ASHEVILLE – On Thursday, September 28, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce awarded thirteen $10,000 grants to local nonprofits in honor of its 125th anniversary. The Together for Tomorrow grants were made to organizations whose work aligns with the Chamber's mission of “Building Community Through Business.” The grants were funded with support from Asheville Chamber member businesses and ticket sales for the 125th Anniversary Celebration.

“One of our guiding principles is ‘collaboration.’ It’s one of the reasons why our tagline is ‘Together, we are more,’" said Kit Cramer, Chamber President and CEO.

“We recognize there is strength in numbers, and for our anniversary we wanted to recognize non-profits that work alongside us to build long-term economic vitality, solving problems to move the community forward.” 

Nonprofits were invited to apply for the special grants earlier this year. Applications were reviewed by a committee of business leaders who selected 24 finalists. Recipients were then selected based on a combination of committee scoring and public vote.

Recipients are:

• All Souls Counseling (to support expansion of their counseling services for uninsured, underinsure and under-served populations in our community)
• Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (to support their Double SNAP program increasing access to fresh food and supporting small businesses at farmers’ markets)
• Asheville Greenworks (to support their Tree Keeper Training Program, a workforce development program introducing youth to the field of arboriculture)
• Asheville Habitat for Humanity (to support expansion of ReStore initiatives and the Deconstruction Program)
• Asheville Museum of Science (to support student engagement with STEM skills and careers through industry partnerships)
• Black Wall Street AVL (to create an Entrepreneurial Navigator to connect entrepreneurs with necessary resources for growth)
• Blue Ridge Public Radio (to support a campaign spotlighting BIPOC businesses and local makers)
• Buncombe County Schools Foundation (to support a teacher recruitment and retention plan including financial support for students and teaching assistants to pursue careers in teaching)
• Eblen Charities (to support their gas voucher program which provides assistance to those seeking employment or new hires)
• My Daddy Taught Me That (to support internships, skill-building and entrepreneurships for Black youth)
• OpenDoors Asheville (to support career awareness and college preparedness for low income students of color)
• Western Carolina Rescue Ministries (to support their Transitional Housing Program for graduates of their recovery program)
• YWCA of Asheville (to support childcare services for individuals seeking employment or education)

As an added bonus, each month of the anniversary year, one grant award winner will be profiled in the Chamber’s communications channels. 

Read more about the grant recipients at AshevilleChamber.org/125Years.

Supporters of the Chamber's 125th Anniversary Celebration and grant program include: Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts, SanStone Health & Rehabilitation, First Horizon Foundation, First Bank, Capstone Health Alliance, Duke Energy, Pratt & Whitney, HomeTrust Bank, Mission Health, First Citizens, DMJPS, Altura Architects, Biltmore Farms, FORVIS, Western Carolina University, MB Haynes, Whitney Commercial Real Estate, AVL Technologies and AdventHealth.