Golden LEAF Foundation

Grants Awarded | 2007-2008 Annual Cycle Awards

The Golden Leaf Foundation is pleased to announce that the following North Carolina non profits and government entities were awarded grants in the fiscal year 2007-2008 annual grant cycle. Click on the North Carolina map icon for each grant recipient to obtain a map of the counties served by that grant.

Grantee	Adult Enrichment Services of Wilkes, Inc.
Contact	Shelmer D. Blackburn, Jr. Adult Enrichment Services of Wilkes, Inc. PO Box 984 North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 Tel: 919-270-1522 Fax: 336-973-3058
Project Title	Adult Day Health Center of Wilkes
Grant Amount	$50,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to help support development of a state-certified, adult day health center. The grant will help create jobs at the center and the center will enable family members who have been providing care at home to enter or return to work.
Service Area	Wilkes, Alexander, Surry, Yadkin, Caldwell, Iredell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany

Grantee	Appalachian State University
Contact	Dr. Robert L. Johnson Appalachian State University 287 Rivers St Boone, NC 28608 Tel: 828-262-2692 Fax: 828-262-2709
Project Title	Community Ties (Trash Into Energy Savings), Phase III
Grant Amount	$79,673
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant continues support to the ASU Energy Center to allow it to provide assistance to Bertie, Cleveland, Columbus, Edgecombe, McDowell, Rockingham, and Scotland Counties through the Community Ties Program. The Community TIES program assists counties with creation and implementation of Community-based Landfill Gas Economic Development Plans that are expected to lead to job creation and increased county revenues. The ASU Energy Center will assist in design and installation of collection systems, identification of end users, and coaching project managers.
Service Area	Bertie, Cleveland, Columbus, Edgecombe, McDowell, Rockingham, and Scotland

Grantee	Appalachian State University
Contact	Dr. Stanley R. Aeschleman Appalachian State University 287 Rivers St Boone, NC 28608 Tel: 828-262-2070 Fax: 828-262-3034
Project Title	North Carolina Engineering Technologies
Grant Amount	$600,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will assist with the up-fitting and equipping of the North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies to be located in Hickory, NC to meet the demand of existing and emerging industry for engineers. The Center will provide workforce development through specialized and degree programs and a series of certificate programs and short courses.
Service Area	Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Rutherford, Watauga, Wilkes

Grantee	Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
Contact	Mr. Charlie Jackson Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project 729 Haywood Road, Suite 3 Asheville, North Carolina 28806-3141 Tel: 828-236-1282 Fax: 828-236-1280
Project Title	Appalachian Grown: Expanding Market Opportunities for Western North Carolina Farmers
Grant Amount	$75,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide continued support for the "Appalachian Grown" project, including partnering with local grocers, distributors, farmers and institutions to create new opportunities for farmers in high value markets and to drive demand for local food. It is anticipated that the efforts supported in part by Golden LEAF will lead to $6 million in value added income to local and family farms in 2008.
Service Area	Advantage West

Grantee	Ashe County Partnership for Children
Contact	Ms. Carol Coulter Ashe Partnership for Children 626 Ashe Central School Rd., Unit 1 Jefferson, NC 28640 Tel: 336-982-4588 ext. 225 Fax: 336-982-8860
Project Title	Creative Food Ventures Food Processing Facility
Grant Amount	$64,500
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to purchase kitchen equipment to be used to help local farmers and others create value-added products at the Creative Food Ventures facility in Jefferson, NC.
Service Area	Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Watauga, Wilkes

Grantee	Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Andrea Stilley Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation, Inc. PO Box 352 Aurora, NC 27806 Tel: 252-322-4238
Project Title	I Dig Aurora Campaign
Grant Amount	$40,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to assist with local and regional tourism marketing activities that will promote and encourage increased visitation and tourism revenues in Beaufort County and the northeast region of North Carolina.
Service Area	Beaufort, Craven, Pamlico

Grantee	Braswell Memorial Library
Contact	Ms. Jane W. Blackburn Braswell Memorial Library 727 N. Grace Street Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Tel: (252) 442-1951 ext. 227
Project Title	Business Information Center Outreach Services
Grant Amount	$125,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support the development of the Business Information Center Outreach Services (BICOS) at no less than six sites in Edgecombe, Halifax, and Nash Counties. BICOS is a program designed to help bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and traditional service providers charged with offering education, technical assistance, and referrals to access to capital.
Service Area	Nash, Halifax, Edgecombe

Grantee	Carolina East Home Care & Hospice, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Lynn S. Hardy Carolina East Home Care & Hospice, Inc. P.O. Box 887 Kenansville, NC 28349 Tel: 910-296-0819 ext. 4426 Fax: 910-296-0482
Project Title	Milford & Reba Quinn Hospice Care Center (serving farming communities)
Grant Amount	$300,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support residential hospice care in Duplin County that will serve Duplin, Lenoir, Jones, Onslow, Wayne, Pender and Sampson Counties. This project will help free acute care beds at Duplin General Hospital and will create 30 new jobs.
Service Area	Duplin, Lenoir, Jones, Onslow, Wayne, Pender, Sampson

Grantee	Carteret Community College
Contact	Mr. Joseph T. Barwick Carteret Community College 3505 Arendell Street Morehead City, NC 28557-2989 Tel: 252-222-6000 Fax: 252-222-6274
Project Title	Equipping the Construction Trades Center
Grant Amount	$120,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to assist Carteret Community College with equipping their Construction Trades Center to prepare a skilled workforce that will meet the needs of the growing construction industry in Carteret County and the coastal region. Training will be available to existing workers as well as high school students. There are plans to establish a dual enrollment construction program with the Carteret County Schools to begin early 2009. It is estimated that over 200 individuals will be trained annually to work in diverse construction sectors.
Service Area	Carteret, Pamlico, Craven, Onslow

Grantee	City of Elizabeth City
Contact	Mr. Rich Olson City of Elizabeth City PO Box 347 306 East Colonial Avenue Elizabeth City, NC 27907 Tel: 252-337-6864 Fax: 252-335-3503
Project Title	Elizabeth City Aviation Research & Development Commerce Park
Grant Amount	$2,000,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support the construction of an airport taxiway connecting the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Regional Airport (ECPCRA) to the city-owned Aviation Park, which is under development. Development of the park will lead to significant additional investment by DRS Technologies and others, resulting in creation of approximately 500 jobs. The Elizabeth City Aviation Research & Development Park will also leverage the assets of the U.S. Coast Guard Station and its growing aircraft overhaul functions, workforce training capabilities of the Aviation Sciences Program at ECSU and the College of The Albemarle, and existing industry relationships to grow aviation businesses and jobs in the area. The Coast Guard Station has 10 on-site civilian contracting firms, (including Northrop-Grumman, Sikorski, SRA International, and DALCO) which employ 56% of the 1,865 workforce at the U.S. Coast Guard's Air Station. Workforce development programs will be available at the Aviation Park through Elizabeth City State University's Aviation Sciences Program and by the College of the Albemarle.
Service Area	Pasquotank, Camden, Perquimans, Chowan

Grantee	Columbus County Community Farmer's Market, Inc.
Contact	Mr. Kipling E. Godwin Columbus County Community Farmer's Market, Inc. 132 Government Complex Road P.O. Box 888 Whiteville, NC 28472 Tel: 910-840-6743 Fax: 910-653-9536
Project Title	Joint Initiative to Expand Agriculture Markets
Grant Amount	$70,000
Project Description	This purpose of this grant is to provide start-up funding for a period of three years for a full-time marketing manager for three cooperating organizations in southeastern North Carolina--Columbus County Community Farmers Market, Columbus County Beekeepers Association, and Lumber River Regional Growers Association. The work of the marketing manager should help increase local farm participation and increase their sales; expand marketing opportunities; improve collaboration among relevant organizations; increase public awareness of the markets; and grow each organization's membership.
Service Area	Columbus, Bladen, Robeson, Brunswick

Grantee	Core Sound Waterfowl Museum
Contact	Mrs. Karen W. Amspacher Core Sound Waterfowl Museum PO Box 556 Harkers Island, NC 28531 Tel: 252-728-1500 Fax: 252-728-1742
Project Title	Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center's Showcase Gallery of Traditional Arts & Crafts
Grant Amount	$40,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to assist with local and regional tourism marketing activities that will promote and encourage increased visitation and tourism revenues in the Harker's Island community and the eastern region of North Carolina.
Service Area	Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico

Grantee	Dan River Basin Association
Contact	Ms. Katherine K. Mull Dan River Basin Association 413 Church St., #401 Eden, North Carolina 27288 336-627-6270 336-627-6206
Project Title	Dan River Nature and Heritage Tourism Initiative
Grant Amount	$57,527
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide support for the development of visitor guides/trip planners and market information that targets and attracts nature, heritage and cultural tourists to the North Carolina Dan River region for multi-day trips. The project will increase visitors, visitor spending, local sales tax revenues and jobs by boosting local tourism; by enabling "packaging" of activities; and by developing regional promotion of nature and heritage sites. Funds will be used for project activities in Caswell, Person, Rockingham and Stokes counties.
Service Area	Caswell, Person, Rockingham, Stokes

Grantee	Destination Cleveland County, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Marta L. Holden Destination Cleveland County, Inc. PO Box 2063 Shelby, NC 28151 Tel: (704) 477-6845
Project Title	The Earl Scruggs Center - Songs and Stories of the Carolina Foothills
Grant Amount	$250,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to assist with the construction of the courtroom performance space inside the historic Cleveland County Courthouse which will serve as a destination hub for travelers to experience the connection between music and the traditions of the Carolina Foothills region. The courthouse will also house the Earl Scruggs Center and will feature permanent interactive exhibits highlighting Earl Scruggs' contribution to music, and all genres of music from the region and how they reflect local history. The center is estimated to have a $12.8 million impact in the first year, creating 140 jobs.
Service Area	Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Burke, Rutherford

Grantee	The Development Foundation of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching
Contact	Dr. Mary D. McDuffie The Development Foundation of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching 276 NCCAT Drive Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723 Tel: 828-293-5202 Fax: 828-227-7013
Project Title	The Next Generation
Grant Amount	$150,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide support to the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching's continuing effort to increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers from tobacco dependent and/or economically distressed counties in North Carolina in high needs curriculum areas. National Board certified teachers tend to stay in teaching longer, are more effective in their profession, and tend to stay in their home districts.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center/Camden County
Contact	Ms. Penny Leary-Smith Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center/Camden County 2356 US 17 North South Mills, NC 27976 Tel: 252-771-8333 Fax: 252-771-2055
Project Title	Come Play in Our History - 2008 Ad Campaign
Grant Amount	$40,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to assist with local and regional tourism marketing activities that will promote and encourage increased visitation and tourism revenues in Camden County and the northeast region of North Carolina.
Service Area	Camden, Gates, Pasquotank

Grantee	East Carolina University
Contact	Mr. Richard E. Best East Carolina University 2200 S. Charles Boulevard Greenville Center, Room 2906 Greenville, NC 27834 Tel: 252-328-9540 Fax: 252-328-4363
Project Title	Eastern Carolina Family Medicine Center
Grant Amount	$1,000,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support the development of the new Family Medicine Center at ECU's Brody School of Medicine that will continue to address the shortage of primary care doctors in North Carolina. Family physicians create jobs for nurses and others and bring needed medical services to communities throughout North Carolina.
Service Area	Eastern Region

Grantee	Edgecombe Community College
Contact	Dr. Deborah L. Lamm Edgecombe Community College 2009 W. Wilson Street Tarboro, North Carolina 27886 Tel: 252-823-5166 Ext 235 Fax: 252-823-6817
Project Title	Community Health Education Resource Center
Grant Amount	$1,000,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support development of a Community Health Education Resource Center on the Rocky Mount campus of Edgecombe Community College. This facility not only will be the central location for 14 of the college's 22 allied health programs and provide on-site clinical and simulated clinical opportunities for more students, but also will provide access to health information, screenings, and limited medical and dental treatments at the primary care and dental clinics to be housed on the first floor. The center will serve an eight county region. The additional opportunities created by the center will help reduce the training bottleneck for health professionals and will allow students to fill jobs in local communities.
Service Area	Edgecombe (Multi-county region)

Grantee	Edgecombe County Public Schools
Contact	Mr. Craig Mclean Edgecombe County Public Schools 412 Pearl Street PO Box 7128 Tarboro, NC 27886 Tel: 252-641-2600 Fax: 252-641-5714
Project Title	Edgecombe County Public Schools: 1-to-1 Laptop Project for High Schools
Grant Amount	$1,550,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support the implementation of a 1-to-1 laptop project for Edgecombe County Schools, which will provide personal computers to each student and teacher in grades 9 and 10.
Service Area	Edgecombe

Grantee	Elizabethan Gardens Inc. of the Garden Club of North Carolina
Contact	Mr. Horace R. Whitfield Elizabethan Gardens Inc of the Garden Club of North Carolina 1411 National Park Drive Manteo, NC 27954 Tel: 252-473-3761 Fax: 252-473-3244
Project Title	Stop Along the Way, A Test Marketing Campaign to Encourage Travel & Tourism throughout Northeast North Carolina
Grant Amount	$30,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to assist with local and regional tourism marketing activities that will promote and encourage increased visitation and tourism revenues in Dare County and the northeast region of North Carolina.
Service Area	Dare

Grantee	Haywood County Economic Development Commission
Contact	Mr. George D. Ivey Haywood County 154 Ridgeview Lane Canton, NC 28716 Tel: 828-712-6474 Fax: 828-452-1352
Project Title	Buy Haywood Market Development Project
Grant Amount	$60,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide continued support to the Buy Haywood Market Development Project to organize and train farmers regarding marketing issues, test the market potential of Haywood County branded products, and increase sales of basic and value-added products through relationships with local and regional retailers, wholesalers, and consumers.
Service Area	Haywood

Grantee	Haywood County Schools Foundation
Contact	Mr. Stephen M. Brown Haywood County Schools Foundation 1230 North Main Street Waynesville, North Carolina 28786 Tel: 828-456-2400 ext. 130 Fax: 828-456-2438
Project Title	Skilled Workers for Local Jobs in WNC
Grant Amount	$250,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to help expand the machinist training program at Pisgah High School to meet the demand for highly skilled machinists. This program will become a direct feeder program of entry-level machinists to Haywood Community College's Advanced Machining Center at the Regional High Tech Center as well as to industries in Western North Carolina. This program will offer college credits during high school, advanced placement at the community college and apprenticeships during the second semester of senior year. At least 120 students will be served in the next year. The program has an established internship program and ongoing working relationship with employers that places students in jobs and provides services needed by industry.
Service Area	Haywood, Buncombe

Grantee	The Leaflight, Inc.
Contact	Mr. Robert A. Smith The Leaflight, Inc. PO Box 16081 Raleigh, NC 27516 Tel: 919-619-8119 Fax: 702-995-8861
Project Title	21st Century Farmers' Markets Program
Grant Amount	$50,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide credit and debit card capability to 5-7 farmers' markets in tobacco dependent and/or economically distressed counties, increasing sales opportunities for farmers. The project will also allow customers to use food stamp EBT cards at participating farmers' markets.
Service Area	Multi-county service area to be determined

Grantee	Lenoir Community College
Contact	Mr. Bobby A. Merritt Lenoir Community College 231 Highway 58 South PO Box 188 Kinston, NC 28502-0188 Tel: 252-527-6223 ext. 109 Fax: 252-233-6880
Project Title	Lenoir Community College Mobile Machining Lab
Grant Amount	$125,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support a Mobile Machining Lab that will enable Lenoir Community College to reach future machining technology students and current employees at local industries by providing on-site training visits to surrounding counties' community colleges and universities where machining technology programs are not available. By attending job fairs and performing demonstrations at middle schools and high schools, the College expects to create interest in machining technology in tobacco-distressed areas where students and displaced workers are in need of training for these 21st century jobs.
Service Area	Greene, Jones, Lenoir

Grantee	Lower Cape Fear Hospice Inc.
Contact	Ms. Laurie Myles Lower Cape Fear Hospice Inc. 725 A Wellington Wilmington, NC 28401 Tel: 910-772-5444 Fax: 910-763-5999
Project Title	Hospice House
Grant Amount	$150,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support residential hospice care in Columbus County that will serve Columbus, Bladen and Brunswick counties. This project will help free acute care beds at regional hospitals, provide an additional training site for student nurses, and will create 10 new jobs.
Service Area	Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus

Grantee	Mitchell County Development Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Shirley A. Hise Mitchell County Development Foundation, Inc. PO Box 858 Spruce Pine, NC 28777 Tel: 828-765-9033 Fax: 828-765-9034
Project Title	The Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree
Grant Amount	$250,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support a small business development project and branding and marketing initiative for Mitchell County utilizing its designation as the "Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree." The goal is to create as many as 150 jobs over the next 5 years. Golden LEAF funds will be used for research and development and marketing development.
Service Area	Advantage West

Grantee	Mountain BizWorks, Inc.
Contact	Mr. Greg Walker-Wilson Mountain BizWorks, Inc. 29 1/2 Page Avenue Asheville, NC 28801 Tel: 828-253-2834 ext. 12 Fax: 828-255-7953
Project Title	Leveraging Federal Resources to Grow Rural Small Business in Western North Carolina
Grant Amount	$145,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to match funds from the SBA Women's Business Center Program to allow Mountain BizWorks to provide its Foundations Business Planning Course, its Growth through Objectives one-on-one business consulting program, and its small business lending program to rural entrepreneurs in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Polk, Swain, and Transylvania Counties in western North Carolina. This project is expected to create 200 jobs, sustain 250 existing jobs, create 50 businesses, and sustain 75 businesses during the grant period.
Service Area	Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Polk, Swain, and Transylvania

Grantee	North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Kathy Kennel North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc. Campus Box 7645 120 Patterson Hall Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7645 Tel: 919-515-9259 Fax: 919-515-5274
Project Title	College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Agricultural Leadership Development Program
Grant Amount	$200,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Agricultural Leadership Development Program. The Program will provide a two-year intensive learning opportunity to twenty-five farmers and agribusiness representatives and five extension agents.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Kathy Kennel North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc. Campus Box 7645 120 Patterson Hall Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7645 Tel: 919-515-9259 Fax: 919-515-5274
Project Title	Developing an Organic Grain Industry in North Carolina
Grant Amount	$100,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to improve the market for organic grains by increasing the number of North Carolina farms producing organic grains, increasing the profitability of organic grains on North Carolina farms already producing organic grains, expanding the organic grain market by increasing the number of organically certified grain producers in North Carolina, assisting farmers in gaining access to federal cost share programs, and facilitating the certification of at least one organic feed mill and one soybean crusher.
Service Area	Duplin, Hyde, Wayne

Grantee	North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Kathy Kennel North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc. Campus Box 7645 120 Patterson Hall Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7645 Tel: 919-515-9259 Fax: 919-515-5274
Project Title	Foothills Pilot Plant - Small Animal Processing for Independent Growers, Phase I
Grant Amount	$200,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support the construction of an approximately 2,000 square foot small animal processing facility that will allow the throughput of not more than 1,000 chickens per day. A feasibility study found that at least 30 small scale independent poultry and rabbit producers in the western part of the North Carolina indicated a demand for the facility. The same study found the potential for 33,200 head of animals to be processed in the facility each year, with a retained value of $377,000.
Service Area	Alexander, Ashe, Buncombe, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, McDowell, Rutherford, Transylvania, Yancey

Grantee	North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Kathy Kennel North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc. Campus Box 7645 120 Patterson Hall Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7645 Tel: 919-515-9259 Fax: 919-515-5274
Project Title	Management of Pierce's Disease of Grapes in the Piedmont of North Carolina
Grant Amount	$40,000
Project Description	Pierce's disease is a deadly infection, carried by insects that can kill infected grape vines in one to two years. This Golden LEAF grant will support additional work to develop a program to manage Pierce's Disease in grapes grown in the Piedmont region of North Carolina through pruning, insecticide treatment for vector control, and management or removal of disease hosts surrounding the vineyards.
Service Area	Piedmont Triad Region

Grantee	North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Kathy Kennel North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc. Campus Box 7645 120 Patterson Hall Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7645 Tel: 919-515-9259 Fax: 919-515-5274
Project Title	North Carolina Muscadine GRAPE: Growth, Recognition, Advancement, Production and Education - Phase II
Grant Amount	$75,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide funding to implement the strategic plan for the North Carolina muscadine grape industry that was developed with prior Golden LEAF funding. Efforts will include marketing the muscadine grape and its products, developing educational materials for the industry, establishing a research facility focusing on muscadines, and further exploration of the antioxidant composition of muscadine grapes.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	The North Carolina Baseball Museum
Contact	Mr. Milo L. Gibbs, Jr. The North Carolina Baseball Museum 2108 Chelsea Drive Wilson, NC 27896 Tel: 252-243-2213
Project Title	Expansion of the North Carolina Baseball Museum
Grant Amount	$40,000
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to assist the North Carolina Baseball Museum with its efforts to expand and become a catalyst for increasing regional tourism revenues as a result of sports tournaments and events. Partners in the project include the Wilson County Youth Athletic Association and the Wilson Visitor's Bureau.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Community College System
Contact	Ms. Karen Yerby North Carolina Community College System 5016 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-5001 Tel: 919-807-7100 ext. 7107 Fax: 919-807-7173
Project Title	Golden LEAF Scholars Program -- Two-Year Colleges
Grant Amount	$500,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide continued support to the North Carolina Community College System in the area of scholarships for tuition, fees and other related costs for a minimum of 330 eligible students attending any of North Carolina's 58 community colleges. Eligible students will be those who reside in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent and/or economically distressed and demonstrate need. Priority for scholarships will be given to students from families adversely affected by the decline of the tobacco industry.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Community Development Initiative Inc.
Contact	Mr. Matthew L. Pridgen North Carolina Community Development Initiative Inc. PO Box 98148 Raleigh, North Carolina 27624 919-835-6070 919-835-6071
Project Title	The REEF (Recreation, Education, Economics, and Family) Center - Pre-development Phase
Grant Amount	$25,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support the NC Community Development Initiative's pre-development work for a multi-use community center in Henderson, NC. The project will increase local asset retention and boost community spending through local ownership of commercial ventures and provide essential services to an impoverished neighborhood and community. Pre-development work supported by this grant includes design and planning, survey, architect and engineering work, and similar costs.
Service Area	Vance

Grantee	North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contact	Ms. Sharron Stewart North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 1020 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 Tel: 919-218-7079 Fax: 919-733-0999
Project Title	Golden Hay Relief
Grant Amount	$500,000
Project Description	The purpose of this project is to help with the transportation of bales of corn, soy and other stover or fodder from Eastern North Carolina to Western North Carolina and other parts of the state to keep North Carolina livestock operations viable. North Carolina is currently experiencing a critical hay shortage caused by dry weather. It is estimated that approximately 800,000 bales of hay are needed around the state and as many as a third of livestock farmers are at risk of going out of business. The project will benefit farmers in Eastern North Carolina by providing an alternative market for their crops that have suffered because of the drought, and will benefit livestock producers by providing much needed hay.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contact	Mr. Peter A. Thornton North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 1020 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 Tel: 919-733-7912 ext. 248 Fax: 919-733-0999
Project Title	"Got to Be NC" Agricultural Marketing Initiative
Grant Amount	$200,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide continued support for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's very successful "Got to Be NC" program. Activities of the project include expanding markets for direct market farms, continuing the Got to Be NC retail and food service campaign, and supporting the underdeveloped market campaign (promoting specialty crops and products).
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contact	Mr. Peter A. Thornton North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 1020 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 Tel: 919-733-7912 ext. 248 Fax: 919-733-0999
Project Title	EUREGAP Certification
Grant Amount	$60,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support efforts of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help farmers obtain EUREGAP certification, which is necessary to sell agricultural products in many European markets.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contact	Mr. Ross W. Williams North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 1020 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 Tel: 919-733-7912 ext 230 Fax: 919-733-0999
Project Title	Water Wise Works! Campaign
Grant Amount	$215,475
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support a public information campaign that will educate consumers about how to effectively implement water conservation practices in managing their landscapes and to restore consumer demand for green industry products grown in rural communities. Approximately 80% of nursery, greenhouse, and sod producers are located in rural counties, but depend on sales to customers in urban areas. By increasing demand for plants and landscaping in urban communities, this program will benefit rural green industry businesses. In addition, by increasing public awareness of how to care for landscapes using less water, this program will promote water conservation.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Forestry Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Mr. David L. Ashcraft North Carolina Forestry Foundation, Inc. NC State University Box 8005 Raleigh, NC 27695-8005 Tel: 919-515-5723 Fax: 919-515-6302
Project Title	Mobile Torrefaction Machinery Development
Grant Amount	$175,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support continued work to develop a low cost, mobile torrefaction system that uses heat to reduce the moisture content in wood chips resulting in a more energy dense, transportable fuel that can be used in many applications, including potentially, co-firing with coal in power plants. The process has the added benefit of providing an economically valuable use for cull trees and logging residue, and will provide added income for rural landowners with timber. The initial work of the project has been promising, and both Duke and Progress Energy have expressed interest in obtaining sufficient biomass for a test fire run at their respective power plants.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Hospital Foundation
Contact	Mr. Jeffrey S. Spade North Carolina Hospital Foundation PO Box 4449 Cary, NC 27519 Tel: 919-677-4223 Fax: 919-677-4200
Project Title	North Carolina Hospital Capital Investment Project
Grant Amount	$1,000,000
Project Description	The purpose of the NC Rural Hospital Investment Project is to organize capital funding to help 56 small and rural NC hospitals invest in needed upgrades and renovations to medical and clinical equipment, plant and facilities, and health information technology. The funding from Golden LEAF, along with a $1 million grant from the Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission, will establish a loan loss reserve fund. Once the reserve fund is established, the credit enhancement fund will leverage a capital financing pool of approximately $40 million.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
Contact	Dr. A. Hope Williams North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities 863 Washington Street Raleigh, NC 27605 Tel: 919-832-5817 Fax: 919-829-7358
Project Title	NCICU Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarships
Grant Amount	$864,000
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to provide continued support for The Golden LEAF Scholars Program at North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. Funding for scholarships to the member schools will cover tuition and fees for the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters. Eligible students must reside in a rural county in North Carolina that is designated by Golden LEAF as tobacco-dependent, and must demonstrate financial need. Priority will be given to students from families adversely affected by the decline of the tobacco industry.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina New Schools Project, Inc.
Contact	Mr. Eric Guckian 4600 Marriott Drive Suite 510 Raleigh, NC 27612 Tel: (919) 277-3779 Fax: (919) 277-3799
Project Title	The Learn and Earn Tech Ready High School Project
Grant Amount	$1,408,750
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to provide funding for one-to-one computer demonstration projects at five Learn and Earn high schools across NC. Funds will be used to purchase laptop computers for students and teachers and professional development in using technology in the classroom. Demonstration sites include Learn and Earn high schools in Edgecombe, Hoke, Macon, Nash and Rutherford Counties. More than 1,200 students will be served.
Service Area	Edgecombe, Hoke, Macon, Nash, Rutherford

Grantee	North Carolina New Schools Project, Inc.
Contact	Dr. M. Anthony Habit Public School Forum of North Carolina 3739 National Drive, Suite 100 Raleigh, NC 27612 Tel: 919-781-6833 ext. 125 Fax: 919-781-6527
Project Title	The Learn and Earn Tech Ready High School Project
Grant Amount	$388,506
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide funding for one-to-one computer projects at two Learn and Earn high schools located in Davidson and Wayne counties. This support will provide laptops to 252 students at the two schools for the 2007-2008 school year, growing to a total of 530 students in the two schools as they reach their targets for full enrollment.
Service Area	Davidson, Wayne

Grantee	North Carolina REAL Enterprises, Inc.
Contact	Dr. Eleanor Herndon North Carolina REAL Enterprises, Inc. 3739 National Drive, Suite 110 Raleigh, NC 27612 Tel: 919-781-6833 ext. 125 Fax: 919-781-7223
Project Title	BRIDGES for Youth Entrepreneurship
Grant Amount	$225,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support the Building REAL Interest in Developing Greater Entrepreneurial Systems (BRIDGES) project, in Ashe, Allegheny, and Wilkes Counties. The project will provide professional development in entrepreneurship education to middle and high school teachers, link entrepreneurship education and development with the work of the Northwest NC Advanced Materials Cluster and Wilkes Community College, and establish community engagement strategies and support teams to support entrepreneurship in each community, and document lessons learned and evaluate outcomes for replication.
Service Area	Burke, Rutherford, Wilson, Martin, Robeson

Grantee	North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
Contact	Ms. Mary Ruffin Hanbury North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office 4617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-4617 Tel: 919-733-4637 Fax: 919-733-8653
Project Title	Rural Heritage Resources Survey
Grant Amount	$75,000
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to provide funding to document historic properties in Northampton, Hertford, Bertie, and Beaufort County in an effort to help these counties fully capitalize on cultural and heritage tourism as they work to diversify their economy.
Service Area	Beaufort, Bertie, Hertford, Northampton

Grantee	North Carolina State University
Contact	Mr. Matthew Ronning North Carolina State University Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance 2701 Sullivan Dr. Admin Services III; MS 7514 Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7514 Tel: 919-515-2444
Project Title	Development of a Lettuce Industry in NC II
Grant Amount	$89,620
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support continued work by North Carolina State University to meet growing demand for North Carolina-grown lettuce by researching the best performing lettuce cultivars, establishing schedules for transplanting and direct seedings, and analyzing issues related to nutrition, diseases control and pests.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina State University
Contact	Mr. Matthew Ronning North Carolina State University Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance 2701 Sullivan Dr. Admin Services III; MS 7514 Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7514 Tel: 919-515-2444
Project Title	Development of Sweet Potato Technologies for the Food Processing Industry: Removing Impediments to Create Value-Added Processing
Grant Amount	$200,000
Project Description	Several food processors have indicated interest in using North Carolina sweet potatoes for value added products such as sweet potato fries. That development, in turn, may lead to the location of sweet potato processing facilities in North Carolina. The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide research responsive to industry needs to develop sweet potato varieties with less product darkening that can be processed over the entire calendar year; to optimize storage conditions for processing needs, and to provide processing help to manage the unique cutting and aging characteristics of sweet potatoes. The grant will also support cultural efforts to provide improved efficiencies, including dedicated planting for processing, mechanical planting and harvesting methods to reduce production costs, improved pest management methods, etc.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina State University
Contact	Mr. Matthew Ronning North Carolina State University Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance 2701 Sullivan Dr. Admin Services III; MS 7514 Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7514 Tel: 919-515-2444
Project Title	Targeting Market Windows for Raspberry and Blackberry Production in Western North Carolina: Harvest Validation
Grant Amount	$50,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support efforts to extend the season for production of blackberries and raspberries in western North Carolina to meet a demonstrated demand for the berries from retailers, the pick your own market, and others. The project will expand upon successful research.
Service Area	Buncombe, Mitchell, Ashe, Yancey

Grantee	North Carolina State University - IMSEI
Contact	Dr. Thom J. Hodgson North Carolina State University - IMSEI Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering Institute Box 7915, 311Daniels Hall Raleigh, NC 27695-7915 Tel: 919-515-5194 Fax: 919-515-1675
Project Title	Small Company Graduate Student Internship
Grant Amount	$60,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to help graduate-level engineering interns advance process improvement, quality, manufacturing systems, automation, information systems, etc. in small companies in rural, tobacco-dependent or economically distressed counties in NC. This grant will provide $15,000 per student for four student interns.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	North Carolina State University - Physical and Mathematical Sciences Foundation
Contact	Ms. Anita C. Stallings Executive Director NCSU PAMS Foundation Box 8201, NC State University Raleigh, NC 27695-8201 Phone: 919-515-3462 Fax: 919-515-7855
Project Title	The Science House - Securing Advanced Technology Industries in North Carolina
Grant Amount	$360,000
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to support The Science House as it strives to promote and improve the performance of K-12 students and teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related disciplines. Direct training will be provided to 100 middle and high school teachers in the latest technologies in teaching science and math. These teachers are expected to provide workshops for 300 other teachers annually. In addition, 100 teachers each year will participate in workshops tailored to specific curricula and school needs.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	Opportunities Industrialization Center of Wilson, Inc.
Contact	Mr. Howard Jones Opportunities Industrialization Center of Wilson, Inc. PO Box 547 Wilson, NC 27894-0547 Tel: 252-291-0038 ext. 130 Fax: 252-291-7281
Project Title	Project New Start: Phase III
Grant Amount	$100,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support Project New Start which has demonstrated success in re-training dislocated workers from tobacco and other industries for employment. These individuals will increase their skills and obtain new employment with wages above their pre-layoff wages. The program will provide remedial and life skills training, job readiness and placement services and case management.
Service Area	Wilson

Grantee	Our Community Hospital
Contact	Mr. Rob M. Calhoun Our Community Hospital PO Box 405 921 Junior High School Road Scotland Neck, NC 27874 Tel: 252-826-4144 Fax: 252-826-2181
Project Title	Our Community Hospital Wellness Center Expansion
Grant Amount	$50,000
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to support the expansion of Our Community Hospital Wellness Center that will increase access to outpatient therapy services, provide disease management for the chronically ill and result in job creation.
Service Area	Edgecombe, Halifax, Northampton

Grantee	River City Community Development Corporation
Contact	Ms. Lenora Jarvis-Mackey River City Community Development Corporation 501 East Main Street Elizabeth City, North Carolina 27909 Tel: 252-331-2925
Project Title	Youth Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute
Grant Amount	$50,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will allow River City CDC to provide low-income, at-risk youth (ages 16-24) the necessary entrepreneurial tools and leadership skills to plan, start, and manage a small business. Participants will gain knowledge about free enterprise, business and economic development, and workforce readiness.
Service Area	Pasquotank, Camden, Perquimans, Chowan

Grantee	Robeson Community College
Contact	Ms. Lynda W. Parlett, MS Robeson Community College PO Box 1420 Lumberton, NC 28359 Tel: 910-272-3240 Fax: 910-272-3232
Project Title	Supporting Construction: A Heavy Equipment Operator Program
Grant Amount	$150,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to continue support for the Heavy Equipment Operator training program at Robeson Community College to meet a current workforce shortage as well as long term high growth need. The College has received commitments from 10 industry advisors and future employers of program graduates sufficient to place from 38 to 70 workers annually.
Service Area	Bladen, Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Scotland

Grantee	Rocky Mount/ Edgecombe Community Development Corporation
Contact	Ms. Joyce M. Dickens Rocky Mount/ Edgecombe Community Development Corporation 148 S. Washington Street, Suite 103 Rocky Mount, NC 27801 Tel: 252-442-5178 Fax: 252-442-1675
Project Title	Crossing at 64 Mixed Use Development
Grant Amount	$100,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support additional work related to Phase I of the 15-acre Crossing at 64 Mixed Use Development on the Edgecombe County side of Rocky Mount. The construction of the 12,000-square-foot Retail Center is scheduled to begin in January 2008. The project will address needs for affordable housing and local access to goods and services for community residents, and is expected to create over 200 jobs.
Service Area	Edgecombe

Grantee	Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA)
Contact	Mr. John B. Justice Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA) PO Box 640 Pittsboro, NC 27312 Tel: 919-542-1396 Fax: 919-542-0069
Project Title	Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Project
Grant Amount	$75,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support seven agricultural initiatives that will investigate and demonstrate ways to replace lost tobacco income. Eligible participants will include farmers that live in selected tobacco dependent and/or economically distressed counties, and that earned income from tobacco at the time of the Master Settlement Agreement.
Service Area	Multi-County Eastern Region

Grantee	Sales & Service Training Center at Northgate Inc
Contact	Ms. Karen E. Mortimer Sales & Service Training Center at Northgate Inc 1058 W. Club Blvd. Office Area 6, Suite 634 Durham, North Carolina 27701 Tel: 919-286-0555 ext. 11 Fax: 919-286-0550
Project Title	LEAP2 - Linking Employers and emPowered People
Grant Amount	$125,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to assist with training efforts in eight counties to provide employers with reliable, competent employees in the service sector and in tourism-related businesses. This project should take advantage of employment opportunities created by regional development activities, particularly related to entertainment, tourism and military base realignments. LEAP2 will work with local Workforce Development Boards to identify, train, and place 200 participants.
Service Area	Bladen, Cumberland, Dare, Halifax, Hyde, Northampton, Robeson, Tyrell, Warren, Washington

Grantee	Southwestern NC Planning & Economic Development Commission
Contact	Mr. Bill Gibson Southwestern NC Planning & Economic Development Commission 125 Bonnie Lane Sylva, NC 28779 Tel: 828-586-1962 Fax: 828-586-1968
Project Title	WNC EdNET Completion
Grant Amount	$205,539
Project Description	The purpose of this project is to help fund completion of infrastructure and services to provide broadband connectivity to 73 schools and colleges in six counties of southwestern North Carolina.
Service Area	Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain

Grantee	Surry Community College Foundation, Inc.
Contact	Ms. Marion Feezor Venable Surry Community College Foundation, Inc. 630 South Main Street Dobson, NC 27017 Tel: 336-386-3269 Fax: 336-386-8951
Project Title	Expanding Employment Opportunities In and Access to Healthcare by Increasing the Nursing Student Capacity at Surry Community College
Grant Amount	$450,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to help equip a lab at Surry Community College that will provide simulated clinical experiences for nursing students. The availability of additional clinical experiences will allow the college to increase annual enrollment in the nursing program, and to enhance the ability of students to apply knowledge and skills learned. Ultimately, the project will result in the number of students qualified for placement in local nursing positions.
Service Area	Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin

Grantee	Teach For America North Carolina
Contact	Mr. Alex S. Quigley Teach For America North Carolina 150 Fayetteville Street Mall, Suite 240 Raleigh, NC 27601 Tel: 919-754-0700 ext. 3 Fax: 919-754-0705
Project Title	Northeastern North Carolina Rural Education Initiative
Grant Amount	$130,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide a fourth year of support for Teach for America in its mission of recruiting the most highly sought-after recent college graduates to commit to two years of teaching in rural Tier 1 counties located in eastern North Carolina. Funds for this project will be used to assist with the recruiting, selection, training, placement and ongoing support for 20 new corps members.
Service Area	Bertie, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Lenoir, Northampton, Vance, Warren, Wayne, Wilson

Grantee	Town of Salemburg
Contact	The Honorable Bobby Strickland Town of Salemburg PO Box 190 Salemburg, NC 28385 Tel: 910-525-5650 Fax: 910-525-3023
Project Title	Town of Salemburg - Economic Opportunities for the Rural Community Project
Grant Amount	$175,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support the construction of commercial space in downtown Salemburg that will be divided into three commercial offices or retail spaces. The Town will retain ownership of the building and has already received commitments from two tenants to lease the spaces. The direct impact is to add jobs to the town, with the indirect impact of encouraging economic growth in the downtown area.
Service Area	Sampson

Grantee	UDI Community Development Corporation
Contact	Mr. R. Edward Stewart UDI Community Development Corporation PO Box 1349 Durham, NC 27702 Tel: 919-544-4597 Fax: 919-544-4609
Project Title	Community Restoration/Revitalization Project
Grant Amount	$200,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will be used to build a 23,000 square foot facility in the old Five Points area of Durham. The neighborhood suffers from higher unemployment and poverty than other areas of Durham and has been designated an official redevelopment area. The facility will house retail establishments, a business incubator, offices, and residences. The project is expected to create 65 full time and 20 part time jobs. UDI currently has a poll of entrepreneurs in its incubation program that are likely candidates to occupy the newly renovated space.
Service Area	Durham

Grantee	UNC-TV
Contact	Mrs. Cathy N. Dobbins UNC-TV 10 T.W. Alexander Drive PO Box 14900 RTP, NC 27707 Phone: (919) 549-7000 Fax: (919) 485-3310
Project Title	North Carolina Rising
Grant Amount	$212,890
Project Description	The goal of this project is to utilize UNC-TV's statewide reach to raise awareness of revitalization efforts that are proving effective in one area of the state so that they might be replicated in other areas. Specifically UNC-TV will produce a series of 12 features on North Carolina Now, a 60-minute program, three town hall meetings, and a comprehensive website that provides an in-depth look at economic development in North Carolina.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	United Community Ministries
Contact	Mr. Christopher Battle United Community Ministries 341 McDonald Street PO Box 2624 Rocky Mount, NC 27802 Phone: (252) 985-1650 Fax: (252) 446-6645
Project Title	United Community Ministries Business Services and Employment Training Project
Grant Amount	$37,500
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to help United Community Ministries (UCM) expand its Business Services Employment and Training Program to provide participants with the skills needed to obtain gainful employment in facility maintenance and landscaping/lawn care. UCM works primarily with homeless families and individuals and provides intensive case management and support services, ultimately leading to self sufficiency. Golden LEAF funds will be used as a 1:1 match for training and program expenses.
Service Area	Edgecombe, Nash

Grantee	University of North Carolina - General Administration
Contact	Ms. Sarah M. Smith University of North Carolina - General Administration 910 Raleigh Road PO Box 2688 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 Tel: 919-962-4557 Fax: 919-843-4942
Project Title	Golden LEAF Scholars Program, 2008-09 Academic Year
Grant Amount	$1,740,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to provide continued support for the Golden LEAF Scholars Program. This program will provide scholarships of $1500 per semester (Fall 2008 and Spring 2009) for 150 freshmen, 110 sophomores, 110 juniors, 110 seniors, and 100 community college transfer students, covering tuition and fees to any of North Carolina's public universities to which they are admitted. Eligible students must reside in a rural county in North Carolina that is designated by Golden LEAF as tobacco-dependent and/or deemed economically distressed, and must demonstrate financial need. Priority for scholarships will be for students from families adversely affected by the decline of the tobacco industry.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Contact	Dr. Tony Waldrop University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Office of Sponsored Research 104 Airport Drive, Suite 2200 CB#1350 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1350 Tel: 919-966-3411 Fax: 919-962-5011
Project Title	UNC-Chapel Hill/Golden LEAF Foundation Collaboration Project Coordination
Grant Amount	$121,686.41
Project Description	The Golden LEAF Foundation has set aside at least $2 million a year for five years to fund a strategic collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that brings the intellectual capital and assets of the University to bear on tobacco dependent and economically distressed areas of the state. Projects funded through the collaboration will fit into two broad approaches: 1) systemic or long-term capacity building required to create competitive communities over time and 2) rapid response projects intended to address immediate needs facing rural, distressed communities. Areas of need include: assistance to rural businesses, tourism, leadership development, program evaluation, professional economic development education, and K-12 education. This Golden LEAF grant will support the work of a project coordinator to manage the day-to-day activities of the collaboration, coordinate communication within the University and with Golden LEAF, develop projects for approval by Golden LEAF, identify assets to be used to implement projects, and oversee execution of funded projects.
Service Area	Statewide

Grantee	University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Contact	Ms. Pamela B. Whitlock University of North Carolina at Wilmington 601 S. College Road Wilmington, NC 28403 Tel: 910-962-3167 Fax: 910-962-4011
Project Title	Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Project
Grant Amount	$70,000
Project Description	This Golden LEAF grant will support the development of the Southeastern NC Food Systems Project. The project involves collaboration among southeastern North Carolina counties to diversify production and expand profit margins for farmers in order to retain, sustain and expand farming operations. Project strategies include implementation of institutional buying systems, establishment and promotion of direct farm-to-market sales, and regional marketing efforts. Expected outcomes include: increased sales of local farm products; sustained and expanded farm employment, profit, and ownership; and expanded local and regional markets for local farm products. The project will collaborate with other regional efforts currently underway in Columbus County and at Fort Bragg.
Service Area	Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender, Robeson

Grantee	Wake Forest College Birthplace Society, Inc.
Contact	Mr. Charles E. Morris Wake Forest College Birthplace Society, Inc. PO Box 494 Wake Forest, NC 27588 Tel: 919-556-2911 Fax: 919-556-2911
Project Title	Wake Forest Birthplace Museum & Archives Expansion
Grant Amount	$100,000
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to assist the Wake Forest Birthplace Society with its efforts to increase regional tourism revenues through an expansion of its museum.
Service Area	Wake

Grantee	Wilson County Public Schools
Contact	Dr. Lane Mills 117 N. Tarboro Street Wilson, NC 27893 Tel: (252) 399-7700 Fax: (252) 399-7607
Project Title	Hunt Laptop Project: 1 to 1 Computing
Grant Amount	$1,613,300
Project Description	The purpose of this grant is to assist with the implementation of a comprehensive plan to improve the quality, relevance and rigor of education in Wilson County. Golden LEAF funds will be used to provide laptop computers to approximately 1,300 students at Hunt High School in grades 9-12. Wilson County Schools believes that the change in instructional practice among teachers and enriched learning environments for students provided by the dedicated access to a laptop will facilitate marked improvement in all academic areas as measured by end-of-course assessments and graduation rates. SAS and NC State University's Friday Institute are partners in the project.
Service Area	Wilson

Grantee	Wilson Technical Community College
Contact	Ms. Denise K. Moore Wilson Technical Community College 902 Herring Avenue PO Box 4305 Wilson, NC 27893 Tel: 252-246-1254 Fax: 252-243-7148
Project Title	START Center: Simulation Technology for an Allied Health Regional Training Center
Grant Amount	$450,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to help equip a lab at Wilson Technical Community College that will provide simulated clinical experiences for nursing students. The availability of additional clinical experiences will allow the college to increase annual enrollment in the nursing program, and to enhance the ability of students to apply knowledge and skills learned. Ultimately, the project will result in the number of students qualified for placement in local nursing positions. The applicant has identified a need for 330 nurses per year.
Service Area	Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Wilson

Grantee	Windows On The World E-CDC
Contact	Ms. Dorenda F. Gatling Windows On The World E-CDC P.O. Box 639 Roper, N.C. 27970 Phone: 252-793-9582 Fax: 252-791-0005
Project Title	e-DOC Health Clinic Network
Grant Amount	$250,000
Project Description	The purpose of this project is to convert 15 eastern NC clinics, primarily Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to electronic health records and billing, train at least 15 biller/coders, provide the necessary support for these facilities and aid research on health disparities.
Service Area	Beaufort, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pender, Tyrell, Vance, Warren, Wayne, Wilson

Grantee	Yadkin Arts Council, Inc.
Contact	Mr. Michael A. Orsillo Yadkin Arts Council, Inc. PO Box 667 Yadkinville, NC 27055 Tel: 336-679-2941 Fax: 336-677-3962
Project Title	The Yadkin Cultural Arts Center - Gateway to the Yadkin Valley
Grant Amount	$95,000
Project Description	The purpose of this Golden LEAF grant is to support the Yadkin Arts Council with the development of the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center. The center will be located in Yadkinville, and is expected to bolster tourism and agri-tourism revenues in the region. Partners in the project include Yadkin County Schools, the Yadkin Valley Craft Guild, Yadkinville, local business and civic organizations, and other arts organizations.
Service Area	Yadkin, Surry, Davie, Forsyth, Wilkes

Golden LEAF Foundation
107 SE Main Street, Suite 500, Rocky Mount NC 27801
252-442-7474 phone 252-442-7404 fax 888-684-8404 toll free
www.goldenleaf.org email: info@goldenleaf.org