The Hometown Strong Rural Grants Program: Empowering Northeastern North Carolina
The grants team is making their way to communities across the state. This month, team members attended the Thriving Communities Convening in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. The Center for Energy Education (C4EE), a nonprofit organization in Halifax County focused on renewable energy research, industry innovation, and workforce development hosted the convening with more than 180 attendees.
The event aimed to connect community organizations with state and local agencies and elected officials and to spur conversations on clarifying investments that can benefit communities across one or more of the following seven areas: climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure.
Amanda Murphy from the Rural Grants team presented to the audience how the team can support their rural community. "Our Rural Grants team program is unique in that each community we work with receives a funding research brief detailing the federal, state, and private funds they are eligible for as well as a narrative to use in future grant applications. We have done specific research on all types of funds to support whatever grants you are eligible to go after. Our team is not tied to one specific funding source; we can write any federal grant, and our team has identified more than 150 grant opportunities from several federal agencies such as the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Energy, and USDA Rural Development," Ms. Murphy told the audience.
In addition to the presentation from Ms. Murphy, fellow staff member Mariah Matheson provided one-on-one grant consultation services with attendees to discuss how to prepare for applying for federal grants.
"Many rural communities know funding exists but don't have the internal capacity to apply for a grant. We spoke to community members about how starting with a small local grant can help their organization build its grant management knowledge so it can eventually apply for larger grants," said Ms. Matheson, a grants specialist with the Hometown Strong Team.
Members of the Rural Grants Team also joined representatives from NC Departments of Environmental Quality, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Commerce, Administration, and others at a Hometown Strong Field Visit in Wilson County. The group met with representatives from various departments of the County, from towns like Stantonsburg, Elm City, and Sims, and with local nonprofits. The group visited many sites during the visit, observing innovative program and service delivery models, and unique and creative community amenities, and meeting with enthusiastic and driven community members. The group also shared the challenges faced when providing essential services to the community, including funding and staff capacity. The RGT and Hometown Strong provided recommendations for potential funding opportunities including connecting the local communities with possible partners and funders, researching grants that align with community goals, and suggesting a variety of funding streams for projects and capacity building. The RGT looks forward to continuing to work with the communities directly to support their grant research, writing, and administration.
For more information on how the Rural Grants team can support your community, read about us on our website: https://hometownstrong.nc.gov/grants
Spring grant writing availability
The Rural Grants team is available to help with grant writing or technical assistance (reviews, recommendations, and best practices) for applications due in April or May if your agency needs support. We recommend that these projects be shovel-ready and that your agency has already completed the required preliminary planning. If your organization needs help writing or polishing a spring cycle application, please get in touch with Ashley Traynum-Carson , Senior Grants Specialist.
Our Work
The Rural Grants Team is already hard at work - here’s a snapshot of what the team has accomplished in 2024.
Meet the Rural Grants Team
Last month we introduced you to Emily Adair, Mariah Matheson, and Ashley Traynum-Carson. This month we invite you to meet the rest of the Rural Grants Team.
| Sarah Henricks, Grants Specialist Sarah began her career in the biotech field, where she worked for more than a decade before pursuing her Master of Public Administration from UNC Chapel Hill. She initiated an equity-focused prioritization plan for a $1M bond for the City of Raleigh Parks and Greenways system before moving to San Francisco in 2016. While in the Bay Area, Sarah worked as an analyst for local agencies in multiple departments. She focused on policy development; program development, implementation, and evaluation; operational efficiencies; contract negotiations; budget management; environmental sustainability; and strategic planning and decision-making. Now back in NC, Sarah looks forward to sharing her knowledge and experience with local communities, where she lives. |
| Amanda Murphy, Grants Specialist Amanda Murphy has led marketing and communications for more than 15 years, in multiple capacities. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan Flagler Business School with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a concentration in marketing. From there she went on to obtain her master's degree in international studies as part of the political science degree program at NC State University. Amanda possesses excellent communication skills, which allow her to build relationships and collaborate to meet common goals. She is an expert in communications, marketing, grant writing, budgeting, and strategy, which is proven in her history of leading a team in projects with high return on investments. |
