The NC Chamber Foundation is building directly on the momentum of 2025. The 2026 priorities below reflect a clear strategy to focus our work on key competitiveness drivers, scale what’s working, and align stakeholders around solutions.  

Here’s a look at the progress NC Leads investor support made possible in Q1:  

Tax Competitiveness  

North Carolina’s tax structure has strengthened the state’s position as a national leader in business competitiveness. But in a rapidly evolving policy landscape, it requires continued attention, analysis, and action.  

We continue to lead on North Carolina’s long-term tax strategy—providing data-driven insights to inform policy and sustain a competitive business climate.  

• Read more in our Foundation Forecast: North Carolina’s Next Moves on Tax Competitiveness  

• What’s Next: New research is underway, with release slated for late Q2. The research will benchmark against competing and neighboring states and show where outliers in our state’s tax structure are hindering growth and investment.  

Infrastructure & Supply Chain  

We are advancing research and engagement to strengthen the infrastructure systems that power economic growth.  

• Supply Chain Competitiveness:  

• • Engaged NC State’s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative to develop a competitiveness scorecard across freight mobility, logistics systems, and infrastructure performance  

• • Actively participating in statewide conversations and stakeholder convenings on freight planning and rail to inform our final research  

• Infrastructure Funding:  

• • New research launching in partnership with ITRE to assess long-term funding sustainability, system demands, and policy options 
    
• What’s Next: Both the Supply Chain Competitiveness Report and Infrastructure Funding Research will be finalized in late Q3/early Q4.  

Workforce & Talent  

We are developing and testing new tools to scale workforce solutions that better align education output with employer demand—while strengthening partnerships to expand this work statewide.  

• Notable Recognition: The NC Health Talent Alliance—our public-private partnership with the NC Center on the Workforce for Health—was named a 2026 Champion for Attainment by myFutureNC, recognizing its leadership in addressing healthcare workforce shortages through employer-led, data-driven strategies.  

• New Pilots and Partnerships:  

• • Burning Glass Institute: The NC Chamber Foundation was selected, alongside the NC Community College System, to lead a regional pilot focused on accelerating skills-based workforce alignment. This work will develop standardized, employer-validated skill profiles to improve hiring and training outcomes. Launching in Q2.  
  • Careers Electric™: As part of Siemens Foundation’s $9.25 million national initiative—launched in North Carolina—we are participating in a statewide coalition to implement scalable training pathways for high-demand electrical careers. 
  • Sandhills Region Health Care: Working with the Talent Partnership of Moore County, we are deploying a tool that helps regional employers and educators better align and coordinate resources and activities to achieve workforce goals.  

• What’s Next: Expanding these pilots into additional regions and industries, while continuing to scale tools that connect education and workforce demand.  

Agriculture Leadership  

We are convening agriculture leaders to advance new research, coordination and alignment across the industry through continued leadership of  NC Ag Leads.   

• Imagine Ag Day: Convened 150 stakeholders from across the state and national experts to focus on issues shaping the future of North Carolina agriculture. Read more about the day.  

• Significant Investment: Golden LEAF Foundation announced $275,450 in additional funding to the NC Chamber Foundation to support GroundTruth NC, a new farmland research initiative to develop a stronger, data-driven understanding of land use trends across the state.  

• What’s Next: Working with American Farmland Trust, GroundTruth NC will identify how land use is changing across the state—creating a stronger data foundation to inform future investment, coordination, and policy decisions  

Expanding the Competitiveness Agenda  

Building on our 2025 research, we are moving from insight to alignment and action on key issues that directly impact workforce participation and economic growth:  

• Housing & Child Care: 
  We continue to elevate housing and child care through statewide conversations and advancing employer-informed solutions. In Q1, Foundation research on housing and child care was cited in the media more than 20 times, framing the conversation with data-driven insights that position both issues as economic and workforce imperatives for North Carolina employers and working families. 

• Energy: 
  Following the release of our Business-Driven Energy Vision, we participated in the Governor’s Energy Policy Task Force, which recently issued its final report. We emphasized the importance of maintaining a reliable, affordable, and diverse energy portfolio to support continued growth.  

• Water: 
  We are leading early-stage statewide dialogue to better align stakeholders around long-term water infrastructure needs and resource planning. This work is contributing to the upcoming legislative agenda, as our water research and stakeholder dialogue are bringing forward actionable ideas into policy discussions. 

Bottom Line  

The Foundation is moving into Q2 with momentum—and a clear focus on execution. Across every priority, our work is centered on turning research into action, aligning stakeholders statewide, and delivering research and solutions that strengthen North Carolina’s competitiveness.