North Carolina Workforce Development Grants

This grant provides financial support for property owners and business tenants in Kinston's Downtown Historic Commercial District to improve building façades and preserve historical architecture, enhancing the area's visual appeal and attracting more businesses.

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 funding opportunity supports both emerging and established artists in North Carolina to enhance their skills, develop new work, and improve their business operations, with grants of up to $3,000 available for various artistic projects and professional development activities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations that empower underrepresented innovators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses in Raleigh, North Carolina, to foster economic development and collaboration within the community.

This program provides financial assistance to small business owners in Raleigh to improve their commercial properties, encouraging the activation of vacant or underutilized spaces and the creation of new jobs.

This funding opportunity is designed to support nonprofit organizations and community-based entities in Fayetteville, North Carolina, that are working to reduce opioid overdoses and improve health outcomes through various evidence-based programs and services.

The Artist Support Grant, funded by Dare Arts in North Carolina, offers $500 to $1,000 to individual artists and small artist groups for professional development, completion of new work, career promotion, training, travel, and artist fees, with eligibility limited to residents of selected counties who are not full-time students or recipients of other FY 2024-2025 N.C. Arts Council funding.

This funding program provides financial support to Black- and Latinx-owned small businesses in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to help them succeed, retain jobs, and create new employment opportunities.

This grant provides financial support to individual artists and small groups in North Carolina for projects that enhance their artistic skills, promote their work, or create new art.

Applications are now being accepted for the Art Committee Grant Program to promote and provide expanded public access to quality arts programs, promote diversity in the arts and produce economic development and tourism for the citizens of the City of Gastonia. Donor Name: City of Gastonia State: North Carolina City: Gastonia Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 09/18/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: North Carolina General Statute authorizes local governments to establish and support arts programs and facilities; and, to appropriate funds to any governmental agency, public or nonprofit private association, corporation, or organization for the purpose of establishing and supporting such arts programs and facilities. Pursuant to the authority granted in Section160A-488 the City Council of the City of Gastonia has established the Gastonia Arts Committee Grant Program. The Arts Committee Grant Program will provide grant funding to eligible nonprofit organizations for the support of qualifying arts programs. Funding Information The grant awards will range from $1,000 to $10,000. Eligibility Criteria Any arts organization with 501(c)(3) status under the United States Internal Revenue Code, which maintains a permanent office,practice/performance space, or physical addresswithin the municipal boundaries of the City of Gastonia. North Carolina General Statute Section160A-488 refers to “arts” to include the performing arts, visual arts, and literary arts and includes dance, drama, music, painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, crafts, photography, film, video, architecture, design, and literature, when part of a performing, visual or literary arts program. For more information, visit City of Gastonia.

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.

The Sanford/Lee County Community Development Department is accepting applications for housing rehabilitation or reconstruction housing assistance. Donor Name: Sanford/Lee County Community Development Department State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/13/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Lee County is applying to the N.C. Department of Commerce for a 2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-NR Project for $950,000 from the department’s Rural Economic Development Division community development funds. Households with lower incomes who occupy substandard housing will be considered. The applicant must be the homeowner and must be the occupant of the home. Eligible applicants must be up to date on real estate taxes and have a clear title to the property. For more information, visit Sanford/Lee County Community Development Department.

The Alexander County Economic Development Corporation is offering grants of $1,000 to $5,000, funded by the Duke Energy Foundation, to businesses in Alexander County, North Carolina, for projects aimed at enhancing physical spaces, e-commerce, service delivery, equipment purchase, ADA accessibility, and public health compliance, with a special focus on fostering entrepreneurship and expanding childcare centers.

The North Carolina IOLTA is requesting applications for its Civil Legal Aid Grant Program. Donor Name: North Carolina State Bar State: North Carolina County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: NC IOLTA’s Civil Legal Aid Grant Program provides general support for a network of organizations, including both civil legal aid organizations and other agencies that provide civil legal aid, that together provide basic access to the justice system for indigent people residing in every county in North Carolina. Civil legal aid includes direct representation of eligible clients and client groups as well as related training and technical assistance. An organization or program may be providing services through staff attorneys and advocates or using volunteer lawyers on a pro bono basis. Areas of Funding Civil Legal Aid Grants  General Civil Legal Aid Grants are offered to legal aid organizations, defined as a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code whose primary purpose is to provide civil legal aid to low-income clients. General Civil Legal Aid Grants are intended to provide general programmatic support to civil legal aid organizations to broadly support legal services for eligible clients. Project Support Grants are offered to legal aid organizations or other entities that run legal aid programs (such as social service providers, advocacy organizations, and other nonprofits that provide other non-legal services in addition to the legal services provided). Project Support Grants are intended to support programs focused on particular client subgroups or particular types of client services, especially where the clients served are not being reached or the program offers services that are not otherwise available through civil legal aid organizations. Pro Bono Support Grants. Pro Bono Support Grants are offered to support the development and expansion of efforts to engage lawyers and other legal professionals in the provision of voluntary legal services. Note that a pro bono program that does not focus their efforts specifically on indigent clients is not eligible for a Pro Bono Support Grant under the Civil Legal Aid Grant Program but may apply under the Administration of Justice Grant Program. System Support Grants. System Support Grants are offered to support efforts to improve the system of the delivery of civil legal aid by increasing program efficiency, effectiveness, and collaboration. Examples of some efforts within this area of funding include training, research and evaluation, program innovations, website development or updates, online platforms or tools, and planning and sustainability efforts.  Funding Criteria Preference generally will be given to requests from applicants:  Providing direct representation of clients or client groups, including engaging in a range of services from extended representation to brief advice offered through a variety of methods, offering community legal education to clients, and supporting community economic development through services to client groups;  Who are staffed civil legal aid organizations, as the most effective and efficient means by which to deliver high quality legal assistance to the poor, including pro bono efforts as an important supplement to staffed legal services;  Who are current qualified providers over additional, separate programs except where a separate program can address client needs more effectively and efficiently;  Having diverse funding sources; Grant period January 1 – December 31, 2025. Eligibility Criteria  In addition to meeting the stated eligibility for all NC IOLTA grants, to be eligible for funding from NC IOLTA under the Civil Legal Aid Grant Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:  Serve North Carolina residents who are indigent, defined as individuals who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or who are eligible to receive public assistance through a government program for the indigent. In addition to income, programs may consider other relevant factors in determining financial eligibility for services, including access to liquid assets, fixed debts and obligations, and family size for example.  The organization may also consider availability of income, i.e., whether the individual seeking assistance has direct and unfettered access, without having to obtain the consent or cooperation of another person over whom the individual does not have control and who does not in fact consent or cooperate.  If an organization uses a definition of indigent or low-income clients, for all or a portion of its clients that is different from the above, it must be able to show that a majority of its clients fall within the stated NC IOLTA definition.  Provide services without charge to the client. An organization will not be disqualified from receiving funds from NC IOLTA for charging nominal fees as long as the organization allows for the complete waiver of fees in cases where clients cannot pay the fee. The Board reserves the right to approve grants to an organization charging significantly reduced fees in areas of law where services are otherwise unavailable to low-income clients. Grantees that charge fees, whether nominal or reduced, are required to provide a copy of their client fee policy and schedule to NC IOLTA and include information on fees received in their regular financial reports to NC IOLTA, including information about the number of fee waivers provided to clients. For more information, visit North Carolina State Bar.

The Watauga Arts Council is currently accepting applications for its Artist Support Grants for working artists who seek to advance their careers through professional development, studio improvements, new projects, promotion, and more. Donor Name: Watauga Arts Council State: North Carolina County: Watauga County (NC) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/07/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Funding Information  Grant awards to artists generally range from $500 to $2500. Eligibility Criteria  The artist support grant is intended to support working artists. They do not recommend applying if you are a beginner or hobby artist unless you want to transition into the career and have a strong body of work to support that endeavor. Professors may only apply if it supports their career as an artist, not to support work for their university or classes they teach. For more information, visit Watauga Arts Council.

This program provides financial assistance to production companies organizing esports events in North Carolina, promoting economic growth through local spending and job creation.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to North Carolina arts organizations that actively engage their communities through consistent artistic programming and services.

The Agricultural Economic Development Grant Program offers cost share grants to assist farmers and nonprofits in their agricultural endeavors and to promote Agriculture Development and Outdoor Environmental Learning Centers in schools. Donor Name: Durham County State: North Carolina County: Durham County (NC) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/23/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The County has a successful economic development plan that offers cash incentives to businesses that create jobs in the community. This Agricultural Economic Grant Program mimics the same outcome but is directed to support farms, new and beginning entrepreneurs, nonprofits that support agriculture in the county, and to support agriculture education in schools. Funding Information  This program will provide two types of grants: Small grants for Agriculture Development in schools: Up to $1,500. Grants for Farmers: Up to $10,000. For more information, visit Durham County Government.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce is seeking applications for its Rural Downtown Economic Development Grants. Donor Name: North Carolina Department of Commerce State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 06/20/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The purpose of this program is to support downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives that are intended to help local governments grow and leverage downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity. Funding availability is at the discretion of the Rural Infrastructure Authority. RDED Grants will support projects that Provide public improvements that help retain business and attract customers to business districts. Support publicly owned downtown economic development initiatives that leverage main streets and downtown districts as economic engines. Facilitate publicly owned building improvements that are used for community-wide uses or mixed-use development in or on properties that are publicly owned and controlled. Funding Information The maximum grant amount is $850,000 per grantee and may not exceed $12,500 per projected job created or retained. Eligible Activities Public Infrastructure – Improvements to publicly owned infrastructure in a downtown district, that serves a community-wide use, such as lots, alleys, streetscapes, waterfront developments and parks. Public Buildings (Renovation or Additions) – Improvements to publicly owned buildings in a downtown district that serve a public, community-wide use, such as a community center, theater, civic center, recreation center, or library. Mixed-Use Downtown Development (Renovation or Additions) – Improvements to publicly owned property in a downtown district that may be zoned and developed for a mix of uses. The mix of use may include two or more of the following: retail, restaurant, service, professional, nonprofit, governmental, institutional, or residential. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants are units of local government located in Tier 1 or Tier 2 counties, and rural census tracts in Tier 3 counties. For the purposes of this program, units of local government are defined as municipal or county governments within the state of North Carolina. For more information, visit NCDC.

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.