Mainstreet Revitalization Grant

The Duke Energy Foundation Mainstreet Revitalization grant program supports community-led projects intended to strengthen downtown areas, rural communities, businesses, and neighborhood centers within Duke Energy service territories in South Carolina. The program is designed to help transform these areas into vibrant places to live, work, and gather, with the broader goal of positively affecting local economies and community development. The funding opportunity is offered by the Duke Energy Foundation, a private foundation, and focuses specifically on communities served by Duke Energy in South Carolina. Mainstreet Revitalization grants provide awards of up to $10,000 for eligible revitalization activities. Examples identified by the Foundation include facade improvements, streetscape enhancements, public gathering spaces, wayfinding signage when it is part of an existing masterplan, blighted building upfits, landscaping and beautification, creation of a downtown greenway connection, and small business incentive programs or microgrants. The source does not state a minimum award, total amount available for the program, or number of awards. Although certain physical improvement activities are expressly contemplated by this RFP, funding cannot be used for underground services, lighting, weatherization, energy efficiency projects such as HVAC systems, windows or insulation, solar projects, generators, electric vehicle charging stations, or utility assistance. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or governmental entities that are already registered in the Benevity grant management system, and proposed programs must operate within Duke Energy service territories in South Carolina. The Foundation's general qualification criteria additionally state that organizations must serve communities also served by Duke Energy, serve communities without discrimination on the basis of race, creed, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or national origin, and have a method to measure, track and report program outcomes and specific results demonstrating measurable community impact. The source does not establish a matching or cost-share requirement. The Foundation excludes churches or evangelical organizations, private foundations or endowments, foreign organizations, for-profit organizations, individuals, certain organizations substantially engaged in influencing political, legislative or regulatory causes, non-tax-exempt nonprofits, and specified membership organizations. It also excludes organizations that offer benefits to Duke Energy or its Foundation, officers or employees in connection with a grant, as well as certain organizations opposing Duke Energy in proceedings or funding or producing negative advertisements against Duke Energy. General funding restrictions also identify religious programs, sports teams and athletic programs, general operating expenses, individual K-12 schools or organizations operating within an individual school, and multiple grants to the same institution in a calendar year as unsupported activities or requests. Applications must be submitted through the Benevity grant management system, in which applicants must already be registered. The application must be titled "Mainstreet Revitalization." The Foundation specifically warns that incorrectly labeled applications may not be flagged or considered as part of this funding opportunity. The source also provides a Grant Application Sample and Grant Budget Template as helpful resources, but it does not explicitly state in the supplied material whether the budget template must be uploaded with the application. Applicants should ensure their proposal addresses an eligible revitalization activity, falls within a Duke Energy service territory in South Carolina, and includes a method for measuring and reporting community outcomes. The stated application timeline is August 3 through August 31 for launch of the Mainstreet Revitalization RFP, followed by review, vetting and grant decisions from September 1 through September 30. Grant recipients are scheduled to be announced during the week of October 5. No separate LOI, concept paper, pre-proposal or other pre-application gating requirement is stated. Questions or requests for additional information may be directed to SCFoundation@duke-energy.com. No individual grant officer or telephone number is provided in the supplied material. The Foundation indicates that qualifying organizations should be capable of measuring, tracking and reporting one or more program outcomes and specific results demonstrating measurable community impact. The source identifies a September review and vetting period but does not provide more detailed scoring criteria, a performance period, or a grant project start and end date.

Use the exact application title "Mainstreet Revitalization" because incorrectly labeled applications may not be flagged or considered. Confirm Benevity registration and that the proposed program is within a Duke Energy service territory in South Carolina. Align the request with downtown or community revitalization purposes and avoid expressly prohibited energy, utility, lighting and related costs. Describe a method for measuring, tracking and reporting specific community outcomes.