How does Golden LEAF define the rural, economically distressed, or tobacco-dependent regions of North Carolina?
Under our charter, Golden LEAFs funding priority is to provide economic impact assistance to economically distressed or tobacco-dependent regions of North Carolina. In determining whether a proposal fits these criteria, we look at a variety of factors. • Economically distressed Golden LEAF evaluates the economic status of a community by looking at a variety of factors including criteria set forth by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, which ranks each county based on an assessment of unemployment rate, median household income, population growth, ability to pay, and assessed property value per capita. Refer to the Department of Commerces Economic Distress designation for more information. Golden LEAF also considers applicants who make a strong case for community distress based on factors other than those considered in the Department of Commerces rankings or where a community can demonstrate it suffers from economic distress, even though the county as a whole may not be similarly
