Hurricane Helene Response
We are encouraging donations to groups that are working to address immediate needs in western North Carolina and to our Disaster Relief Fund to support the long-term recovery of the region.
NCCF Disaster Relief Fund
About the Fund
The North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund provides grants to nonprofit and charitable organizations 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
- Build stronger and more prepared communities
Activating the Fund
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 to activate the fund, NCCF’s statewide Grants Committee considers 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.
Grants from the Fund
All money raised is 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 does 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. – are not encouraged but may be accepted based on review by NCCF staff to ensure feasibility.
The fund gives the NCCF Grants Committee the authority to make determinations about where and how funds will be allocated, including the amount of funding dedicated to any of the following strategies.
The primary method for distribution of funds raised in response to a disaster will be through NCCF’s affiliate foundations within the impacted areas. Allocation amounts are approved by the Grants Committee, and decisions about grant distributions are made by those affiliate foundation advisory boards.
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 localized, county-based grants made by affiliate foundations. These grant decisions are made by NCCF staff, using an allocation approved by the Grants Committee.
This scholarship fund was used in 2017 and 2019 in response to Hurricanes Matthew and Florence to support students in the affected area who planned to attend an institution of higher learning. This may be an option in response to any disaster at the discretion of the Grants Committee.
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 individuals displaced by a disaster, rental assistance/mortgage payments for home or business, utility payments, cash assistance, clean-up, mold mitigation, repair/rebuild costs, community planning and resilience projects.
Disaster Relief Fund History
Activated nine times for hurricanes and tornados beginning with Hurricane Fran in 1996, the fund has received thousands of donations. Approximately $5 million in grants have been provided by the fund to charitable organizations since it began.
In September 2018, the fund was activated in anticipation of Hurricane Florence’s impact on North Carolina, and NCCF allocated 153 grants totaling $3.25 million to support communities. The fund was also activated in response to Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, with 76 grants totaling $768,000 allocated to support organizations in the communities affected by the storm.