Daily Featured Foundation - 11/24/25

11/24/2025

Here is today’s featured foundation.

Golden LEAF Foundation

Website: https://goldenleaf.org/

Mission & Purpose: To increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities. The foundation was created to distribute the state's share of the Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers.

Broad Funding Guidelines: Grantmaking is focused exclusively on North Carolina, specifically targeting economically distressed and rural areas. They support 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental entities. Their priority is Economic Development, including job creation, workforce preparedness, and agriculture. They do not fund social services or arts unless there is a direct economic development tie-in.

Featured Opportunity: The Open Grants Program is their accessible, year-round funding stream. It accepts applications on a rolling basis for projects of up to $500,000. This is ideal for projects like extending water/sewer lines to a new industrial site or purchasing equipment for a community college workforce training program.

Recommendation: Rural North Carolina community colleges, economic development corporations, or nonprofits focused on workforce training (e.g., a welding training program) that can draw a direct line between the grant and new jobs.