Nccf Disaster Relief Fund Allocates Initial Round Of Hurricane Florence Long Term Recovery Grants

Photo courtesy of the Wilmington StarNews

The North Carolina Community Foundation board of directors recently announced $1 million allocated for the initial round of grants to support long-term recovery from Hurricane Florence.

The initial $1 million grants allocation will be awarded to area nonprofits with programs supporting long-term recovery efforts and meeting unmet needs in communities affected by Hurricane Florence through three major strategies:

$750,000 to be granted by the local boards of advisors of the NCCF affiliate foundations in 16 of the communities hardest hit, including the following counties: Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson, Columbus, Harnett, Lenoir, Wayne, Greene and Moore
$200,000 to be awarded to regional and statewide nonprofit organizations in the communities affected across eastern North Carolina
$50,000 to support Cumberland and Bladen counties, areas outside of NCCF’s affiliate network, two of North Carolina’s most affected communities

NCCF has received $2 million in donations to date from generous supporters across the world. NCCF actively anticipates this initial allocation to be the first with more to come. The board of directors and statewide grants committee continues to actively monitor recovery efforts across eastern North Carolina and expects future allocations from the fund to continue supporting long-term recovery and meeting unmet needs.

Due to NCCF’s commitment to supporting long-term recovery, there is no timeframe or competitive application process for grants. Any nonprofit supporting long-term recovery or meeting unmet needs from Hurricane Florence is invited to let our team know.

When disasters like Hurricane Florence hit, NCCF is uniquely positioned to respond and support recovery efforts. We are proud to have board and staff members who live and work in the communities affected. During Florence, when New Bern was dramatically impacted, Kim Ball, our regional director serving the community, was managing our disaster recovery work for the community while her own neighborhood was flooding, and home and office was at risk. This theme has stood the test of time as team members like Kelly Lee, our regional director based out of Rocky Mount, have similar stories from previous storms like Hurricane Matthew.

Our statewide presence, deep investment in the communities affected and network of local affiliate foundations on the ground give us a unique position from which to support communities in recovery. NCCF’s commitment to long-term recovery efforts was shown when the week Hurricane Florence hit our team was still sending out grant awards to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Matthew.

NCCF’s staff and board are keenly aware of how deeply Hurricane Florence impacted eastern North Carolina and devastated many communities in our state, according to Jennifer Tolle Whiteside, NCCF CEO and president. “NCCF has been in these communities for more than 30 years and will continue to be there supporting disaster recovery long after the TV cameras are gone,” she said. “We were grateful to see the outpouring of generosity that resulted in $2 million raised for the NCCF Disaster Relief Fund and are honored to steward these funds to support long-term recovery efforts and meet unmet needs.”

NCCF Disaster Relief Fund allocates initial round of Hurricane Florence long-term recovery grants