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Increasing
Economic
Opportunity
in North Carolina
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The Golden LEAF
Foundation

The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding received from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. For 25 years, Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.

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Strategic Priority Areas

Job Creation and Economic Investment

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Workforce Preparedness

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Agriculture

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Downtown of a small city in North Carolina

Community Competitiveness and Capacity

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How Can We Help

Potential Applicants

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Current Grantees

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Golden LEAF Scholarships

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Golden LEAF Updates

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Take the Funding 101 Quiz

Move the Economic Needle

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Our Programs for Governmental Entities and 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
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Scholarships for High School and Community College Students

Our Impact

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Since its inception in 1999, Golden LEAF has provided lasting impact to tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and rural areas of the state helping build both human and physical infrastructure.

Jobs Created
0 +
In New Payroll
$ 0 M+
Workers trained across N.C.
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Discover Our Success Stories

North Carolina State Map
Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters connects to sewer to expand, create new jobs

Snowbird Wilderness
Outfitters connects to sewer
to expand, create new jobs

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Blue Ridge Community College breaks ground on automated greenhouse

Blue Ridge Community
College breaks ground on
automated greenhouse

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Western NC gains new jobs, increased healthcare capacity, expanded services despite pandemic

Western NC gains new jobs,
increased healthcare
capacity, expanded
services despite pandemic

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Cleveland Community College breaks ground on advanced manufacturing center

Cleveland Community
College breaks ground on
advanced manufacturing
center

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Gaston County Schools creating an advanced manufacturing workforce through career academy

Gaston County Schools
creating an advanced
manufacturing workforce
through career academy

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Wilkes County completes the three phases of the SITE Program

Wilkes County completes
the three phases of the
SITE Program

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Surry and Yadkin counties invest in local workforce

Surry and Yadkin counties
invest in local workforce

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Golden LEAF, partner organizations cut ribbon on NC Food Innovation Lab

Golden LEAF, partner
organizations cut ribbon on
NC Food Innovation Lab

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ABC of NC expands services, creates 55 new healthcare jobs

ABC of NC expands services, creates 55 new healthcare jobs

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Guilford County apprenticeship program recruits students into manufacturing jobs

Guilford County
apprenticeship program
recruits students into
manufacturing jobs

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New cooler space improves access to local foods

New cooler space improves
access to local foods

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Golden LEAF supports entrepreneurship in the Sandhills

Golden LEAF supports
entrepreneurship in the
Sandhills

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Southeastern Community College creates state-of-the-art simulation lab

Southeastern Community
College creates state-of-
the-art simulation lab

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Fayetteville State University expands nursing program

Fayetteville State
University expands nursing
program

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Vance County wins jobs, community partner with MAKO Medical Laboratories

Vance County wins jobs,
community partner with
MAKO Medical
Laboratories

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Hospital in Franklin County creating jobs, providing increased access to healthcare

Hospital in Franklin County
creating jobs, providing
increased access to
healthcare

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Road spurs company expansion, new businesses, jobs in Wayne County

Road spurs company
expansion, new businesses,
jobs in Wayne County

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East Carolina University, community colleges collaborate to build workforce pipeline for BioPharma Crescent

East Carolina University,
community colleges
collaborate to build
workforce pipeline for
BioPharma Crescent

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Martin Community College line technician program

Martin Community College
line technician program

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College of the Albemarle machinist program helps fill employer needs

College of the Albemarle
machinist program helps fill
employer needs

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Collaboration creates workforce solutions in high-demand trades

Collaboration creates
workforce solutions in high-
demand trades

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Sampson Community College builds trades center to address local agriculture industry skills demand

Sampson Community
College builds trades
center to address local
agriculture industry skills
demand

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Skills center provides a multitude of technical skills, credentials to help students meet local industry needs

Skills center provides a
multitude of technical
skills, credentials to help
students meet local
industry needs

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Featured News

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Town of Mocksville wins nearly 400 agribusiness jobs, more to come

North Carolina’s number one industry is agriculture and agribusiness. Golden LEAF focuses on agriculture as an economic development engine. One of the outcomes Golden LEAF measures in its agriculture priority is value-added agricultural enterprises.
April 23, 2025
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Industrial park to land more than 650 jobs in Davidson County

Davidson County has three new employers that will create a total of more than 650 jobs at Lexington Industrial Park, thanks in part to infrastructure funding from Golden LEAF. In April 2017, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $1 million in Community-Based Grants Initiative funding to Davidson County for the development of a new county-owned industrial park near Interstate 85. Golden LEAF funds were used for public wastewater infrastructure costs for the Lexington Industrial Park.
April 23, 2025
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Golden LEAF announces $4.5 million in funding at April meeting, attends ECU’s 10th annual Golden LEAF Scholars Reception

At the April meeting, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded a total of $4.5 million in funding to support job creation and economic investment projects, workforce preparedness projects, and scholarships. The Golden LEAF Board awarded $1.5 million to support three projects through the Open Grants Program and $113,250 to support one SITE Program project. The Golden LEAF Board also approved $3 million in funding to the North Carolina Community College System for the Golden LEAF Community Colleges Scholarship. 
April 9, 2025

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