North Carolina Agriculture Grants

This funding opportunity supports economic development projects in North Carolina, particularly for government entities and nonprofits working to benefit rural and economically distressed communities through job creation, workforce training, and infrastructure development.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit conservation organizations and county governments in North Carolina to develop and implement agricultural plans that help preserve farmland and strengthen the agricultural economy.

This program provides competitive funding to nonprofit conservation organizations and county governments in North Carolina to secure agricultural conservation easements on privately owned working lands, ensuring their preservation for agricultural use.

This program provides financial support to North Carolina family farms for agricultural projects that boost profitability, prioritizing those with a tobacco farming background and first-time applicants.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit conservation organizations and county governments in North Carolina to assist farmers with projects that enhance agricultural production, sustainability, and economic development.

This grant provides financial support to farmers in Western North Carolina for projects that enhance the production, processing, and marketing of agricultural products, promoting sustainable farming practices in the region.

This funding program provides financial support to current grantees for purchasing conservation easements on agricultural and forest lands in North Carolina, helping to combat farmland loss.

The Orange County Business Investment Grant Program in North Carolina is seeking applications to provide financial support ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to stimulate non-farm business development and expansion within the county, with eligibility criteria including the business's physical location, operational duration, tax status, and connection with business counseling services.

This program provides financial support to non-farm businesses in Orange County, particularly those owned by women and BIPOC, to help them grow, hire staff, and make a positive economic impact.

This grant provides funding to governmental entities and nonprofit organizations in North Carolina for projects that promote economic development, job creation, and workforce training, particularly in rural and tobacco-dependent communities.

The Golden LEAF Foundation is currently accepting applications for the Open Grants Program. Donor Name: Golden LEAF Foundation State: North Carolina County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/20/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Priority Areas This program is for economic development projects aligned with the Golden LEAF priority areas. Job Creation and Economic Investment Workforce Preparedness Agriculture The Golden LEAF Foundation is committed to using the funds entrusted to it for projects that show the most potential for strengthening North Carolina’s economy, especially in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and/or rural communities. Funding Information The Golden LEAF Board has indicated that most awards in the Open Grants Program will be for $200,000 or less. For projects that have certain characteristics, Golden LEAF will make awards of up to $500,000 from this program. Competitive Projects Competitive applications for projects include requests for funds to: Develop and implement a new workforce training program to meet demand from local employers Implement a career pathway at a high school for a high demand field Extend water, sewer, or road infrastructure to a site to enable industrial development that will create full-time jobs Support the development of new crops, expand markets for agriculture products, or provide training for farmers. Characteristics of Open Grants Projects Eligible for Funding of More Than $200,000 Golden LEAF expects that most grants in the Open Grants Program will be for $200,000 or less, and grants of more than $200,000 will be infrequent. To determine which projects will be eligible for consideration for an award of more than $200,000, Golden LEAF requires that the project include one or more of these characteristics: The applicant can clearly demonstrate and explain how the applicant would be able to achieve additional outcomes as a direct result of receiving more than $200,000 in funding, and the additional outcomes are commensurate with the additional funding. The project results from a planning process involving multiple organizations and members of the community that the project will serve, e.g., employers, and those organizations and individuals continue to be engaged in and will provide support to the project. The additional funding will build on a history of success and allow the applicant to scale a project to significantly increase the outcomes the project can achieve. The project is collaborative and includes some features that make the collaboration particularly compelling, such as the following characteristics: The collaboration is uncommon and includes innovative approaches. Golden LEAF funding will enable or encourage the collaboration. The project is regional, i.e., involves organizations in more than one county. A Golden LEAF award would leverage significant funding from other organizations, i.e., Golden LEAF is a small but important part of a larger project. The applicant has limited resources and has made efforts to secure funding from other sources. Implementing the project in phases would compromise its outcomes. Eligibility Criteria  Eligible applicants are governmental entities and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit Golden LEAF Foundation.

This funding opportunity supports North Carolina nonprofit organizations in addressing community-defined oral health needs and reducing disparities through advocacy and educational outreach.

This program provides financial support to established small businesses in downtown North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro, North Carolina, to enhance their operations through equipment upgrades, physical space improvements, and e-commerce development.

This grant provides financial support to women in Western North Carolina who are starting or advancing careers in the food, beverage, agriculture, and hospitality industries, particularly those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Education Grants allow applicants to conduct education and outreach activities for the benefit of the greater sustainable ag community, and promote efforts in farmer innovations, community resilience, business success, ag diversification, and best management practices. Donor Name: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education State: Selected States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement Deadline: 08/02/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: Education Grants are open to academic institutions and organizations, such as non-profits and non-governmental organizations, who are interested in conducting education and outreach activities for the benefit of the greater sustainable ag community, and promote efforts in farmer innovations, community resilience, business success, agricultural diversification, and best management practices. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 1890 land-grant university faculty/extension cooperators are especially encouraged to apply for this grant for their education and outreach activities. SSARE also considers proposals from organizations/institutions whose projects involve farmers from indigenous agriculture that produces products for community food systems. These enterprises may be eligible where the production activity has an annual value of less than $1,000, even if products are not sold due to cultural factors. Education Grants should focus on a topic area of sustainable agriculture relevance that meets SARE’s program goals. In addition, the proposed project should comprise education/outreach efforts/activities that support the research/education foundation of the institution/organization, and must clearly articulate how those education/outreach efforts/activities will be implemented and evaluated. Examples of Education Grant projects can include one or more of the following, but are not limited to: Experiential (Demonstrations, on-farm tours, field days, workshops, trainings, case studies); Integrative (Conferences, seminars, course curriculum) Reinforcement (Fact sheets, bulletins, books, manuals, videos, online technologies, guidebooks) SARE encourages proposals on quality of life topics that focus on the social health of a farming system. These can include, but are not limited to: Heirs property; Farmers’ markets; food hubs; locavores; CSAs; Local/regional processing/slaughter; Food sheds and food circles; Direct marketing and value-added; Beyond organics value chains; Farm to School/Institution; Civic agriculture, agritourism; Denominations of origin/geographic indications; Non-GMO movement, Slow Food, chef collaboratives; Urban ag systems; Food policy councils, governance structures; and Local/regional certification/branding. Funding Information Education Grant project maximums are $50,000, limited to two (2) years. Education Grants are paid by reimbursement of allowable project expenses. Who can apply? Researchers from public and private institutions, such as 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities or other colleges and universities; government agencies, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service or USDA-ARS; non-governmental organizations; and community-based organizations. Education Grants strictly fund education and outreach activities related to sustainable agriculture whose outcomes are intended to benefit farmers and farming communities. There is no research involved in these grant projects. Southern SARE accepts proposals from applicants in the Southern region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grant Requirements  Education Grant proposals must meet the following basic requirements in order to be considered for funding: Project outcomes must focus on developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing systems toward sustainable agriculture. The project must clearly articulate what is being taught, to whom and how the project will accomplish those goals. The results must be realistic, acceptable to farmers, logical, and capable of leading to the actions and benefits described in the proposal. For farmers involved in your project, the primary occupation is farming/ranching or part-time farming. Producers run their farm alone or with family or partners and have a least $1,000 of documented annual income from the operation, as defined by USDA. SSARE also considers proposals with farmers from indigenous agriculture that produces products for community food systems. These enterprises may be eligible where the production activity has an annual value of less than $1,000, but products are not sold due to cultural factors. For more information, visit Southern SARE.

The Dr. Richard W. Adams Charitable Foundation supports a variety of charitable causes with a preference for supporting education in medical science, promoting agriculture and conservation, and preserving wildlife. Donor Name: Dr. Richard W. Adams Charitable Foundation State: North Carolina County: Davidson County (NC), Davie County (NC), Forsyth County (NC), Gaston County (NC), Iredell County (NC), Orange County (NC), Rockingham County (NC), Stokes County (NC) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/01/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Program Areas Education Environment, animals Types of support Preference will be given to requests for the following: Requests from Wake Forest University School of Medicine with a strong preference for supporting long-time residents of the Piedmont region of North Carolina whose intent is to practice medicine in such region. Organizations to provide scholarships or other funding to help employees of Davis Regional Medical Center (Statesville, NC) or their family members pursue training in medical science. Organizations and programs promoting agriculture and conservation. Organizations and programs focused on preserving wildlife. Requirements To be eligible, organizations must qualify as exempt governmental units or charitable organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Applications must be submitted through the online grant application form or alternative accessible application designed for assistive technology users. Limitations There are no geographic limitations; however, the foundation primarily supports the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The foundation does not make grants directly to individuals. For more information, visit Wells Fargo.

This program provides financial assistance to farmers in Orange County, North Carolina, to support innovative agricultural projects that enhance income and market access.

This funding program provides financial support to community-based organizations that empower youth aged 12 to 20 through established, youth-led urban greening initiatives focused on social and environmental justice in select states.

WNC Community Enhancement grants will be awarded to qualified charitable organizations or eligible public agencies to fund projects in downtowns or commercial corridors or districts that enhance physical appearance and pedestrian experience. Donor Name: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina State: North Carolina County: Selected Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Priority will be given to projects located in rural or other under-resourced areas. Generally, the Foundation will award grants of up to $10,000 for projects not exceeding a total cost of $50,000. The Foundation may make exceptions to these limits at its discretion. Projects should be completed within one year of the award. An eligible organization may only submit one application per year. Project Eligibility Funded projects will be a “stand-alone” project rather than a small part of a larger and longer-term project. CFWNC anticipates that most approved projects will fall under one of the following broad categories: pedestrian/multi-modal improvements; beautification; infrastructure; or economic activities. Examples may include: Pedestrian/Multi-Modal Improvements – pedestrian signals, decorative crosswalk treatments, shade structures, pedestrian refuges/bump-outs, planters, benches, bicycle racks, parklets Beautifications – paint, plants/landscaping, public art, awnings, power washing, picnic tables, wayfinding signs, flags/banners, educational displays, trash receptacles Infrastructure – public access (steps/piers/walkways), lighting, permeable pavers, stormwater management Economic Activities – outdoor markets, food truck parking Eligibility Criteria Organizations must be: (1) tax-exempt organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, public agencies or faith communities; and (2) located in the Qualla Boundary or one of the following counties in Western North Carolina: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania or Yancey. For more information, visit CFWNC.

This funding opportunity supports research projects that promote innovation and development in North Carolina's agricultural economy, targeting universities, non-profits, and businesses involved in agriculture.