SITE Resources

Eligible applicants—Eligible applicants are governmental entities and 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organizations. Golden LEAF will accept applications from organizations in all counties, but will prioritize awards within counties that have been persistently economically distressed (as demonstrated by County Tier status determined by the N.C. Department of Commerce) and in economically distressed, rural, and tobacco-dependent communities.

Industrial development—Industrial development includes manufacturing, assembly, and similar uses, and warehousing and distribution. Commercial, retail, office, and residential uses are not included.

Match requirement—There is no match requirement for the Identification phase. In the Due Diligence and Development phases, there is a match requirement of 15% of the Golden LEAF grant amount for projects in certain counties. See below for a list of counties for which a match is required. The match may be a cash match or it may be the value paid to acquire control of the property, provided the expenses to acquire control were incurred within five years before the project application is submitted to Golden LEAF. The match may be a contribution from the applicant or from any local governmental entity in the county in which the project is located. Counties and communities and organizations located within counties that have a required match may submit a letter requesting a waiver or reduction of the required match. This letter should be submitted as an attachment to the application.

Public control—Public control means an option, contract, or similar agreement that provides the Golden LEAF grantee, or an eligible entity with which the grantee is collaborating, the right to purchase marketable, fee simple title to the site for a determined price. The agreement must be binding on the property owner and the agreement, or a memorandum of the agreement, must be recorded with the Register of Deeds in the county in which the property is located. The term of the agreement must extend at least five years, and the term must begin no earlier than six months prior to the Golden LEAF grant award. If an applicant does not have control of the property at the time of the grant application, it should have reached an agreement with the landowner at the time of the application. This agreement must be presented to the Golden LEAF Foundation in writing.

Public ownership—Public ownership means marketable fee simple title held by the Golden LEAF grantee or another eligible entity with which the grantee is collaborating. If an applicant has not acquired title to the property at the time of the grant application, it may do so after a grant is awarded. In that case, the applicant should have reached an agreement to acquire title to the property with the landowner at the time of the application.

Site control by an eligible entity—See Public control and Public ownership.

Sites offered for industrial development—Sites offered for industrial development include sites that are publicly owned or publicly controlled and marketed by the applicant. Golden LEAF will prioritize applicants that do not have other publicly owned or controlled sites in the county in which the applicant is located. 

Title opinion—An opinion of title given to the applicant or another eligible entity with which the applicant is collaborating, regarding title to the property. The title opinion must be completed by an attorney licensed in North Carolina, experienced in searching titles, and approved by at least one major title insurance company. The opinion should include copies of all instruments and documentation used to develop the title opinion, e.g., deeds, estate files, etc. 

Utilities will serve letters—Acknowledgement of service area, system capacity and average utilization, and any planned improvements to the system and the total capacity when improvements come on line for water, sewer, electric, gas, and telecommunications.