The North Carolina Community Foundation has awarded 108 grants totaling $9 million from its Disaster Relief Fund to support long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.  

The grants provide funding to charitable organizations addressing key recovery needs, including housing repair and reconstruction, rental assistance, and hunger and mental health needs of survivors. 

Grant awards range from $25,000 to $100,000 and focus primarily on the 16 counties most severely impacted by Hurricane Helene: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey. 

A total of $1.5 million in grants were provided to long-term recovery groups, locally led cooperative organizations that provide coordinated case management to help individuals and communities navigate recovery.  

NCCF accepted grant applications for long-term recovery in the fall. More than 300 applications were received, requesting over $25 million to address needs in the region. Grant applications were reviewed by a group of over 30 people from western North Carolina, who provided feedback on the requests. 

“The scope and scale of requests highlight the significant challenges still facing western North Carolina,” said Jennifer Tolle Whiteside, president & CEO of the North Carolina Community Foundation. “We’re grateful to be able to support the organizations doing this work and appreciate the thousands of donors who have contributed to the Disaster Relief Fund.”

High Country United Way, which serves as the fiscal sponsor for the Watauga Long-Term Recovery Group, received a $100,000 grant for the group to support well and septic repairs for Watauga County survivors. 

“We are deeply appreciative of the North Carolina Community Foundation for this investment in our community’s recovery after Helene,” said Rebecca Hall, executive director of High Country United Way. “In close partnership with the Watauga Long-Term Recovery Group, this support helps us move resources where they matter most.” 

Swannanoa Communities Together received a $100,000 grant to provide rental assistance for residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

“We are so grateful to the North Carolina Community Foundation for investing in our community at a time when support is still critically needed,” said Beth Trigg, director of resource mobilization and partnerships for Swannanoa Communities Together. “Renters are so often left behind after a disaster. This funding is going to support people who need to pay rent or were displaced from their homes.”    

Review the full list of grants. 

The NCCF Disaster Relief Fund is supporting long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina and building community preparedness for future disasters. Contributions to the fund total more than $33 million, and nearly $21 million has now been awarded to support recovery. Grantmaking from the fund will continue in the months and years ahead and will include a focus on preparedness.