Emergency and Disaster Response Fund

EDRF is funding organizations providing emergency relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene. 

As the needs are evolving, CFWNC is expanding the EDRF grant program. Nonprofits can apply for either: 

  • Grants up to $25,000 to be awarded to eligible organizations for frontline human services. 

    OR

  • Grants up to $50,000 to (1) eligible organizations that sustained direct facility damage or (2) eligible organizations whose work addresses the effects of Hurricane Helene focused on repair and remediation. 

Grants are intended to cover the extraordinary costs of providing emergency, relief or recovery services for eligible organizations affected by the storm. EDRF grants are not for ongoing operational costs, lost revenue, lost wages, or costs that are or will be covered by other sources. Eligibility for emergency public funding (local, state or federal) will be addressed in the application.   

As the recovery process evolves, EDRF grant guidelines may be adjusted further to align with the region’s needs.

Deadlines and Dates

  • Nonprofits will use a simple, expedited process to access funds with grants considered and awarded on a rolling basis. 
  • Organizations can submit only one request for funding at a time. 
  • Organizations that previously received an EDRF grant for Hurricane Helene frontline services but have sustained direct facility damage or are assisting others with repair and remediation may submit a second application for up to $50,000 to address facility damage or to provide repair and remediation assistance.

Eligibility

Review the information below to determine if you are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to the geographic areas of CFWNC’s region most significantly affected. An organization applying for a grant from the EDRF must be:

  • A community-based nonprofit designated by the IRS as 501(c)(3), a faith-based organization, or a public agency.
  • Serving the following counties and areas in WNC: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey counties, including the Qualla Boundary. 
  • Addressing one of CFWNC’s four focus areas: 
  1. Education – prioritizing organizations addressing childcare, out-of-school hours or learning loss 
  2. Cultural Resources – limited to organizations in the following categories that have been displaced or require facility repairs or remediation to resume operations: arts councils; craft, performing, communication, or visual arts organizations; and WNC places of historical or cultural significance 
  3. Human Services – prioritizing frontline efforts to address critical needs
  4. Natural Resources – targeting clean-up or debris-removal activities, water quality assessments of impacted wells or other key water resources, access for continued utility repair, or recovery assistance to other nonprofit organizations 

Preference will be given to organizations that have been previously funded by CFWNC or that are working with established WNC organizations with a history of providing services in Western North Carolina.

What We Do Not Fund

EDRF grants generally do not support: debt retirement; sectarian religious purposes; partisan political purposes; individuals; or private schools (except for projects or programs that are not directed toward the school's students or staff and that directly address community needs) and private clubs. 

How to Apply

1. Access Community Foundation Staff Assistance

If you have questions regarding eligibility, contact Tara Scholtz, Senior Program Officer, by email or at 828-367-9913.

2. Submit an Application

Access the online application process. For technical assistance with the online grant system, please contact Diane Crisp, Grants Manager, by email or at 828-367-9904. Applicants will be notified by email upon receipt of application.

If connectivity is an issue, email or call Alana Nottage (828-785-4742). 

Si el idioma es una barrera, envíe un correo electrónico o llame a Ismael Martinez (828-367-9909). 

 

3. Review Process

Expedited review of applications will take place with funding decisions announced on a rolling basis.

Reporting Requirements

A brief online end-of-grant report verifying use of grant funds and results will be required. Instructions will be included in the grant award communication.

Larger grant requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and determined according to the availability of funds, the severity of need in the community served, and the other sources of support available to the organizations. 

Return to Grants Directory