Nearly $4 million have gone to support our Pocono Mountains through grants, sponsorships and anti-litter programs in just the last three years alone. That’s a rate of more than $1 million per year directly from the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau’s funds.

Beyond the compelling facts and figures that underscore the inherent value of the tourism industry in the Poconos’ four counties, there are heartwarming stories of real people and communities who are transforming their quality of life through impactful projects.

Take Mount Pocono, for instance, which has received more than $55,000 in grant funding since 2022 to complete projects at the popular Knob Overlook, a new pocket park and several other beautification efforts for everyone who lives and works and visits the community.

“Once we saw that park pop up, we were super excited because there’s the tables and everything else. You can literally just sit outside, enjoy a meal,” said Jeremie Schuster, a Mount Pocono resident. “There are still people just learning about the new trail here at The Knob or that pocket park. These contributions improve our accessibility to them as a local community and make it a cool place to visit the Poconos and enjoy some of those spots as well.”

Veterans museum

The only one of its kind in the country, the Women Veterans Museum in Mount Pocono also has received thousands of dollars to help its entirely volunteer staff make improvements to cement the legacy of sacrifices of generations of women in the military.

“The Visitors Bureau came along and gave us a grant for real flagpoles with the different branches of service on it. That contribution was very, very helpful to us,” said retired U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Claudette Williams with the Women Veterans Museum.

The museum relies entirely on donations and contributions from Williams and her closest supporters. Thanks to grant funding from the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, the museum has installed permanent flagpoles for all branches of the military for display outside the museum. Another $10,000 award in 2026 will continue to help keep the museum’s doors open to the public helping to serve veterans who find themselves in need of assistance.

“The PMVB invests heavily in quality-of-life infrastructure such as parks, signage, safety, beautification,” said Chris Barrett, president/CEO of the PMVB. “This sets us apart from other similar organizations across Pennsylvania. Not only are we effectively marketing the largest industry in the Poconos, but we are also supporting the communities that have sustained and will continue to sustain that tourism industry for years to come.”

More than 150 projects

Through its Community Impact Grant, the PMVB has awarded $1.4 million since 2022 to boroughs, townships and nonprofits in Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Carbon counties. This has saved taxpayers significantly and helped leverage many more grant dollars from state, federal and private sources for more than 150 projects (2025, 2024 Round 1, 2024 Round 2, 2023, 2022).

The PMVB is proud to work with each county to award hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to local events and nonprofits to help with marketing, which in turn brings millions of people to the region (30 million/year total) who in turn boost the local economy ($7.2B in 2024).

For nearly a decade, the PMVB has also supported anti-litter efforts across the Poconos through financial support for Pocono 3C, Pennsylvania Sponsor A Highway Program, and Pick Up the Poconos, which have helped remove more than 55,000 bags of trash (4,000-plus miles) from area roadways including I-80, I-380, Route 33 and other major roads in the Poconos. The PMVB has supported these efforts to the tune of nearly $1 million since 2023.

Each year, the PMVB also provides sponsorships for various local initiatives and groups which ranges from $100,000 to $250,000 each year.

As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the PMVB is one of 50 designated destination marketing organizations in Pennsylvania. Also known as destination marketing organizations, DMOs produce marketing materials, visitor guides and promote the unique tourism assets in their respective areas, according to Visit PA.

The PMVB has been in existence since 1934 and currently has 590 members ranging from large employers to small mom and pop businesses.

Grants in 2025 included: Eldred Township Historical Society, $4,800, historical post office renovations; Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, $2,000, tree work and landscaping upgrades; Jim Thorpe Borough, $10,000, 2025 tourism planning and management; Lansford Alive, $2,212, seasonal beautification; Lansford Historical Society, $7,500, ongoing Lansford Welsh Church restoration efforts; and Lehighton Downtown Initiative, $5,000, caboose refurbishment project.