Duke Energy provides $500,000 in grants for small businesses to support vibrant downtowns across North Carolina

• Hometown Revitalization grants present $25,000 in funding for 20 native microgrant applications statewide

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Duke Vitality Basis at the moment distributed $500,000 in grants to assist small companies throughout North Carolina – from eating places to retailers – proceed their ongoing restoration from financial challenges initially triggered by the pandemic. That is the second 12 months Duke Vitality has offered focused grants in help of downtowns all through the state.

Right this moment’s $25,000 grants had been awarded to twenty nonprofits, every representing one group. That group will set up a small-business help microgrant program and deploy the funding inside their area people by January 2023. The microgrants could vary from $500 to $2,500 per particular person enterprise.

“Native storefronts and companies are the heartbeat of cities throughout our service territory,” mentioned Stephen De Could, Duke Vitality’s North Carolina president. “Final 12 months’s inaugural Hometown Revitalization grants confirmed us the distinction that strategic grants could make for cities all through North Carolina. We’re honored to accomplice with native nonprofits and companies to assist construct extra vibrant communities.”

The Hometown Revitalization grants had been awarded to the next 20 group organizations – quotes from every on the impression of the grants may be discovered right here.

Group                                                                                    County

• Asheboro/Randolph Chamber                                                Randolph
   
• Carthage Century Committee Inc.                                          Moore
   
• Cool Spring Downtown District                                               Cumberland
   
• Davidson County Neighborhood School Basis Inc.          Davidson
   
• Downtown Belmont Improvement Affiliation Inc.                Gaston
   
• Downtown Dunn Improvement Corp.                                     Harnett
   
• Downtown Morehead Metropolis Inc.                                               Carteret
   
• Downtown Salisbury Inc.                                                        Rowan
   
• Downtown Winston-Salem Basis Inc.                           Forsyth
   
• Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black Individuals Inc.         Durham
   
• Gateway Neighborhood Improvement Corp.                              Vance
   
• Coronary heart of Brevard                                                                     Transylvania
   
• Historic Marion Basis                                                     McDowell
   
• Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce                                    Wake
   
• Mount Olive Neighborhood Improvement Corp.                         Wayne
   
• Nantahala Well being Basis                                                 Jackson
   
• Partnership for a Sustainable Neighborhood                              Orange
   
• Siler Metropolis Improvement Group                                      Chatham
   
• South Brunswick Enterprise Improvement Committee             Brunswick
   
• Weaverville Enterprise Affiliation                                           Buncombe

The Hometown Revitalization grant program was impressed by a profitable collaboration between the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and Duke Vitality that offered practically 100 grants to downtown Raleigh storefronts. Final 12 months, Duke Vitality broadened that impression to small cities and rural communities throughout the state with its inaugural Hometown Revitalization grants. The grants allowed downtown storefronts the chance to create outside seating and serving alternatives, develop e-commerce web sites, restore window fronts, and improve well being and security components.

Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of The Chamber For a Higher Chapel Hill-Carrboro and govt director of the Partnership for a Sustainable Neighborhood, hopes to see the same impression in his group.

“Many small companies in downtown Chapel Hill and Carrboro are nonetheless hurting,” mentioned Nelson. “The Duke Vitality Basis Hometown Revitalization grant program will allow our native companies to brighten their storefronts, enhance their workforce and develop their capability, and all of this can appeal to extra guests and assist our group thrive.”

Tony Holloway, board chair of Downtown Morehead Metropolis Inc., shared extra perspective on the hurdles the grant will assist his group overcome.

“This beneficiant funding in our downtown will profit and strengthen our small companies whose house owners have confronted a number of years of adverse challenges – from hurricanes to the pandemic, and the impression left by each,” mentioned Holloway.

Lori Bailey, govt director of the Nantahala Well being Basis, says the grants are well timed for Dillsboro.

“Approaching the heels of the challenges of the previous two years, that is the right time to speculate on this historic gem of a city,” mentioned Bailey. “As a company targeted on bettering well being outcomes, we perceive that strengthening the locations we stay, be taught, work and play will finally improve well-being for all. We’re happy to accomplice with Duke Vitality Basis and the City of Dillsboro to facilitate revitalization efforts for the small companies that contribute to the city’s vitality, and we’re excited to see how the initiatives positively impression the downtown space and finally Refresh Dillsboro.”

Small companies fascinated about studying about how this system can be rolled out of their communities ought to inquire with the native nonprofit administering the microgrants.

Duke Vitality Basis

The Duke Vitality Basis supplies greater than $30 million yearly in philanthropic help to satisfy the wants of communities the place Duke Vitality prospects stay and work. The muse is funded by Duke Vitality shareholders.

Duke Vitality (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 firm headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is considered one of America’s largest vitality holding firms. Its electrical utilities serve 8.2 million prospects in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively personal 50,000 megawatts of vitality capability. Its pure fuel unit serves 1.6 million prospects in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The corporate employs 28,000 individuals.

Duke Vitality is executing an aggressive clear vitality transition to attain its objectives of net-zero methane emissions from its pure fuel enterprise and a minimum of a 50% carbon discount from electrical era by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero objectives additionally embrace Scope 2 and sure Scope 3 emissions. As well as, the corporate is investing in main electrical grid enhancements and vitality storage, and exploring zero-emission energy era applied sciences reminiscent of hydrogen and superior nuclear.

Duke Vitality was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Corporations” record and Forbes’ “America’s Greatest Employers” record. Extra data is offered at duke-energy.com. The Duke Vitality Information Middle comprises information releases, reality sheets, pictures and movies. Duke Vitality’s illumination options tales about individuals, improvements, group subjects and environmental points. Observe Duke Vitality on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Fb.

Contact: Emily Kissee
24-Hour: 800.559.3853