Golden LEAF announces more than $12.6 million in funding at April 2022 Board meeting | Eastern NC Now

News Release:

    At the April 2022 Board meeting, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $10,108,307 in funding to support projects through the Community-Based Grants Initiative in the Western Prosperity Zone, $1.1 million in funding through the Economic Catalyst Program and $998,924.36 in funding through the Open Grants Program. The Golden LEAF Board also approved $428,976 in funding for the Center for Creative Leadership to provide leadership training for Golden LEAF Scholars.

    The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded 14 Community-Based Grants Initiative projects totaling $10,1008,307 in the Western Prosperity Zone. These projects will support workforce preparedness, job creation and economic investment, and agriculture in Buncombe, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, and Transylvania counties. Click here to read more about the projects awarded through the Community-Based Grants Initiative in the Western Prosperity Zone.

    Under the Economic Catalyst Program, the Golden LEAF Board awarded $1.1 million to the City of Thomasville to help extend public sewer to serve Nucor, a manufacturing company that announced it will locate a new facility at an industrial site on US 64 in Davidson County. The project will create 180 jobs that pay, on average, $99,660 in annual salaries, with a total capital investment of $310 million by the company.

    The Golden LEAF Board awarded $998,924.36 under the Open Grants Program for two projects that will support workforce preparedness.

• Central Carolina Community College in Lee County was awarded $498,924.36 for training equipment for a regional truck driving and logistics program providing CDL and short-term logistics courses. This award is part of a collaborative effort by Central Carolina, Sandhills, and Randolph community colleges which will be using a scaled shared-resources model to incentivize collaboration. This project will serve Chatham, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, and Randolph counties.
• Wayne Community College in Wayne County was awarded $500,000.00 to purchase and install equipment for a new workforce training facility at WCC that would expand the capacity of college's applied technology curriculum programs and continuing education courses in response to the need for skilled workers in manufacturing and related industries in the region. The total project budget is $12.8 million with other funding from the State of North Carolina, Wayne County, and the Wayne Community College Foundation.

    The Board also awarded $428,976 in funding to the Center for Creative Leadership to provide leadership training for Golden LEAF Scholars attending North Carolina colleges and universities. In addition, the Board approved issuing a request for proposals for an organization or organizations to offer leadership training and mentors for Golden LEAF Scholars beginning in the summer of 2023. The RFP is available at this link.

    Over two decades, Golden LEAF has funded 1,989 projects totaling $1.18 billion.