ROCKY MOUNT, N.C., (April 2, 2026) – Today, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded a total of $8.3 million in funding to support job creation and economic investment, workforce preparedness projects, and scholarships. The Golden LEAF Board awarded $1.4 million to support three projects through the Open Grants Program and $1.49 million to support one Economic Catalyst project. The Golden LEAF Board approved $3.06 million in funding to the North Carolina Community College System for the Golden LEAF Community Colleges Scholarship. The Golden LEAF Board also approved $2,369,597 in additional funding for previously awarded projects.
Golden LEAF held its April Board meeting at the NC State University Plant Sciences Building in Raleigh. The Golden LEAF Board of Directors previously awarded $48.5 million to support the design and construction of the building. The Golden LEAF Board was welcomed by Chancellor Kevin Howell, received updates about the progress of the Plant Sciences Initiative, and toured the Plant Sciences Building.
“The N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative is a powerful example of how strategic investment in research and innovation can deliver real results for North Carolina’s farmers,” said Brian Raynor, Golden LEAF Board Chair. “By bringing together cutting-edge tools like AI, advanced genetics, and precision agriculture, this initiative is helping farmers increase productivity, operate more sustainably, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. We’re proud to support an initiative that translates directly from the lab to the field and strengthens the future of agriculture in our state.”
The North Carolina Community College System was awarded $3,060,000 by the Golden LEAF Board of Directors to support scholarships for students from rural and suburban counties to attend participating North Carolina community colleges. Curriculum students can receive up to $2,250 per year, and continuing education students can receive up to $1,850 per year. The Golden LEAF Foundation has awarded funds for scholarships to students attending North Carolina community colleges since 2000.
“The Golden LEAF Scholarship Program is a strategy to help strengthen the rural workforce in North Carolina,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer. “The scholarship ensures students are able to complete programs which will equip them with the necessary talent, knowledge, and skill to meet the demands of local employers. This program not only supports individual scholars but ultimately contributes to the broader economic growth of communities across the state.”
The Golden LEAF Board awarded $1,492,520 to Wilson Economic Development Council in Wilson County to construct sewer infrastructure supporting Johnson & Johnson’s expansion and job creation at Wilson Corporate Park. With this expansion, the company will create 320 additional jobs paying an average annual wage of $116,529 and make an additional capital investment of slightly over $1 billion.
Through the Open Grants Program, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded three projects totaling $1,400,000. These projects will support job creation and economic investment and workforce preparedness projects in Beaufort, Jackson, and Robeson counties.
- $500,000 to Jackson County Economic Development in Jackson County to construct water and sewer infrastructure to support 33 affordable single-family homes to support the local workforce.
- $500,000 to Robeson Community College in Robeson County to purchase welding equipment for the relocation and expansion of its welding program in a new Career and Technical Education building.
- $400,000 to Metropolitan Community Health Services, Inc. in Washington County to renovate a clinic in Aurora, expanding access to healthcare and creating 25 new full-time jobs.
The SITE Program offers resources to help communities identify potential sites for economic development, provides funding to complete due diligence on publicly controlled sites, and provides funding to extend public utilities to publicly controlled sites or to conduct clearing and grading of publicly owned sites. The three phases of the SITE Program are Identification, Due Diligence, and Development.
The Golden LEAF Board provided $26,490 in additional funding to a previously awarded SITE Program – Due Diligence project to Caldwell County for the Foothills Regional Airport Industrial Park project located in Caldwell and Burke counties. The additional funding will be used for a study that was requested by the State Historical and Preservation Office to determine the perimeter of a cemetery discovered during other due diligence activities. This increase brings the total funding of this project to $76,490.
Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, the Golden LEAF Board established the Hurricane Helene Relief Initiative to make funds available for nonprofits working to support the needs of survivors. The Board approved an additional $880,000 to the North Carolina Baptists on Mission for building materials for the renovation and upfit of volunteer sites owned by the Baptists on Mission in Black Mountain, Spruce Pine, Burnsville, and East Flat Rock to help mobilize volunteers, bringing total Golden LEAF funding to that organization to $4,570,000.
The State of North Carolina appropriated funding for the Disaster Recovery Grant Program to the Golden LEAF Foundation to award funds to governmental entities and 501(c)(3) nonprofits to repair or replace infrastructure and equipment damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Michael, and Dorian and to improve infrastructure for mitigation of future disasters. The Golden LEAF Board awarded $1,463,107 in additional funding to support two previously awarded projects through the Disaster Recovery Grant Program in Beaufort and Pasquotank counties.
- $463,107 in additional funding to the City of Elizabeth City to cover costs for a mitigation project that included several sewer pump stations throughout the city. The additional funding will support a pump station at Dawson Canal that had higher than expected proposals for engineering services. The total award, including funds used for other pump stations, is $1,429,407.
- $1,000,000 in additional funding to the City of Washington to cover higher than expected costs to improve stormwater infrastructure in the area around the hospital that is subject to frequent flooding, bringing the total Golden LEAF funding for this project to $4,030,000.
Since 1999, Golden LEAF has funded 2,384 projects totaling $1.5 billion supporting the mission of advancing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities.
About Golden LEAF
The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. 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.
For more than 25 years, the Foundation has provided lasting impact to tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and rural areas of the state. In fiscal year 2025, Golden LEAF helped create 1,665 jobs, more than $116 million in new payrolls, and more than 4,722 workers trained or retrained for higher wages.
For more information about Golden LEAF and our programs, please visit our website at GoldenLEAF.org.
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