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About Us | Message from the Chairman & the President
From the Chairman of the Board and the President excerpted from the Golden LEAF Foundation's 2006-2007 Annual Report It is clear that the Golden LEAF Foundation, established in 1999 to help tobacco-dependent and economically distressed communities throughout North Carolina, is having a significant impact. Our grants to organizations across the state are creating thousands of jobs, providing education and new training for many thousands of people each year, helping farmers develop new crops and be more productive on their land, and generally helping to improve communities. It also is apparent that Golden LEAF is providing a forward vision - a vision that is helping in the short-term as well as laying the groundwork for greater prosperity in the long-term. The early results of our grantmaking are encouraging. A recent, independent analysis of the impact of grants that are now closed - meaning funding was made in full and a final report from the grantee has been submitted - shows favorable short-term outcomes. For example, 45 projects reported new investments totaling almost one-half billion dollars. Sixty-five projects reported new jobs created, and 29 reported jobs retained for a total of almost 13,400 jobs. Through various programs, more than 37,600 people received training. Golden LEAF funding also was key to the development of 14 new certified industrial sites.
We offer these statistics at the risk of being misunderstood, because there were hundreds of other grants made for projects that are ongoing and for which final reports have not been issued. Included in these ongoing projects are some of our most promising initiatives, such as our commitment to biotechnology. In this sector alone, thousands of people are being trained for good jobs in biotechnology research and biomanufacturing. As successful as these grants have been, we are mindful that there are many communities in North Carolina that are in dire need of greater resources. They are asking for both economic support and help in crafting solutions to their problems. They see Golden LEAF as a unique resource. With a clear mission of long-term economic advancement for areas of the state hit hard by the transition from a tobacco-based economy and economically distressed for many other reasons, such as the decline of textiles and furniture, Golden LEAF is a powerful resource - now and for years to come. To the Board and staff, our mission is clearer than ever. Increasingly, Golden LEAF is finding itself in the role of initiator. After seven years of working with people from all parts of North Carolina, we have the benefit of experience and seeing firsthand what can be meaningful in terms of improving local communities. While we exist to help communities across the state - indeed, some of our most successful grants have been for projects in Western North Carolina as well as the Piedmont - many of the communities with the most critical needs are in the East. There are scores of communities in the East with proud pasts but uncertain futures. Scotland Neck is a good example of a community where citizens came together, asked Golden LEAF for grants and advice, and gave the town a new direction. We are confident that our work in community assistance and education will enable other communities to rebuild their local economies. Golden LEAF is committed to seeking out some of those rural communities that are most in need of resources and collaborating with them. Creating an educated and well-trained workforce - from the beginning a focus of this Foundation - will continue to be important, both through grants for special projects and through Golden LEAF Scholarships. In 2006, the Foundation awarded $4,036,000 in Golden LEAF Scholarships to more than 1,500 students in community colleges and public and private colleges and universities. Government officials, decision makers and editorialists across the nation continue to praise North Carolina for its good stewardship of tobacco settlement funds. The North Carolina model, which ensures economic development funds for future generations, is proving its worth here in our state. We are encouraged by the progress that is being made through the work of the Golden LEAF Foundation, and we look forward to helping to move North Carolina forward in the years to come. We know, too, that whatever this Foundation does, it is done in concert with many others who care about our state and its future. Richard Holder Valeria L. Lee
Golden LEAF Foundation |
