NCCF Disaster Relief Fund: The affiliate’s role

North Carolina has been lucky these last few years when it comes to hurricanes. But with Hurricane Ian approaching this week, it's a good reminder that won't always be the case.

The last major storm to hit the state was Hurricane Florence in 2018, and that was the last time we activated our Disaster Relief Fund. The fund provides grants to nonprofit and charitable programs to support the long-term recovery and unmet needs of North Carolina communities in the event of a disaster.

NCCF and our affiliates are ready to support nonprofits on the frontlines of helping communities bounce back after a disaster.

In the event of a disaster, our statewide Grants Committee will consider whether to activate the Disaster Relief Fund. They will look at the severity of the disaster, scope of the impact, community needs and the availability of relief and recovery resources.

Disasters eligible for recovery response include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, industrial accidents, acts of terrorism or other incidents of mass violence.

Typically, the fund is activated in the aftermath of a disaster. However, the fund may be activated in advance of a predicted disaster.

Once the fund is activated, NCCF and our affiliate network will begin fundraising efforts in support of communities. All money raised is distributed through grants to eligible nonprofit organizations or government entities supporting recovery efforts. NCCF does not charge any administrative fees.
Flooding in Whiteville after Hurricane Florence in 2018.

As funds come in, NCCF staff and the statewide Grants Committee will determine how funds will be allocated, but the primary method for distribution of funds will be through our statewide network of affiliates in the impacted areas.

Our affiliates are critical to making sure our disaster relief funds go to programs that can best support communities. Affiliate board members live and work in their communities and are best positioned to know which organizations will be able to provide long-term support to people as the community recovers.

We also may use some funds for statewide or regional efforts. This allows NCCF to support recovery and resiliency work that has a larger scope.

We know that the NCCF Disaster Relief Fund can make a big impact on recovery. After Florence hit the state, NCCF allocated more than 150 grants totaling $3.25 million to support communities in eastern North Carolina.

We hope that Hurricane Ian doesn't hit the state hard, but we'll be ready if it does. You can learn more about the Disaster Relief Fund at nccommunityfoundation.org/disaster.