[ad_1]
The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded $ 25,000 to the Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership, part of the $ 750,000 in “Hometown Revitalization” grants given to 30 nonprofits across North Carolina to help businesses build. adapt to the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recipient nonprofits should establish a small business support micro-grant program to deploy the funds in their communities, a new statement from the Duke Energy Foundation said. These grants can range from $ 500 to $ 2,500 per sole proprietorship.
Crystal Keener, director of the Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership, said the partnership is creating guidelines and an application and review process for awarding the micro-grants. Keener said these will be shared with the public by mid-October.
“After months of full and partial closures, cancellations of events and festivals, a decrease in manpower and an increase in the cost of supplies, the Duke Energy Hometown Revitalization Grant is creating a opportunity for our small business community to plan, pivot and execute strategies for continued growth, ”said Keener.
The program is inspired by Duke Energy’s support for the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. These nearly 100 grants have helped Raleigh businesses create outdoor seating and service opportunities, develop e-commerce websites, repair window facades, and improve health and wellness features. security, etc.
The press release says that after initially announcing in April that 20 nonprofits would receive $ 500,000 in grants, that amount was raised to the current level of support due to the scale and quality of funding requests.
“After our success in supporting the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, which was the model for this program, we knew that a series of targeted grants could do wonders in helping North Carolina businesses and storefronts recover,” he said. said Stephen De May, president of Duke Energy in North Carolina.
“We were blown away by the number and quality of nominations, so we decided to increase the foundation’s commitment and help even more downtown communities bounce back.
The foundation provides philanthropic support to help meet the needs of the communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. It gives over $ 30 million a year in charitable donations and is funded by money from Duke Energy shareholders.
[ad_2]
Source link