Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund

Grant proposal workshop

“How-to-apply” Workshops in the Western Piedmont Region (2010)

The purpose of the workshops is to help potential applicants to understand the application guidelines and process. The workshops also give farmers some face time to get specific questions about their projects answered. Participants in the workshops come away better informed about the project. (See helpful hints)
The workshops utilize past TCRP projects as examples of income diversification strategies. In addition to talking about the cost-share program, RAFI promotes other resources for farmers, including our financial counseling and publications, such as The Farmers’ Guide to Agricultural Credit.

Western Piedmont Field Coordinator: Francesca Hyatt (919)323-7587 or email francesca@rafiusa.org
Note: Please check this schedule frequently in the event of changes and additions. If you are unable to attend the workshop in your county, check the schedule of your neighboring counties.

September 9th 6:30pm, Thursday. GUILFORD
Contact: Wick Wickliffe, (336) 375-5876
Location: Barn/Kitchen at Extension Office
3309 Burlington Rd
Greensboro, NC 27405

September 13th 6:30pm, Monday. SURRY
Contact: Bryan Cave, (336) 401-8025
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
210 N Main St
Dobson, NC 27017

September 14th 1pm, Tuesday. WILKES
Contact: Elizabeth Moretz, (336) 651-7331
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
201 Curtis Bridge Road, Suite A
Wilkesboro, NC 28697

September 16th 6:30pm, Thursday. YADKIN
Contact: Nancy Keith, (336) 679-2061
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
209 E Elm St
Yadkinville, NC 27055

September 21st, 8am Tuesday. UNION
Contact: Richard Melton, (704) 283-3801
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
3230-D Presson Road
Monroe, NC 28112

September 23rd 6:30pm, Thursday. DAVIE
Contact: Colleen Church, (336) 753-6100
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
180 S Main St
Mocksville, NC 27028

September 27th, 6pm Monday. FORSYTH
Contact: Tim Hambrick, (336) 703-2850
Location: Forsyth Cooperative Extension
1450 Fairchild Rd
Winston-Salem, NC 27105

September 28th 7pm, Tuesday. IREDELL
Contact: Ken Vaughn, (704) 873-0507
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
444 Bristol Dr., Room 110
Statesville, NC 28677
Note: read directions printed on website, not gps!

October 13th 6pm, Wednesday. CLEVELAND
Contact: Greg Traywick, (704) 482-4365
Location: Cooperative Extension
130 S Post Rd, Suite 1
Shelby, NC 28152

October 13th Wednesday, 2pm. RUTHERFORD
Contact: Jeff Bradley (828) 287-6011
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
193 Callahan-Koon Rd, Suite 164
Spindale, NC 28160

October 14th 6:30pm Thursday. ALLEGHANY + ASHE
Ashe Contact: Richard Boylan (828)264-3061 or (336) 846-5850
Alleghany Contact: Nancy Keith (336)372-5597 or (336)679-2061
Location: Upper Mountain Research Station, Crops Room
8004 NC Highway. 88 E
Laurel Springs, NC 28644-8631
Phone: (336) 982-2501

October 18th, 6:30pm Monday. GASTON, LINCOLN + MECKLENBURG
Gaston Contact: Lara Worden (704) 922-2118
Lincoln Contact: Libby Yarber (704) 736-8452
Mecklenburg Contact: Scott Ewers (704)336-4008
Location: Gaston Cooperative Extension Office / Citizens Resource Center
1303 Dallas-Cherryville Hwy
Dallas, NC 28034

October 19th, 6pm Tuesday. STOKES
Contact: Michael Hylton, (336) 593-8179
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
700 N Main Street
Danbury, NC 27016-0460

October 21st, 7pm Thursday. CATAWBA
Contact: Jeff Carpenter, (828) 465-8250‎
Location: Cooperative Extension Office, Meeting Room A
1175 S Brady Avenue,
Newton NC 2865

October 25th, 1pm Monday. ANSON
Contact: Aimee Marshall (704)694-2415
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
501 McLaurin St
Wadesboro, NC 28170

October 28th 6:30pm, Thursday. CABARRUS
Contact: Deborah Bost, (704) 920-3310
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
715 Cabarrus Ave-West
Concord, NC 28027

October 29th, 9am Friday. STANLY
Contact: Steve Lemons
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
26032-E Newt Rd
Albemarle, NC 28001
(704) 983-3987

November 2nd, 9am Tuesday. CALDWELL and ALEXANDER
Caldwell Contact: Seth Nagy, (828) 757-1290
Alexander Contact: Allison Brown, (828)632-4451
Location: Caldwell Cooperative Extension Office
120 Hospital Ave NE/Suite 1
Lenoir, NC 28645

November 2nd, 3pm Tuesday. BURKE
Contact: Damon Pollard, (828) 439-4460
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
130 Ammons Drive, Suite 2
Morganton, NC 28655

November 4th 7pm Thursday. ROWAN + DAVIDSON
Rowan Contact: Darrell Blackwelder (704) 216-8970
Davidson Contact: Amy-Lynn Alberston (336)242-2091
Location: Rowan Cooperative Extension Office
2727-A Old Concord Rd
Salisbury, NC 28146

November 8th, 6:30pm Monday. ROCKINGHAM
Contact: Kathryn Holmes, (336) 342-8230
Location: Cooperative Extension Office
525 NC Hwy 65, Ste 200
Reidsville, NC 27320-8861

Helpful Hints

Write a Successful Proposal

Please type or print clearly. Remember that each reviewer has to read dozens of
proposals.
Don't use small type, (use 12 point or larger) Make Your Application Easy to Read!
Develop clear goals. Whether you are trying to solve a marketing problem or do
something no one's even thought of yet, simple and clear goals let the reviewers know
WHAT your goal is. Then - as they read your application - they can see HOW you are
going to reach your goal.
Plan ahead on how to accomplish your project. Think about the details before you fill
out the proposal. This helps you and also lets the reviewers know that you have thought
through all the steps of your project.
Measure your results. Chances are you are going to measure something. So, whether it
is crop yield or increased market share, make sure that what you are measuring will give
you the information you need to tell if you have accomplished your objectives.
Timing is everything. Let the reviewers know WHEN you will be doing the things you
plan to do. A detailed timetable lets them know that you have given this work some
thought and that you have a clear idea of the time it will take. Please detail how you will
handle any additional workloads that this project may create.
Choose cooperators to complement your skills. When you enlist the cooperation of
people who have expertise in areas that you don't - research, marketing, outreach,
whatever - they'll help you make your project better and increase your chances of
receiving funding. Pick your cooperators carefully, and make sure each one has the
skills you need for your project. Your cooperators may be other farmers with expertise
in production, marketing or other enterprise skills. You may also want to involve
extension agents, crop consultants, non profit groups, university or Department of
Agriculture specialists. Include letters of intent from cooperators with your proposal.
Develop a clear outreach plan to share what you learn from your project. Outreach
activities can include field days, workshops, publications or any method to get the results
of your project to people who can use them.
Develop a realistic budget. Please carefully itemize your expenses on the budget
worksheet and enter your sub-totals for funds requested and for matching contributions.
Then enter the project totals on the last line of the second page of the budget worksheet
for each year that funds are requested. You can round the cents to the nearest dollar.
Attend a Workshop to learn how to prepare a proposal. Workshops are being
organized to help applicants learn the "dos and don'ts" of writing a proposal. If
you are interested in attending a workshop contact the RAFI-USA office or staff.
________________________________________________________________________
Return to Tobacco Communities Initiative