GRANT APPLICANT RESOURCES
The Hotel Tax Grant Application will be available again in Fall 2026 for the FY 27/28 cycle
Hotel Tax Grants have been awarded for Fiscal Year 26/27.
Requirements
Eligible organizations for general funding include:
Norman-based 501C3 organization with a mission in the arts or humanities
Norman-based 501C3 organizations with a mission other than arts or humanities but with year-round arts programming
University of Oklahoma arts or humanities departments producing year-round Norman-based community arts or humanities programming
Organizations must be located in Norman
Projects and programming must take place in Norman
All projects and programming must be publicly accessible
Applications will only be accepted via the online application portal
While any University of Oklahoma units that meet the qualifications may apply, the NAC will only award a maximum of six (6) OU grants in a cycle.
All grants are general funding!
Organizations will be considered for a grant of up to 50% of their annual operating budget or a maximum of $30,000. No grants will exceed $30,000. Norman Arts Council will not make awards of less than $10,000. If your organization's annual operating budget is less than $20,000, please get in touch with cher@normanarts.org about other opportunities.
All applicants will be invited to a meet and greet with the grants review panelists after they’ve submitted their grant application.
Before you apply
When you are ready to apply in the Fall of 2026, you will want to review all of the following resources carefully:
Complete guidelines | Available 2026
Requirements | Available Fall 2026
Scoring matrix | Available Fall 2026
Timeline | View Here
We also strongly encourage you to go through:
The FAQs
The grant writing tips
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Hotel Room Tax Grants?
In 1980, a proposition was voted on by the people of Norman, which levied and assessed an excise tax of 4% of the stays in Norman hotel rooms. 25% of the proceeds collected would go to the arts via a grant program managed by the Norman Arts Council. In 2013, the tax was raised to 5%, it was raised again after the University of Oklahoma joined the SEC, to 8%, and in 2026 the community voted to raise this to 10%. The NAC receives 25% of this tax, sharing this with the City of Norman Parks and Recreation Department who receives 25%, and VisitNorman who receives the remaining 50%. This includes AirBNB’s.
Who allocates the grant funds?
Each year, the Norman Arts and Humanities Roundtable (an advisory committee to the NAC) nominates grants review panelists. There are nine panelists, and they represent the Norman community from the sectors of Arts, Education, Business, and Hospitality. These panelists review the grant applications and make award recommendations to the NAC Board of Directors.
Who can apply for a grant through the Norman Arts Council?
Any Norman arts and culture 501(C)3 nonprofit organization will qualify to apply for programming occurring in the city of Norman, only.
When could my organization apply for a grant?
The next application will open on December 18, 2026 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027 and ending June 30, 2028. This award is a two-year grant.
How are applications evaluated?
All grants are evaluated on a scoring matrix that correlates with the questions asked in the application. All panelists score all grants based on the matrix. Grants review panelists are each assigned as a lead reviewer on x-number of applications (final number to be determined based on the number of applications). Panelists will present their overview of the applications that have been assigned to them, and then, through further discussion, the panelists will agree on an allocation.
How much money is available to grant?
The Norman Arts Council receives 25% of the Hotel Tax from Norman. This year, we are awarding 25 Norman arts nonprofit organizations over $639,000 thanks to the community voting to increase this hotel tax to 10%. THANK YOU NORMAN!
How much money can my organization request?
In the past, organizations could request up to 50% of their annual operating budget with a maximum request of $30,000. The NAC Grants Committee will be revisiting the Guidelines for the next application cycle, FY28, and this will be determined in the late Fall of 2026.
What may grant funds be used for?
Organizations may use grant funds for general funding, including administrative costs (salaries and overhead), program costs, and/or capital improvements.
What does “accessible to the public” mean?
Projects and programming should be accessible to the public through process, presentation, or publication. Grant applicants can and should define the community with which they wish to connect and then build relationships with this audience. This community could therefore be large and abstract or small and defined.
How many applications can an organization submit?
Each organization can submit one application.
When will I get my funds if awarded?
Organizations will receive 25% of their award at the signing of the grant contract in July, the beginning of the awarded fiscal year, another 25% of the award after submitting a mid-year report in December, and the final 50% of the award after submitting a final report by August 15th, at the conclusion of that fiscal year.
What if there are significant changes to our organization after the grant is awarded?
Changes happen! Email the NAC and let us know what has changed. We will navigate together as to whether these changes constitute a significant departure from the intended use of the grant funds.
What if my budget gets reduced, and now the grant is more than 50% of the budget?
Your final payment will be reduced to the maximum allowed. Remaining funds will go into the NAC’s small grant pool.
Grant Writing Tips
READ IT ALL
All too often, applicants rush through the process of grant-writing and miss important details. Pay close attention to eligibility requirements, the items you will need to upload, the application question instructions, the questions themselves, and our scoring matrix to guide you. Go through all of the information on our Grant Application page. Draft, read, check the matrix, read, write again. Build your case for funding!!
PROOFREAD
Grammatical errors will reflect poorly on your application. Well-crafted applications speak volumes to your organization’s excellence. Read your application out loud to yourself, listen to your words, then have someone else read it.
COMMUNICATE CLEARLY
Explain your organization’s mission clearly and concisely. Demonstrate how your projects and programming are in line with and support your organization’s mission. The language you use should be universal and easy for people of various backgrounds to understand. Remember – the panel is made up of people from arts and non-arts backgrounds!
GRANTS ARE COMPETITIVE
There is never enough money to fully fund every application. Make your case for why your organization deserves full funding! That said, if you don’t get full funding, don’t be discouraged. AND we will give you feedback as to why you received the award you did.
STAY ORGANIZED
Deadlines, lists of items needed to submit, label your attachments clearly, keep a copy of your application in draft form on your computer – just in case you need to re-submit for some reason!
ASK QUESTIONS
Set up a meeting with Norman Arts Council staff before the deadline if you need further assistance! We are happy to help!
SUBMIT EARLY
Look, we WANT to give your organization funding. If you submit early, we will double-check that your application has everything filled out correctly and all the proper attachments. We can’t do that if you submit by the deadline.
CHECK YOUR REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
Especially that Secretary of State Certificate. This certificate MUST be renewed annually and will have an expiration date on it. If the certificate you upload doesn’t have an expiration date, it is not the right one! Also, double-check your grant budget forms. If you have questions – ASK!