In many parts of North Carolina, economic transformation over the decades has left communities struggling with the loss of traditional industries and the urgent need to attract new investment. The Golden LEAF Foundation recognizes these challenges and plays a proactive role in revitalizing these regions through its Job Creation & Economic Investment grants.
By targeting communities that need it most such as rural, tobacco-dependent, or economically distressed areas, the foundation helps spark new economic activity, strengthen infrastructure, and create sustainable job opportunities.
This blog explores how the program works, who can apply, how to navigate the process, and why this opportunity is especially powerful for long-term regional renewal.
What Is the Job Creation & Economic Investment Program?
Golden LEAF’s Job Creation & Economic Investment priority area serves as an umbrella for several targeted grant tracks. Each is designed to stimulate economic development in underserved North Carolina communities.
Objectives & Focus
- Create full-time jobs in distressed or tobacco-reliant areas
- Attract new business investment by bridging funding gaps
- Expand existing industries and modernize infrastructure
- Train new workers and enhance workforce readiness
Golden LEAF provides gap funding, partnering with nonprofits, local governments, colleges, and economic development agencies to bring forward projects that might otherwise stall.
Grant tracks include:
- Open Grants Program – Lower-threshold projects aligned with economic priorities
- Economic Catalyst Program – Projects tied to company job creation commitments
- SITE Program – Funding for site readiness and infrastructure
- Community-Based Grants Initiative (CBGI) – Targeted, region-specific investments
- Other aligned programs supporting economic development
How the Different Grant Tracks Work
This entry-point track supports catalytic community projects.
- Open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and government entities
- Awards up to $200,000 (up to $500,000 in special cases)
- Eligible uses: renovation, infrastructure, equipment, staffing, training
- Must align with job creation, economic investment, workforce, or agriculture
Designed for projects where a company commits to job creation but needs support to make it viable.
- Applicants: nonprofits and government entities
- Business must commit to creating full-time jobs
- Project must be “at risk” without Golden LEAF support
- Covers infrastructure, training, site development
- Application must precede public announcement of company location
Golden LEAF evaluates wage levels, job quality, community need, and funding leverage.
Helps prepare sites for future development.
- Identification Phase: Consultant assessments for potential sites
- Due Diligence Phase: Environmental and mapping studies
- Development Phase: Utilities, grading, clearing on public sites
This track helps communities market “shovel-ready” sites for investment.
Community-Based Grants Initiative (CBGI)
Targeted regional funding with built-in local coordination.
- Projects must support core priorities: jobs, workforce, agriculture
- Limited to three projects per county within a capped total
- Applicants may include nonprofits, governments, and colleges
- Often requires county-level endorsement
Who Can Apply?
Eligibility varies by program, but generally includes:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
- Local, regional, or state government entities
- Community colleges, economic development groups, higher education institutions
- Projects must be located in North Carolina
Most projects should align with one or more Golden LEAF priorities: job creation, economic investment, agriculture, or workforce development. In programs like Economic Catalyst, applicants must show job commitments and regional need.
How to Apply
Steps may vary by grant program, but follow this general process:
Pre-Application Consultation: Contact Golden LEAF staff to confirm alignment and discuss eligibility.
Determine Program Track: Choose the right track: Open Grants, Economic Catalyst, SITE, or CBGI.
Complete Application Materials:
Applicants typically submit:
- Project narrative with alignment to priorities
- Budget and financial plan
- Feasibility or job commitment evidence
- Letters of support
- Site maps or infrastructure documentation
- Organizational background and capacity
For Economic Catalyst, applicants must explain how the project is “at risk” without Golden LEAF support.
Due Diligence & Site Visits: Staff may review site feasibility, local support, and financial readiness.
Board Decision & Award: The Board reviews applications based on impact, feasibility, and alignment.
Monitoring & Reporting
Grantees track metrics such as:
- Jobs created
- Wages and benefits
- Private investment leveraged
- Infrastructure or facility improvements
- Jobs retained
Reports must be submitted on a regular schedule.
Why This Grant Opportunity Is Especially Impactful
Targeting Underserved Regions: Golden LEAF’s mission is rooted in supporting communities that are typically overlooked by traditional funding, especially rural and economically challenged areas.
Bridging Critical Funding Gaps: Many projects fail due to one missing funding piece. Golden LEAF’s gap funding completes the puzzle, making transformative projects viable.
Strengthening Local Capacity: Funding supports not just businesses but also community organizations, workforce programs, and institutions for building ecosystem-wide capacity.
Encouraging Strategic Alignment
Golden LEAF encourages applicants to collaborate with local, regional, and state partners. Aligned, partnership-driven projects tend to be more competitive.
Focus on Measurable Outcomes
Golden LEAF evaluates success based on:
- Full-time job creation
- Wages and job quality
- Private capital investment
- Infrastructure readiness
- Business startups or expansions
Tips to Craft a Strong Application
- Engage early with Golden LEAF staff: they may provide guidance, flag pitfalls, or clarify expectations.
- Make the “at risk” case convincingly: clearly show what would happen without this funding.
- Demonstrate leverage: show other sources of funding or community investment.
- Highlight quality of jobs: wages, benefits, advancement potential matter.
- Show alignment with local plans: regional economic development strategies, workforce needs, or local government support enhance credibility.
- Be specific and realistic: set attainable milestones, timelines, and deliverables.
- Prepare solid infrastructure plans if public infrastructure is part of your task (water, sewer, roads, site prep).
- Document organizational capacity: highlight past successes, leadership, and ability to execute complex projects.
Imagining the Potential
Imagine a rural county hit hard by job losses and plant closures. A local nonprofit partners with the county to attract a light manufacturing company, but infrastructure upgrades and workforce training are required. A Golden LEAF Economic Catalyst grant bridges the gap:
- A new facility opens, bringing 150 full-time jobs
- Wages exceed the county average
- Colleges align training programs with employer needs
- Utility upgrades benefit surrounding properties
- The local tax base grows as population rebounds
This is the ripple effect Golden LEAF aims to catalyze not just one project, but a sustainable community transformation.
Golden LEAF’s Job Creation & Economic Investment grants offer more than funding. They represent belief in the potential of North Carolina’s communities. For nonprofits, governments, and development leaders ready to act, these grants offer a strategic path to long-term renewal.
To explore current opportunities, visit the Golden LEAF Funding Opportunities page and the Job Creation & Economic Investment section.
