The Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department is among the Ocracoke Island nonprofits that benefit from Occupancy Tax grants. Photo: C. Leinbach

The Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board is gearing up to award grants to Ocracoke nonprofits.

The appropriations meeting for the 2021-2022 year will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, in the Ocracoke Community Center. 

Request packets should be dropped off no later than Sunday, Feb. 28, at Ride the Wind Surf Shop, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. 

Packets also can be mailed to Bob Chestnut, PO Box 700, Ocracoke, NC. 27960.

Please prepare five copies of your request: one for each board member. 

Board members are Bob Chestnut, Byron Miller, Ann Warner, Lena O’Neal and Trudy Austin.

Requests that include current, detailed (reader friendly) and consistent information will help the board recommend funding on an equitable basis.

Please note that action on funding requests may be delayed or not acted upon if the following information is not submitted by the Feb. 28 deadline.

All funding requests should be submitted by a qualified non-profit organization or public entity. 

The board feels that “project-oriented funding” should take priority over funding for “operational expenses” of organizations.  Please keep this in mind when submitting your request.

All requests should include the following:

  • Single page summary of the project identifying the use of funds and amount requested.
  • Completed checklist of requested information.
  • Detailed estimate as to the “use of funds” with a description/itemization of how the funds will be used (specific project) and estimated “line-item costs.” ALL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL COSTS SHOULD BE LISTED AS A SEPARATE LINE ITEM.
  • Timeline as to when funds will be needed (from July 1 to June 30; this is the Occupancy Tax budget year).
  • Current (no older than 90 days) balance sheet of the organization that reflects the cash and investment position of the organization to include all assets and liabilities.
  • Prior year’s Profit and Loss Statement or Cash Flow Statement (funds in and cash out) that reflects the use of any Occupancy Tax funds (description of use and amount).
  • Budget (Profit and Loss or Cash Flow Statement) for the year the Occupancy Tax funds are requested to include an explanation (identify by line item) as to the amount of the Occupancy Tax funds requested.  The grant request amount should be identified so as to be considered along with other budgeted items of the organization.
  • Such other information that the requesting organization feels would benefit the Occupancy Tax Board relative to the request (matching funds issues etc.).

It is not the intent of the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board to make the process of applying for funding burdensome, but the board needs detailed and consistent information from the requesting organizations in order to responsibly fulfill its task of making recommendations for funding to the County Commissioners.  If you have questions concerning your submission, free to contact Bob Chestnut.

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