Wisconsin Dells area.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITY OF WISCONSIN DELLS | WISCONSIN DELLS, WI | $5,803,366 | 2024 | DEVELOPMENT OF THE ELM STREET PLAZA |
| LAND OF NATURA LLC | WISCONSIN DELLS, WI | $3,200,000 | 2024 | DEVELOPMENT GRANT FOR THE LAND OF NATURA ATTRACTION |
| WISCONSIN DELLS FESTIVALS INC | WISCONSIN DELLS, WI | $121,780 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAJALI LLC (YETI YARD) | WISCONSIN DELLS, WI | $66,364 | 2024 | DEVELOPMENT OF ADVENTUR PARK |
| NETLYNX INC | LOVES PARK, IL | $30,000 | 2024 | SPORTS GRANT FOR THEM TO BRING THEIR EVENTS TO THE WISCONSIN DELLS AREA |
| VARSITY SPIRIT LLC | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,500 | 2024 | SPORTS GRANT FOR THEM TO BRING THEIR EVENTS TO THE WISCONSIN DELLS AREA |
CITY OF WISCONSIN DELLS
$5,803,366DEVELOPMENT OF THE ELM STREET PLAZA
LAND OF NATURA LLC
$3,200,000DEVELOPMENT GRANT FOR THE LAND OF NATURA ATTRACTION
WISCONSIN DELLS FESTIVALS INC
$121,780GENERAL SUPPORT
LAJALI LLC (YETI YARD)
$66,364DEVELOPMENT OF ADVENTUR PARK
NETLYNX INC
$30,000SPORTS GRANT FOR THEM TO BRING THEIR EVENTS TO THE WISCONSIN DELLS AREA
VARSITY SPIRIT LLC
$5,500SPORTS GRANT FOR THEM TO BRING THEIR EVENTS TO THE WISCONSIN DELLS AREA