map with pins marking location of where donations came from

We have supported Helene relief and recovery efforts in a number of ways, including volunteer mobilization, convening community groups, and fundraising. This page highlights some of the investments made possible by our fundraising efforts.

Stewarding the donations made to us for Helene Relief efforts is the honor of a lifetime for our staff. From California to Vermont and everywhere between, checks came to United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County from individuals and foundations making gifts from $5 to $500,000. Businesses and creatives launched t-shirt sales, book tours, concerts, and more to contribute. Every gift, no matter the size, is a testament to our shared humanity and a belief that we all can do something to care for one another.

Hurricane Helene: Fund Strategy Snapshot

Throughout this process, we’ve been committed to including community members in identifying the needs that influenced where funds should go. At the beginning of this crisis, our board of directors approved a funding strategy for Helene-designated donations:

30% was to be made available immediately for relief efforts,
60% to be used for long-term recovery, and
10% for UWABC-led strategies.

In the chart below, you will find the big picture of funds in and funds out. We will update this page as these numbers change and other organizations are funded.

Funding Spotlight

“It was horrible—no power, no water, and the kids couldn’t eat or drink what they needed. They lost toys they loved, and our son lost a friend from school, which hurt the most. My biggest worry was paying bills, getting back to work, finding open stores, and not having cash. When we got the payment, we could shop online for food, and it felt like a miracle—we cried. We were able to buy hot food, two toys for the kids, tires for the car, and wipes. Being able to spend on things we truly needed had such a positive impact on my mental health—it was an unbelievable, happy feeling.” -- E.S. (received a $1,000 grant via GiveDirectly)

Direct Assistance to Individuals and Families $1,818,000

We helped move more than 1.8 million dollars directly into the hands of local community members through our community partners. Here are just a few examples:

$1,345,800 to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church for housing and utility support
$332,200, we used a nonprofit called GiveDirectly to send targeted $1,000 grants directly to people on public assistance living in our community's hardest-hit areas - no applications, no waiting in lines.
$8,000 in gift cards were given to Big Ivy Community Center for distribution to community members in Barnardsville

Youth Support and Education $421,827

We know that during a crisis like Helene, some of our most vulnerable neighbors are often children. Our work with United for Youth and our presence at nine local schools has allowed us to work closely with educators and youth-serving nonprofits to identify critical needs to support youth in our community.

Whether it was funding to support mental health care in Swannanoa and Black Mountain or funds to strengthen mentorship and academic support while schools were unable to operate, we were able to give our local educators and service providers flexible funding to meet their community needs

Urgent Organizational Needs $605,000

Two examples of larger urgent needs grants we've made include:

$50,000 to help the Christine Avery Learning Center re-refurnish one of their childcare sites, which experienced extensive flood damage. Funding helped them meet commercial-grade requirements for licensed childcare facilities, allowing them to create a safe, nurturing, and fully equipped learning environment for their students.
$50,000 to support CORE's efforts to repair 25-30 homes in the Alan Campos neighborhood in Swannanoa. Funds were used for materials, labor, and contractors. In addition to cleaning and gutting flooded homes, CORE also worked to mitigate future flood damage by elevating the homes in this community.

Organizational Fund Distribution

Thank you for including us as a partner in this project. We appreciated the additional opportunity to step out beyond our usual role of food distribution and help our neighbors monetarily with the immediate crisis. The recipients were beyond grateful, and many of these folks would not have sought help, believing that someone else needed it more. They were overwhelmed that their neighbors had recognized their need. The gratitude expressed was heartfelt and unanimous. This project made a difference. – Jan Ianniello Montmorenci UMC

Below is a list of organizations that received our Hurricane Helene Fund grants by category (including the ones listed above). These investments include a wide range of support, including organizational support for staff, direct assistance for organizations to serve their community, and urgent (special project) funds that would not have been needed had the hurricane not caused damage. Some organizations used their grant money for multiple purposes. This is why their name appears more than once on the second tab.

This table will be updated as needed and can be sorted using toggles at the top of the columns and tabs.

What's Next?

A disaster of this magnitude comes with equally complex solutions. As proud as we are to continue raising and investing funds for rebuilding, we know we have far less reach than federal and state agencies or large foundations.

Here’s what you can expect from our team:

We will continue monitoring needs and investing in things like direct assistance when possible.
Our next significant funding effort will be made in our nine community schools based on Assets and Needs Assessments conducted with students, families, and staff. Each school will have access to funds to support its unique communities. These schools are Asheville Middle, Enka Middle, Erwin Middle, Owen Middle, Reynolds Middle, North Buncombe Middle, Enka Intermediate, Hall Fletcher Elementary, and Asheville High School. As that develops, we will keep you informed.
Decisions about funding for systemic issues such as housing, unemployment, etc, will be informed by and coordinated with the efforts of federal, state, and local governments, private funders, and foundations.

Finally, you can always expect us to provide you with a transparent picture of what we are doing and why we are doing it. And if there is a way for you to be involved, we’ll share that information, too.

If you have questions about any of these funding strategies, please contact Lance Edwards, Senior Vice President of Community Impact at Lance.Edwards@unitedwayabc.org.

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Helene Fund Distribution Report