CVB approves $1 million in tourism grants

December 10, 2025

The board of directors of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has approved 10 grant awards from a $1 million fund for Moore County projects as part of the organization’s One-Time Project Fund (OTPF). This is the second time the CVB has offered tourism-related grants for projects submitted primarily by municipalities and registered non-profit organizations.

Organizations benefitting from the second grant awards include the Town of Aberdeen, Moore County Schools, Moore County Airport, Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, Sunrise Theater, Arts Council of Moore County, First Tee of the Sandhills, Sandhills Community College, Town of Robbins and the Village of Pinehurst.

“This was a challenging process for the committee as the sum for requests was twice as much as we had available to provide from the grant pool of one million dollars” said Phil Werz, President and CEO of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB. “Overall, the committee created a tiered process and evaluated submissions and projects where the CVB could provide the most community impact while improving the visitor experience and quality of life for people in Moore County.”

The OTPF 2.0 Committee carefully reviewed 13 eligible applications representing more than $15 million in total project investment and over $2 million in funding requests. The goal was to recommend awards that would most effectively enhance tourism and community vitality across Moore County. While each project had clear value and the potential to elevate visitor and resident experiences alike, the committee felt no single submission demonstrated a disproportionately higher or more direct tourism impact than the others.

To encourage broad participation and equitable support, the committee determined that no organization would receive funding for more than one submission. This principle impacted both the Village of Pinehurst and Sunrise Theater, where the most impactful project was advanced for funding consideration. Of the 13 projects reviewed, 10 were recommended for funding. The five-person committee was composed of three current CVB board members and two independent community leaders unaffiliated with the CVB.

The committee established three tiers of award levels to guide award recommendations:

$120,000 – Highest tier for projects with substantial community and tourism benefits

$100,000 – Mid-tier for projects demonstrating clear impact

$75,000 – Foundational tier supporting smaller but meaningful local initiatives

Held to the highest standard of driving incremental overnight stays in Moore County, the committee did not identify any single “clear winner.” However, all of these projects are believed to enhance the overall visitor experience and contribute to the county’s long-term tourism infrastructure.

Looking ahead, as the occupancy tax rate increases on Jan. 1, the committee envisions focusing future rounds of similar funding on a smaller number of transformative projects capable of delivering measurable growth in overnight visitation and regional economic impact. The new Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) will be accumulated from one-third of the lodging occupancy tax revenues generated starting on Jan. 1. The CVB and its board of directors intend to invest those assets toward a major capital project or projects that will have significant tourism impacts.

OTPF 2.0 List of Approved Grant Recipients:

CVB approves $1 million in tourism grants