How NCCF is supporting western NC after Hurricane Helene
Western North Carolina is forever changed by Hurricane Helene, and the recovery is going to take years.
At the North Carolina Community Foundation, we are heartbroken about the loss of life and devastation due to the storm. With deep concern for our western NC communities, we moved quickly to activate our Disaster Relief Fund and we have been uplifted by the response from North Carolinians, our partners and people all over the country.
In addition, NCCF has been working in other ways to support the communities we serve and ensure there is philanthropic support for organizations on the ground in the months and years ahead.
NCCF’s Disaster Relief Fund
In the days after the storm, NCCF collaborated with other community foundations and organizations that serve western NC so that there was support for both the immediate and long-term recovery.
We promoted donations to organizations supporting immediate response and activated our Disaster Relief Fund. The fund will support eligible nonprofit organizations or government entities addressing long-term recovery and unmet needs in western North Carolina as a result of the storm.
All donations are tax deductible, and we do not charge administrative or operational expenses.
Since the storm, donations have come from all 50 states and Canada and 78% of donations as of Oct. 29 have been $100 or less, highlighting the generosity of so many individuals.
The fund has also received support from many generous corporate partners, including the organizers of the Concert for Carolina held on Oct. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The concert, headlined by Eric Church and Luke Combs, raised $24.5 million for several organizations chosen by the artists that support disaster relief. While NCCF was not one of those organizations, the NCCF Disaster Relief Fund was featured on the concert website and during the show and the live stream, raising $228,000 during the concert weekend alone for our Disaster Relief Fund.
Clothing retailer Peter Millar created a limited-edition quarter-zip, with proceeds from the sale raising $75,000 for the fund. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, a western North Carolina native, also encouraged donations to the fund, bringing in thousands of dollars in donations from Washington state.
More than $10 million has been raised so far, including a $7.5 million gift from Lilly Endowment Inc. NCCF will begin awarding grants from the Disaster Relief Fund to eligible organizations in early 2025. We are honored by the trust placed in NCCF to administer this fund.
Our fundholders
North Carolina is a state of generosity, and that was immediately clear by the actions of our fundholders.
Through the first week of November, our fundholders have contributed almost $500,000 through 76 grants to support Helene response in western North Carolina, providing invaluable support in communities.
Fundholders have directed grants to dozens of charitable organizations to support housing, health, food security, education, the environment and more. This includes:
- Hendersonville Affordable Housing Corp.
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
- Appalachian Trail Conservancy
- Brother Wolf Animal Rescue
- Diaper Bank of NC
- High Country Community Health
- American Red Cross – Western North Carolina Chapter
- Crossnore School and Children’s Home
Our affiliate foundations
NCCF serves the entire state, with a focus on rural North Carolina. We have 53 affiliate foundations, including 17 in the west.
Each fall, our affiliates conduct an annual gift drive called Chairman’s Challenge to raise funds to support community grantmaking. Knowing it would be difficult for our western affiliates to conduct the campaign this year, a generous NCCF supporter is contributing the amount raised during the 2023 campaign to each western affiliate.
As grants are made from our Disaster Relief Fund, our staff and advisory board members of our western affiliate foundations will serve as our direct link to communities and connect us with organizations and programs aiding western NC in its recovery.
Additional support for nonprofits
We are also supporting western North Carolina nonprofits by offering flexibility to 2024 grant recipients in the region.
In response to disruptions Hurricane Helene may have caused to nonprofits’ work, NCCF is allowing 2024 grantees of our western affiliates to repurpose funding awarded for specific programs or projects. This flexibility was provided to 110 grant recipients.
Now, organizations may choose to use that funding in a manner that best meets community needs as they exist today. Offering this flexibility allows us to better support these organizations in serving their communities.
Disaster Relief Scholarship
Our Disaster Relief and Resilience Scholarship provides support for North Carolina students and families who have been impacted by a natural disaster. This scholarship is supported by our Disaster Relief Fund and will be awarding in 2025.