Erie County Visitors & Convention
Erie County Visitors & Convention Bureau is a nonprofit organization based in Sandusky, Ohio, classified as a 501(c)(6) entity. The organization operates under the website www.shoresandislands.com and maintains offices at 125 E Water St, Sandusky, OH 44870. The bureau functions as a destination marketing organization focused on promoting tourism and economic development within Erie County.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7M
-32.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.4M
+140.3% YoY
Grant Count
24
-17.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$57K
+190.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization's mission is to encourage economic development of Erie County, Ohio through promotion of tourism and to encourage and promote travel to and visitation in Erie County by nonresidents for pleasure, business, and other purposes through advertisement and other educational and informational means.
The primary program area is travel and tourism promotion, which encourages and stimulates interest in Erie County, Ohio through a partnership with Lake Erie Shores and Islands.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,686,936 | $2,501,787 | $1,964,715 |
| Revenue | $4,297,000 | $4,305,736 | $3,634,879 |
| Expenses | $5,172,288 | $3,780,332 | $2,893,090 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $71,978 | $68,484 | $9,293 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Greater Sandusky Partnership ($350,000), Strategic Weapons and Tactical Trai ($300,000), Sandusky State Theatre Inc ($150,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WORK SPACE LLC SANDUSKY, OH | RENOVATION | $50,000 |
| VILLAGE OF KELLEYS ISLAND KELLEYS ISLAND, OH | PLAYGROUND AREA | $50,000 |
| VERMILION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VERMILION, OH | SPONSORSHIP | $6,000 |
| TWE OF VERMILION LLC VERMILION, OH | IMPROVEMENTS | $26,205 |
| THE CHEFS GARDEN INC HURON, OH | TOURISM PRODUCT | $34,570 |
| STRATEGIC WEAPONS AND TACTICAL TRAI SANDUSKY, OH | CONSTRUCTION | $300,000 |
| SHOWTIME EVENTS LLC NASHVILLE, TN | PROGRAMING | $10,000 |
| SANDUSKY STATE THEATRE INC SANDUSKY, OH | REBUILD | $150,000 |
| SANDUSKY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FREMONT, OH | 2024 IRONMAN | $7,242 |
| SANDUSKY BOOK BAR LLC SANDUSKY, OH | EXPANSION | $19,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Larry Fletcher serves as the Principal Officer of the organization.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEE ALEXAKOS | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BILLY CRISCIONE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JUDE HAMMOND | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| AMY HOFFMAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JEFF HOFFMAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GARY LICKFELT | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BRIAN PEIFFER | VICE PRESIDE | 1 | — |
| STEVE POGGIALI | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SWATHI RAVICHANDRAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| AMY ROLDAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CECELIA RUTA | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BRIAN SHANLE | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| JAMES SORTINO | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LISA SORTINO | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MCKENZIE SPRIGGS | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LARRY FLETCHER | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Erie County Visitors & Convention fund?
The organization's mission is to encourage economic development of Erie County, Ohio through promotion of tourism and to encourage and promote travel to and visitation in Erie County by nonresidents for pleasure, business, and other purposes through advertisement and other educational and informational means. The primary program area is travel and tourism promotion, which encourages and stimulates interest in Erie County, Ohio through a partnership with Lake Erie Shores and Islands.
What size grants does Erie County Visitors & Convention award?
In 2024, Erie County Visitors & Convention awarded 24 grants totaling $1.4M — an average of about $57K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Erie County Visitors & Convention's EIN?
Erie County Visitors & Convention's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1467436. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Erie County Visitors & Convention's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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