Florence, South Carolina – Florence organizations with ideas capable of bringing visitors into the city now have an opportunity to secure financial support. The key question will not simply be whether an event benefits the community, but whether it can persuade people from outside the area to make Florence their destination.
The City of Florence is accepting applications for its fiscal year 2026-2027 Accommodations Tax funding program. Eligible nonprofit agencies may apply for money to promote tourism and support activities that attract and serve visitors coming to the Florence area.
Organizations have two ways to submit their materials, but the deadlines are different. Online applications and all required supporting documents must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026. Printed applications and supporting documents must arrive earlier that day, no later than 5 p.m.
Applicants should make certain their submissions are complete. Each organization will also be required to appear before the Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee for an interview and presentation. The committee will contact applicants with the date and time they are expected to attend.
Those presentations will give organizations an opportunity to explain their proposals, describe how the requested money would be used and show how their plans would help draw tourists to Florence. Simply organizing a worthwhile local activity may not be enough to qualify for funding.
One of the committee’s main responsibilities is separating events created primarily for Florence-area residents from those designed to attract non-residents. That distinction can play a major role in the funding process.
The committee will examine the purpose of each proposed event or activity, along with the steps organizers plan to take to reach people beyond the local community. Promotional work is expected to be an important part of that review.
Advertising campaigns, outreach efforts and other forms of promotion can help demonstrate that an organization is making a serious attempt to bring outside visitors into Florence. The committee views those efforts as a key sign that an activity is intended to support tourism rather than serve mainly as a local gathering.
That focus reflects the purpose of accommodations tax funding. Promotional activities aimed at attracting non-residents are identified as an approved use of the money, and counties and municipalities are encouraged to consider those efforts when awarding funds.
For applicants, the strongest proposals will likely be those that clearly connect the requested funding to tourism. Organizations should be prepared to explain who they hope to attract, how they will reach those visitors and what their event or program will offer once people arrive in Florence.
The city has made both an online application and a printable paper form available. Agencies choosing the printed option should account for the earlier 5 p.m. deadline, while online applicants will have until 11:59 p.m. on August 7.
With the new fiscal year approaching, the application period gives Florence nonprofits a chance to turn tourism-focused ideas into funded projects. The final decisions will depend heavily on whether applicants can show that their plans have the reach, promotion and purpose needed to bring more visitors into the city.
