(April 8, 2020) CFWNC announced 25 grants totaling $166,650 from its Emergency and Disaster Response Fund to nonprofits addressing COVID-19 pandemic response and relief efforts in 18 counties of Western North Carolina including the Qualla Boundary. This third round of grants brings the total amount distributed to $729,550 in three weeks.
The grants represent a coordinated response to immediate human service needs not covered or not yet covered by other emergency funding sources. The grants support nonprofits addressing sudden and increased demands due to the pandemic. The Fund awards grants weekly on a rolling basis through a simple, expedited process.
“The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina has been a trusted partner in our region for years,” said Hannah Randall, Chief Executive Officer, MANNA FoodBank. “In the time of the COVID-19 crisis, grants from the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund have been vital to MANNA’s partner agency network. I am grateful that regional funders have come together to be responsive in distributing funds that make the biggest impact at a time when it is most needed. In some cases, these grants were pivotal in our partners’ ability to continue operations at all, and, in other situations, they have been a lifeline for people suddenly experiencing an emergency food crisis.”
In addition to CFWNC, Dogwood Health Trust and WNC Bridge Foundation, funding partners include AMY Wellness Foundation, Biltmore Lake Charitable Fund, HCA Healthcare Foundation, Nantahala Health Foundation, Pisgah Health Foundation, Ramble Charitable Fund and Wells Fargo.
Public response to CFWNC’s request for donations was immediate and generous with community members and CFWNC fundholders contributing more than $250,000 to the effort. View the donor list or join it by supporting aid to those affected by COVID-19. Administrative fees are waived so that every dollar goes directly to assistance.