2026 Legacy Investment from Tourism (LIFT) Fund
Committee Member Application
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) is seeking candidates to serve on the nine-member Legacy Investment from Tourism Fund Committee. This volunteer group makes recommendations to the authority for investing in major tourism capital projects that will increase patronage of lodging facilities in and further economic development of Buncombe County.
Through the LIFT Fund, the authority has committed $10+ million through 11 community projects since 2024. Project investments have included greenways, parks, public art, sports and recreation facilities, cultural heritage institutions, and other family attractions. A list of all LIFT investments can be found here.
Committee Member Roles & Responsibilities
In assessing applications for LIFT grants, committee members must have a thorough understanding of the grant requirements as mandated by the legislation and a responsibility to uphold the priorities of the authority. Grant requirements and selection criteria will be included in LIFT Program Guidelines, which members will use to determine if proposed projects satisfy program requirements. Committee members are expected to maintain an unbiased position and refrain from communications or meetings with applicants throughout the review process.
Time Commitment
Committee members serve a term consisting of three funding cycles spanning at least three years. Members may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
A typical funding cycle includes a series of committee meetings:
- Commitee Member Orientation
- Phase I Review
- Phase II Review & Project Presentations
- Site Visits
- Final Review
Committee members commit to attending each meeting and are expected to participate in group discussion. Meetings range from three to eight hours in length and require substantial preparation, which includes reviewing application documents with financials, marketing plans, and feasibility studies. Committee members may also be asked to attend other meetings outside of the grant cycle to assess project issues as they arise.
Other Requirements
A majority of committee members must be owners or operators of hotels, motels, or other taxable lodging accommodations. The remainder of the committee shall be comprised of representatives with tourism, legal, financial, economic development, architecture, or engineering expertise.
The authority is currently seeking (1) candidate that is an owner or operator of hotels, motels or other taxable lodging accommodations.
Application Instructions
- Please provide complete information in response to each question. Do not skip questions - a response is required for each question. If you are unable to answer a question or if a question is not applicable to your, please briefly describe why it cannot be answered or enter “N/A.”
- You may save and resume your application by clicking on "Save and Resume Later" found at the bottom of the page. The application platform will send a unique link you can use to resume your application. To ensure you don't lose the link, we recommend you copy and save the link in safe place as well as input your email for the link to be emailed directly to you. Without the link, your saved data cannot be retrieved, and you will have to start filling out the application at the beginning.
For any questions, please contact Kimberly Puryear, Destination Investment & Project Manager at kpuryear@exploreasheville.com.
Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 10, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET.