Haywood TDA revokes grant after vetting mistake
A community passport program highlighting businesses that support diversity is off the table, for now.
IDEA of Haywood County photo
Clarification: In the original version of this story, SMN reported that TDA Executive Director Corrina Ruffieux said that IDEA of Haywood County was named on the signature line of the grant application along with Misfit Mountain. Documents provided by the TDA show that to be true for the initial application, but not the subsequent revised application, where no organizations are listed on the signature line. The story has been updated to reflect this information.
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority voted unanimously today to rescind a $10,000 grant it had previously approved, citing its own failure to properly vet the grant application.
“We take full responsibility for missing this,” said Jim Owens, chair of the TDA board. “I personally feel I should have done my homework a little better, but I think we all felt that. But we are where we are right now, but we will make every effort to make sure going forward that we don't make this kind of error again [and that] we work diligently to clean that up.”
In June, the TDA approved a grant application by an animal rescue nonprofit, Misfit Mountain, in conjunction with an unincorporated entity called IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Alliance) of Haywood for a community passport program that would promote inclusive businesses and generate visits to, as well as overnight stays in, Haywood County.
The idea was to solicit applications from businesses who would then sign a pledge, receive a window sticker proclaiming “the mountains are for everyone” and appear in a physical “passport.” Each business listed in the passport would offer perks and incentives with a purchase, as well as a “stamp.” Customers who collected 25 or more stamps would receive some sort of prize, to incentivize the kind of visitation that powers Haywood’s tourism economy.
“Those passports are uber-common in the travel and tourism industry,” said Corrina Ruffieux, the TDA’s executive director. “We've all worked on them before in other destinations, run into them on our recent travels and more. However, it recently came to our attention that the IDEA of Haywood organization engages in activities that are against our responsibilities as a tourism development authority.”
Ruffieux explained that at the time of the grant, the TDA was not aware of what it called “lobbying and political initiatives” undertaken by IDEA. IDEA has been a vocal proponent of LGBTQ+ rights in Western North Carolina. Ruffieux also said that the group had “previously advocated for boycotting certain local businesses, which is directly at odds with our commitment to fostering an environment for all businesses in Haywood County.”
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After speaking with stakeholders, board members and residents who reached out about the grant, Ruffieux said she’d consulted with Destinations International, an industry trade group, for guidance.
Owens said that given the recent revelations, the TDA’s executive committee recommended unanimously to withdraw the grant. He also mentioned that the TDA would look at its vetting process.
“This puts us in a difficult situation,” he told the assembled board.
Chuck Dickson, a Waynesville Town Council member who serves on the TDA board, asked Ruffieux if the grant guidelines clearly state that organizations that engage in political or lobbying efforts are not qualified to seek grants.
Ruffieux offered a technical correction, noting that the guidelines say the TDA does not “fund” such applications.
“That is made clear to everyone who applies for grants,” Dickson continued. “I mean, we have a grant funding workshop. We have printed guidelines that talk about that. So we never should have made this grant in the first place.”
Dickson, the only board member to speak directly on the grant during the brief meeting, said he believes that everyone thought the grant was a good idea, but the involvement of IDEA complicated matters.
“It’s Misfit Mountain that applied for the grant, which is a 501(c)(3) that does not engage in lobbying activities, but they’re affiliated with an unincorporated association called IDEA that does engage in these activities," he said. "The grant was made as a combination of these two entities.”
Ruffieux confirmed that both IDEA and Misfit Mountain appeared on the signature line of the grant application, referring to the initial application dated May 9. No organization was listed on the revised application dated May 31.
After the vote, TDA board member Mike Huber, general manager and chief operating officer of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, reiterated that the vote wasn’t a reflection on the idea of the passport program.
“To your point earlier, and to Chuck's question, Corrina has already discussed the way in which we will approach both the vetting but also in discussing with this person, these people that requested this grant, how Destinations [International] has been helpful in helping us craft how we will talk with that grantee so that we can share how sorry we are that this one got through on us, but that we are supportive of the notion of mountains being good for all y'all,” Huber said, playing on a proposed design for the program’s window sticker.
When reached by phone shortly after the meeting, Tera McIntosh, co-owner of Misfit Mountain and member of the IDEA group, said she wasn’t notified of the meeting and was considering next steps for the diversity passport program.
