The Duke Energy Foundation recently announced it has granted $50,000 to The VGCC Foundation to support small businesses in Vance, Granville, Franklin, and Warren counties.

The grant is part of $700,000 in new funding made available to North Carolina small businesses in partnership with community development organizations like the Small Business Center at Vance-Granville Community College. Small business grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will be distributed through 20 community organizations to support retail shops, restaurants, and other small businesses looking to expand, upgrade technology, and improve downtown storefronts.

Now in its fourth year, the program has provided over $2 million in funding to small businesses since its inception during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Duke Energy Foundation’s small business grant program has helped fuel a resurgence of entrepreneurial small businesses ranging from bookstores to restaurants in our state,” said Kendal Bowman, North Carolina State President for Duke Energy. “These small business grants ensure Main Streets across North Carolina are well positioned to benefit from our state’s unprecedented economic growth.”

Such businesses play a critical role in the state’s economic health and employ nearly half of North Carolina’s workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“Small businesses remain the backbone of the U.S. economy, and in rural areas, they also serve as the heartbeat of our local economies,” noted VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “This monetary commitment enables Vance-Granville Community College to promote the entrepreneurial mindset and support budding small business ideas into real businesses within our larger community.”

The VGCC Small Business Center will select grant fund recipients through a series of workshops, one based in each of the four counties the College serves. Each workshop session will span four evening classes (10 total hours of instruction). The sessions will culminate with a five-minute pitch contest, after which five of the session’s 10 participants will receive a $2,500 award to support their small business.

Workshop dates and locations are as follows:
Sept. 16–19: VGCC South Campus
Sept. 30 – Oct. 3: VGCC Main Campus
Oct. 7–10: VGCC Warren Campus
Oct. 14–17: VGCC Franklin Campus

To learn more about this program and participant requirements, contact VGCC Small Business Center Director Carolyn Perry at (252) 738-3240 or perryc@vgcc.edu.

For more information on the Duke Energy Foundation and its initiatives, visit duke-energy.com/Foundation.

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Warren County Government is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) from local non-profit and faith-based organizations to provide local community support services for those residents in need of temporary or emergency assistance due to housing instability or homelessness.

Since there is not currently a permanent facility in the county offering sheltering services and other supports, this Housing Instability Small Grants Pilot Program will allow local organizations to provide some basic services to help those that are in need. Warren County grant funds through Eastpointe LME/MCO will be used to offer some additional support services to combat housing instability or homelessness.

The following entities may submit a proposal for consideration:
Well-established community & faith-based organizations defined as being in operation for a minimum of three (3) years and qualifying for exemption under Section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) of the IRS code.
Partnerships with local churches, non-profits or other community-based organizations are encouraged. Such collaborations shall be given high priority for funding.

The timeline for the Request for Proposals is as follows:
October 24, 2022: Opening date to receive requests
October 31, 2022: Deadline to submit questions
November 18, 2022: Deadline to submit proposals by 5:00 pm
November 28, 2022: Funds awarded for approved requests

The RFP packet will be released on October 24th and can be retrieved online at www.warrencountync.com or picked up from the Warren County Government Administrative Office located at 602 W. Ridgeway Street, Warrenton, NC 27589. Clarification questions may be submitted via email to PaulaPulley@warrencountync.gov.

For more information, contact Vincent Jones, County Manager at (252) 257-3115, or Public Health Director Dr. Margaret Brake at 252-257-1185.

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Lakeland Cultural Arts Center is now in the final voting stage of The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards, which is an exciting, multi-year matching grant opportunity bringing the joy of free, live music to small to mid-sized towns and cities. Littleton is one of only 36 communities selected for this opportunity and we’ll need the support of our entire community to receive this grant!

This funding will establish a free concert series in Lakeland’s new 1200 seat amphitheater space slated to open next year.

Support Lakeland Cultural Arts Center by voting at vote.levitt.org between Sept. 12 and 21!

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The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) is pleased to announce its open call for the LIFT–Early Career Support for Native Artists program, a one-year award and early career support program for emerging Native artists to develop and realize new projects. The program’s focus is to provide financial support and professional development to artists whose work aims to uplift communities and advance positive social change.

Eligible applicants must be individual Native artists working in dance/choreography, fiction/poetry writing, film/video, multi-disciplinary arts, music, performance art, theater and screenplay writing, traditional arts, or 2D + 3D visual arts. Artist applicant must be an enrolled member or citizen of a federally-recognized or state-recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native corporation, or of
Native Hawaiian ancestry. We encourage applications from artists who are shaping their practices and for whom the award may serve as a launching point in their career.

“We celebrate the creative spirit of Native artists whose explorations foster our understanding of the profound change around us, offering new ways of seeing what is possible, what is ethical, and what is needed.” – Reuben Roqueñi – NACF Director of Transformative Change Programs

LIFT is a monetary award of up to $10,000 for a proposed project with a required minimum of $3,000 earmarked for the artist’s benefit and wellbeing. Up to twenty artists will be selected to receive LIFT awards.

For a full description of the award, eligibility requirements and to apply, please visit http://bit.ly/NACF-lift. The deadline to submit the online application form for LIFT is Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Support for the LIFT program is made possible in part by the Leon Polk Smith Foundation and the Maxwell | Hanrahan Foundation.

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The Warren County Arts Council is now accepting applications.

Applications are now available for non-profit organizations whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Warren County. Funding priority is given to qualified arts organizations (theaters, galleries, choral societies, festivals), arts in education programs conducted by qualified artists, and other community organizations that provide arts programs in the county. Grassroots funds are not generally awarded to arts organizations that receive funding through N.C. Arts Council’s State Arts Resources. Arts organizations may apply for operating expenses. Projects and/or operating costs must occur between July 1, 2021 – June 1, 2022.

Since 1977, the North Carolina Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided North Carolina citizens access to quality arts experiences. Using a per capita-based formula, the program provides funding for the arts in all 100 counties of the state through partnerships with local arts councils. The Warren County Arts Council serves as the North Carolina Arts Council’s partner in awarding subgrants to local organizations for arts programs in Warren County.

For more information or questions, please contact the Warren County Arts Council or by clicking this link.

Applications are due by December 10th at 5 pm. Email applications to warrencountyartscouncil@gmail.com.

Available grant funding does not exceed $9,720. Applicants must match each grant dollar they request with a local match.

Source: Warren County Arts Council website

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