NCCF Disaster Relief Fund

The North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund supports nonprofits in North Carolina communities impacted by disasters that address long-term recovery and resiliency, meet unmet needs that are not being fulfilled by other resources and build stronger and more prepared communities.

The Fund always accepts gifts. When the Fund is not activated in response to or anticipation of a disaster, donations are allocated to future disasters.

Disasters eligible for recovery response include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, industrial accidents, acts of terrorism or other incidents of mass violence. In determining whether or not to activate the Fund, the statewide NCCF Grants Committee consider the severity of the disaster, scope of the geographic impact, needs of affected individuals and availability of adequate relief and recovery resources.

In its initial stages, activating the fund means that NCCF will begin fundraising efforts specific to a particular disaster.

All dollars raised for the Fund are distributed through grants to eligible nonprofit organizations or government entities supporting recovery efforts for individuals and/or communities in the areas impacted by a disaster. NCCF will not charge any administrative fees on this Fund.

Gifts to the Fund that are restricted in any way – to a specific county, for a particular expense, etc. – will not be encouraged but may be accepted based on review by NCCF staff to ensure feasibility.

The Fund is designed with authority to the NCCF Grants Committee to make determinations about where and how funds will be allocated. 

The NCCF Grants Committee directs the allocations of funds raised, including the amount of funding dedicated to any of the following strategies:

  • Affiliate Foundation allocations: The primary method for distribution of funds raised in response to a disaster will be through the statewide network of affiliate foundations within the impacted areas. Allocation amounts are approved by the Grants Committee, and the decisions about grant distributions are made by those affiliate foundation advisory boards.
  • Statewide/Regional efforts: Grants may also be made to organizations that serve the long-term disaster recovery needs of multiple counties or that will conduct larger-scale projects in targeted areas. This strategy permits larger grants for recovery and resiliency work that has a larger scope than the very localized, county-based grants made by affiliate foundations. These grant decisions are made by NCCF staff, using an allocation approved by the Grants Committee.
  • NCCF Disaster Relief and Resilience Scholarship: This fund was established in 2017 in response to Hurricane Matthew; however, it may be an option in response to any disaster at the discretion of the Grants Committee.
  • Emerging initiatives: Each disaster may bring unique funding opportunities that meet the priorities of the Fund. As these initiatives emerge, NCCF staff will research them and make recommendations to the Grants Committee when deemed a proper fit for funding.

Examples of how funds may be used include, but are not limited to: food/food supplies, prescriptions/medical supplies not covered by insurance, housing needs for displaced individuals, rental assistance/mortgage payments for home or business, utility payments, cash assistance, clean-up, mold mitigation, repair/rebuild costs, community planning and resilience projects.

Hurricane Florence

The Fund was activated in anticipation of Hurricane Florence's impact on North Carolina in September 2018. Nearly $3 million was raised in the wake of the storm. To date, NCCF has allocated $1.5 million in grant funding and is continuing to partner with our Grants Committee, network of local affiliate foundations and strategic partner organizations to ensure every dollar is stewarded well and goes to the communities that need it most. That $1.5 million in initial recovery grants has already supported dozens of local nonprofits across eastern North Carolina that are deeply embedded in the community. NCCF staff anticipate an addition $1 million allocation in recovery grant funding for long-term recovery needs related to Hurricane Florence in September 2019.

Hurricane Matthew

The Fund was activated in response to Hurricane Matthew's impact on North Carolina in October 2016. Nearly $1 million was raised and allocated to support nonprofits in the communities affected in the aftermath of the storm.