Golden LEAF announces $14 million in funding at June Board meeting

The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded a total of $14,267,573.59 in funding across five Golden LEAF Programs. The Board awarded $4,403,985 to support 10 projects through the SITE Program, $680,000 to support two projects through the Open Grants Program, $400,000 to support an Economic Catalyst project, $7,704,537 in funding for 10 projects through the Flood Mitigation Program, and $1,079,051.59 in funding for the Food Distribution Assistance Program. 

The Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors awarded $4,403,985 million in funding for 10 projects through the Golden LEAF SITE Program in Caldwell, Cherokee, Chowan, Columbus, Gaston, Harnett, Nash, Northampton, Warren, and Wilkes counties.

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 rough grading of publicly owned sites. The three phases of the SITE Program are Identification, Due Diligence, and Development.

The Golden LEAF Board awarded $266,100 in funding to support six SITE Program – Due Diligence projects. These projects will use funding to complete eligible due diligence activities such as environmental assessments, archaeological analyses, and mapping. Organizations receiving SITE Program – Due Diligence support include:

• $50,000 to the County of Caldwell for the Foothills Regional Airport Industrial Park. 
• $50,000 to the Cherokee County Local Government for an Industrial Park on Highway 19/74.
• $40,400 to the Edenton-Chowan Partnership, Inc. for the Edenton Chowan Airport Industrial Park.
• $34,000 to the County of Nash for the Whitakers Business and Industry Center.
• $49,200 to Northampton County for the Northampton County Commerce Park.
• $42,500 to the County of Warren for the Hwy 1 Industrial Park.

For the SITE Program – Development, the Golden LEAF Board awarded $4,137,885 in funding for four projects that will provide public infrastructure and clearing and rough grading, to benefit eligible sites that have completed the due diligence necessary to demonstrate that the site is suitable for development. Organizations receiving SITE Program – Development support include:

• $590,000 to the County of Columbus for clearing and grubbing of 15 acres, and wastewater extension to serve Lot 4 of the Southeast Regional Park. The county anticipates that successful industry recruitment to the site would create approximately 100 new full-time jobs, $30 million in private capital investment, and $590,000 in public investment.
• $1,500,000 to the City of Gastonia to install a parallel sewer outfall to increase sewer capacity to serve the 30-acre Lot 12 in Apple Creek Corporate Park. The city anticipates that successful industry recruitment to the site would create approximately 180 new full-time jobs, $200 million in private capital investment, and $4,562,248 in public investment.
• $547,885 to Harnett County Economic Development Partnership for clearing, grubbing, grading, erosion control, and other site preparation activities as well as a title opinion and utility capacity analysis for a 25-acre site in the Edgerton Industrial Park. The county anticipates that successful industry recruitment to the site would create approximately 80 new full-time jobs, $10 million in private capital investment, and $547,885 in public investment.
• $1,500,000 to Wilkes Economic Development Corporation for clearing, grubbing, grading, and erosion control on 22 acres in the Wilkes Industrial Park. The county anticipates that successful industry recruitment to the site would create approximately 40 new full-time jobs, $8 million in private capital investment, and $1,803,450 in public investment.

The Golden LEAF Board awarded $400,000 to the County of Randolph to support the location of Ross Stores, Inc., a major American retailer of off-price apparel and home fashion. The company will build a new 1.7 million-square-foot distribution center in Randleman. Golden LEAF will support public road improvements necessary for the project. The Golden LEAF Board awarded $1 million in SITE Program funding in 2022 that extended sewer to the site in Randleman. 

The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded two projects totaling $680,000 in Open Grants Program funding. These projects will support workforce preparedness in Cherokee, Edgecombe, and Nash counties.

• $200,000 to Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership (STEP) in Nash and Edgecombe counties to support staff salary, program-related marketing and outreach, and participant support for a pilot local internship program that facilitates collaboration among school districts, community colleges, community-based organizations, and employers in Nash and Edgecombe counties. STEP will increase the number of participating students, with an expectation that the program will link 45 individuals to a work-based learning opportunity over the two-year grant period, in addition to providing ongoing support to participating students and businesses throughout the internship experience and into employment. 
• $480,000.00 to Tri-County Community College serving Cherokee, Clay, and Graham counties for construction of a new driving pad on the college’s main campus, dedicated solely to the CDL program and the recently launched Heavy Equipment Operator program in response to increased demand. The existing smaller driving pad is shared by the CDL program and the Public Safety program. TCCC expects to serve four times as many CDL students (an additional 126 students) and twice as many HEO students (an additional 35 students). 

The State of North Carolina appropriated the Golden LEAF Foundation $25 million for a Flood Mitigation Program. The Flood Mitigation Program will award funding up to $2 million per project. Funds may only be awarded to units of local government. The Golden LEAF Board awarded $7,704,537 in funding to support 10 projects through the Flood Mitigation Program in Avery, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Guilford, Harnett, and Wilson counties. Click here for more information on the awards.

The Golden LEAF Board approved an award of $141,500 for new project in the Food Distribution Assistance Program in Greene County and $937,551.59 in additional Food Distribution Assistance Program funding to support 23 existing projects in Alamance, Buncombe, Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Edgecombe, Gaston, Harnett, Iredell, Macon, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Nash, Onslow, Rowan, Scotland, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wayne, Wilkes, and Wilson counties. 

The State of North Carolina appropriated $10 million to Golden LEAF for the Food Distribution Assistance Program. This program is funded by federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Funds may be used for grants to nonprofit organizations to assist organizations in becoming eligible to be partner agencies of a North Carolina food bank or enhancing or expanding the capacity of current partner agencies of North Carolina food banks. Funds may also be used for grants to nonprofit organizations to assist organizations in establishing a school-based weekend food assistance program or enhancing or expanding the capacity of current school-based weekend food assistance programs.

The following new award was made in the Food Distribution Assistance Program:

• $141,500 to Bountiful Blessings House of Redemption in Greene County for a box truck, cargo van, two pallet jacks, refrigerated container, electrical upfit for refrigerated container, two commercial refrigerators, tables, shelving and carts.

Click here for information on the organizations that received increased Food Distribution Assistance Program funding.

Since 1999, Golden LEAF has funded 2,280 projects totaling $1.3 billion supporting the mission of advancing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities.