Supporting the agricultural industry, impacting rural communities and stimulating economic development are key objectives for the 2020 NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (NCTTFC) grant cycle. Funds will be awarded in the fall of 2020 for selected innovative projects.
Applications information is now online at www.tobaccotrustfund.org for qualifying organizations. “The NCTTFC is always interested in job creation in current or former tobacco-dependent regions and funding projects that have the potential to generate additional income for farmers and those in the industry,” said William H. “Bill” Teague, NCTTFC Chairman. “Applications will be accepted online for innovative projects within North Carolina. Selected projects should expect to start in November of 2020.”
The NCTTFC was established in 2000 by the N.C. General Assembly to help members of the tobacco community including farmers, tobacco workers and related businesses. Its original funding was established through tobacco industry annual payments as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement. Funding is now appropriated to the NCTTFC which then reviews, selects and disperses the funds to grant projects.
Past NCTTFC projects includes fair and farmers market improvements, cost-share grant programs for farmers, training for qualified farm family members in community colleges, researching alternative crops and support of agricultural education programs.
More information can be found at the NCTTFC’s website www.tobaccotrustfund.org, or by calling 919-733-2160. The deadline for applications submission is Friday March 6, 2020.
