Small Business and Technology Development Center

The North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) helps small business owners (and those interested in starting a business) meet the challenges of today’s business environment, manage that ever-changing world, and plan for the future of their business. We do this by providing management counseling and educational services to small and mid-sized businesses throughout North Carolina from our 17 offices across the state — each affiliated with a college or university. Our mission is to help North Carolina businesses grow and create new jobs within the state. Most of our services are free of charge, and all SBTDC services are confidential.

Center for Participatory Change

The mission of the Center for Participatory Change is to help people recognize their own power, work together and transform their communities.We have a vision of people transforming Western North Carolina, creating just and inclusive communities. They believe they can make change, know how to make change, and take up the challenge to do it.Through four programs–grassroots organizing, capacity building, networking and grantmaking–CPC helps rural people make improvements in their communities through projects that they plan, implement and evaluate themselves.Our ultimate goal is to expand democracy in North Carolina by supporting the community involvement of people in low-wealth communities, especially groups of people who are outside of the usual decision-making systems.