The Colorado Rural Academy for Tourism (CRAFT) Mentor program provided 50 hours of free consulting and technical assistance for tourism-related entities and communities to advance a specific tourism-related goal or strategy.
The program provided up to 50 hours of in-person or virtual consulting with a mentor. Mentors are tourism experts with practical experience in:
- tourism marketing
- cultural tourism
- culinary and agritourism
- outdoor recreation
- cycling tourism
- sustainable tourism
Within 90 days after completion of a CRAFT Mentor program, participants could apply for a $1,000 CRAFT Mentor Implementation Funding grant to advance one or more tourism strategies identified during the program.
The Colorado Rural Academy For Tourism (CRAFT) is no longer active. Follow this link to learn more about active Colorado Tourism Office Destination Development programs.
Overview
Type: Consulting/technical assistance
For: Tourism-related organizations and businesses
Amount: Up to $1,000 per application
Application deadline: Program is no longer active
OEDIT division: Colorado Tourism Office
Eligible tourism-related entities included:
- industry associations
- tour operators
- farms and ranches
- museums
- hotels
- restaurants
- attractions
- destination marketing organizations
- chambers of commerce
Applicants represented existing businesses or organizations involved in:
- cultural tourism
- culinary and agritourism
- outdoor recreation
- tourism marketing
Applicants were limited to one CRAFT Mentor per state fiscal year (July to June).
Apply online through the OEDIT application portal. Log in or create a new account. New users are manually added to the portal for security reasons, so it may take several days to activate your account.
A representative from the Colorado Tourism Office responded to CRAFT Mentor program applications within two weeks of submission.
Application materials
Application questions
The questions below are only a reference and do not include all of the information needed in the application.
- Describe the cultural tourism, culinary and agritourism, outdoor recreation, or tourism marketing business or destination you are requesting a CRAFT mentor for.
- How many visitors do you receive annually?
- What is your annual net profit?
- What is your net profit goal?
- What type of assistance are you seeking from a CRAFT mentor?
- What specific goal do you want to accomplish with your CRAFT mentor?
- What is your ideal timeframe for accomplishing this goal?
Supporting documents
You will need to provide:
- certificate of Good Standing from the Colorado Secretary of State
- business plan
- profit and loss statement
This was a competitive program, and not all applicants were awarded a CRAFT Mentor program. The Colorado Tourism Office reviewed applications and recommended awards based on application scores and available funds. The Colorado Tourism Office reviewed applications based on these criteria:
Merit (50%)
You will need to show:
- alignment with CRAFT Mentor program goals
- committed and strong project lead on behalf of the requesting organization
- overall strength of the application request with clear logic and adequate detail
Impact (30%)
You will need to show the effect a CRAFT Mentor program will have in furthering tourism outcomes for the requesting organization and its partners.
Organizational Sustainability (10%)
You will need to demonstrate the quality of existing business plans and financial documents related to requesting organization.
Reporting (10%)
You will need to show a willingness and ability to:
- complete the evaluation requirements for the CRAFT Mentor program
- work with the Colorado Tourism Office to develop a case study to share with legislators and industry partners
The Colorado Tourism Office matched awarded applications with a CRAFT Mentor and supported the development of a shared scope of work and timeline for the desired project.
The Colorado Rural Academy for Tourism (CRAFT) Mentor Implementation grants provided CRAFT Mentor program participants up to $1,000 to implement a tourism project. CRAFT Mentor participants needed to apply for this grant within 90 days of completing the CRAFT Mentor program. The Implementation Funding project needed to be completed within six months of receiving grant funds.
Past grantees used these funds to:
- design and print brochures
- write marketing plans
- create and place digital advertising
- create and place social media
- create content for a website refresh
- create interpretative museum signage
Ineligible uses of these funds included:
- staffing/salary costs
- basic overhead needs
- capital improvements, new construction, renovation, or restoration
- professional training or scholarship
- reimbursement of fees or expenses paid prior to application award
- office supplies or items for resale
Apply online through the OEDIT application portal. Log in or create a new account. New users are manually added to the portal for security reasons, so it may take several days to activate your account.
Selection process
A panel of Colorado Tourism Office staff and a program facilitator reviewed applications and recommended awards based on available funds.
Conditions of funding
As a condition of receipt of a CRAFT Mentor Implementation Funding grant, awardees needed to complete a baseline questionnaire and a mid-program evaluation. Within 30 days after the completion of the CRAFT Mentor Implementation Funding grant project, they also needed to submit a final report. Twelve to 18 months after completion of the CRAFT Mentor program, Colorado Tourism Office staff met with awardees to gauge the long-term results of the investment.
