(April 2025) – The Yancey Fund awarded fifteen grants totaling $121,290 to nonprofits serving Yancey County in its recent grant cycle. CFWNC’s Bailey-Hilliard Fund also provided funding for these grants. The Yancey Fund, in partnership with The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC), has awarded grants totaling $1,764,398.
“Supporting local nonprofits is more important than ever following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” said Advisory Board Chair Jim Gentry Jr. “The entire region was affected, and nonprofits joined other first responders on the front lines. As recovery progresses, these critical organizations continue to meet their missions and increased demand. Contributions from our friends and neighbors, both recently and over the years invested for long-term support, helped make this year’s grants possible.”
The 2025 grants are:
$10,000 to Appalachian Therapeutic Riding Center to help children and families experiencing stress and loss after Hurricane Helene.
$8,726 to Center for Rural Health Innovation to create a community clinic and telehealth access point at the former Bee Log Elementary School.
$1,000 to Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas to assist with cancer treatment for children.
$10,000 to Feed-A-Child WNC to install insulation at its new facility.
$10,000 to High Country Area Agency on Aging for a support network for dementia family caregivers.
$10,000 to High Country Caregiver Foundation to support kinship families affected by Hurricane Helene.
$7,500 to M.Y. Life Center to support a mobile ultrasound unit.
$10,000 to Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity to acquire land for new home construction.
$10,000 to Mountain Strong: Yancey and Mitchell County Relief Team for technology and equipment needed for a permanent field hospital.
$4,532 to MY Neighbors for a program in which volunteers provide transportation to low-income people for doctor appointments, shopping needs and other personal errands.
$10,000 to Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH) to support community-based health and wellness programs.
$10,000 to Southern Reconciliation Ministries to provide community members affected by Hurricane Helene with utility assistance, heating, and housing repairs.
$10,000 to THRIVE Appalachia to purchase supplies for a teen entrepreneurship program.
$4,532 to WAMY Community Action to provide home repairs for low-income people.
$5,000 to Yancey County Sheriff's Office for equipment and technology that will help the Sheriff’s Office locate lost people.
In 1998, local residents established The Yancey Fund as a permanent charitable endowment to meet local needs. Gifts added to the Fund’s principal are preserved and invested, while grants from the Fund support nonprofits serving Yancey County. To make a tax-deductible contribution, donate online or by mail to The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, 4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300, Asheville, NC 28803, memo line: The Yancey Fund. Contributions of any size are welcome.
The local volunteer Advisory Board includes: Jim Ashton, Jill Austin, Gretchen Banks, Amber Westall Briggs, Olivier Calas, Dr. Monica Carpenter (Secretary), Melissa Flattery, Jim Gentry Jr. (Chair), Jayne Ellen Hunt, Mark Mitchell, Julia Silvers, and Gregory Stella (Vice Chair).
For more information about The Yancey Fund, contact Advisory Board Chair Jim Gentry, Jr. at jim.gentry@edwardjones.com or visit www.YanceyFund.org.