ASHEVILLE — This month, Dogwood Health Trust announced an additional $20 million in commitments in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina (WNC). This third round of funding builds upon earlier combined investments of more than $50 million, bringing Dogwood’s total Helene relief funding to just over $70 million to date.
This round of funding builds upon Dogwood’s commitment to support both short-term relief and long-term recovery throughout the region. It includes continued focus and expansion of financial support for small businesses in WNC’s hardest hit areas, as well as investments to further support long-standing commitments to early childhood education, out-of-school time programming, and community behavioral health services.
“We are continuing to prioritize support for the things that drive health for our region,” said Dr. Susan Mims, CEO of Dogwood Health Trust.
“When you pair the $70+ million in Helene relief with our other 2024 annual grantmaking and impact investing, the total is more than $200 million invested in the region this year alone.”
Small Business Relief & the WNC Small Business Initiative
Following a disaster, FEMA estimates that as many as 43% of affected businesses are at risk of permanent closure. According to a needs assessment by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, even small amounts of funding can help businesses reopen more quickly and reduce their interruption losses.
In October, Dogwood provided a $10 million lead grant to the Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative (WNCSBI), led by Appalachian Community Capital. Recognizing the continued need among small businesses in the region, and the overwhelming response to the first round of immediate relief grants, Dogwood is contributing an additional $10 million to the WNCSBI. To date, more than 3,000 small local businesses applied for assistance through the WNCSBI fund with 322 grants being made so far, totaling $6,830,000.
This grant will allow WNCSBI to accommodate more of the applications that have already been submitted. Qualifying businesses can receive grants of up to $25,000 to offset physical or financial damage incurred from Hurricane Helene.
Early Childhood Education and Out-of-School-Time
To preserve the availability of quality early care and education in communities affected by the storm, Dogwood has committed just over $3.5 million toward stabilizing the early childhood education (ECE) provider workforce. To help distribute these funds quickly throughout the region, Dogwood is making these grants to all eight local Smart Start partnerships in WNC. This will help providers retain their teachers and replace lost revenue from center closures following Hurricane Helene.
“If early childhood professionals leave our workforce, parents have a harder time finding a place where their kids can be cared for, grow and learn. In communities hardest hit by the storm, the availability of high-quality early education is already extremely limited,” said Mims. “This investment recognizes how essential high-quality, early care and education is for our families and economy.”
To further support early care and education in the region, Dogwood is working with Home Grown, a national collaborative of funders committed to improving the quality of and access to home-based child care, through a $75,000 grant to the Home-Based Child Care Emergency Fund for Hurricane and Severe Weather Response. Another $660,000 in grants are being provided to 27 Out-of-School-Time partners within Dogwood’s WNC After 3 PM Collaborative that are working in the districts hardest hit by Helene, including Avery, Buncombe, Mitchell and Yancey counties.
Mental and Behavioral Health With increased need for mental and behavioral health services after the storm, All Souls Counseling Center will receive $300,000 to expand mental health counseling, crisis comfort and outreach to communities deeply impacted by loss, grief and trauma caused by Hurricane Helene in WNC. Vecinos will receive $500,000 for the opening of its new clinic, delivering services to those experiencing loss, increased health issues, property damage, joblessness and a lack of insurance. They will also help people access federal disaster resources.
Rent relief and affordable housing continue to be pressing and long-term needs in Western North Carolina. United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County will receive $500,000 to support immediate rent relief efforts managed by local partners in the region actively doing this work. For the long-term, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Government will receive $150,400 to expand the number of communities they can support as part of Carolina Across 100 — Our State, Our Homes, an 18-month program that seeks to improve access to and availability of affordable housing in North Carolina.
“Care” for Grantees & Support for Individuals
Nonprofit leaders and organizations diligently and selflessly serve on the frontlines of health, human and social services each day. Recognizing that many of these leaders sacrificed significantly after the storm, Dogwood is providing local active grantee organizations that meet certain criteria a “Care” grant of $12,500 that they can use to support, celebrate and care for staff members who have gone above and beyond to help the region recover. Dogwood has committed a total of $2.75 million for this work.
“Our local partners have worked tirelessly to meet the needs of our neighbors, often while also taking care of their families and friends,” said Mims. “We want to pause, celebrate and thank them for all they have done during this challenging time.”
Lastly, with the increased needs among individuals with lower incomes recovering from the storm, Dogwood is giving a $1 million grant to WNC Bridge Foundation to support individual relief efforts in WNC in 2025. WNC Bridge will also contribute funds to this effort. Additional information about criteria will be shared in the new year.
About Dogwood Health Trust
Dogwood Health Trust is a private foundation based in Asheville, North Carolina with the sole purpose of dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of all people and communities in the Qualla Boundary and the 18 counties of Western North Carolina. Dogwood Health Trust focuses on innovative and equitable ways to address the many factors that contribute to overall health and wellbeing, with a focus on housing, education, economic opportunity, and health and wellness.
Dogwood Heath Trust has been especially supportive of various projects within Rutherford County, including housing initiatives in Rutherfordton and Spindale.
