Hendersonville, N.C., May 15, 2020 – Community Foundation of Henderson County has recently awarded $248,500 in Community Grants to 11 local nonprofits bringing the total grant awards for the Community Grants Program for Fiscal Year 2019-20 to $425,515. This continuous and usual grants program is separate from the COVID-19 Response Fund which has a distinctively different process for the current time of distress. The Community Grants Program is made possible by generous donors who have contributed unrestricted and broadly defined interest area gifts.
“For more than three decades it has been Community Foundation’s honor and purpose to ensure that donors’ gifts are used to respond to the changing opportunities, needs and challenges within our community,” says the Foundation’s President and CEO McCray V. Benson. “Our Community Grants Program continues to provide support for countless projects and local organizations each year – helping improve the quality of life for thousands of our neighbors.”
The following Community Grants were awarded as part of the fourth quarter grant cycle:
- $25,000 to AdventHealth Hendersonville for construction of a Behavioral Health Pod in their Emergency Department that provides a quiet, calming space where patients diagnosed with behavioral health issues related to suicidal/homicidal ideation, depression, or drug overdose/withdrawal can be stabilized
- $25,000 to Crossnore School & Children's Home for training for newly hired clinical therapists, purchase of a vehicle, and purchase of therapeutic toys and supplies to serve children in Henderson and Transylvania Counties
- $8,500 to the N.C. Cooperative Extension – Henderson County Center for the construction of a dedicated storage building that will house program equipment, supplies, and props
- $40,000 to the Latino Advocacy Coalition (El Centro) to create and fill two new part-time positions of Director of Mental Health and Director of Education which is part of the first of three phases that will implement El Centro's new vision
- $25,000 to Pardee Hospital Foundation for the purchase and development of a mobile mammography unit that will address late stage breast cancers in Henderson County
- $40,000 to Pisgah Legal Services to assist low-income immigrants with civil legal issues that impact their safety, security and well-being through their Justice For All Program
- $45,000 to St. Gerard House to help create a larger, comprehensive autism center that will meet the rising need for services
- $5,000 to Western Carolina Community Action to help restore and re-open the Columbus Children's Center which suffered extensive damage and equipment losses due to flooding in early 2020
- $12,000 to Hola Community Arts for fees for translators, journalists and web development services that provide updates in Spanish to the Latinx community in Henderson County during the coronavirus pandemic
- $15,000 to Hands On! Children’s Museum to support the cost of removing and replacing the rubber mulch floor allowing for proper sanitation affording a safe reopening of the facility
- $8,000 to Arts Council of Henderson County to provide support, equipment and programs for arts organizations in Henderson County, North Carolina
“On behalf of the Community Foundation Board of Directors, we want to express our gratitude to our donors who have given generously – supporting important work through our Community Grants Program,” said Cindy Causby, Community Foundation of Henderson County’s Board Chair. “We know that because of these grants, our area nonprofits are able to continue addressing community challenges and helping our neighbors in need."
Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations, IRS-equivalents or accepted fiscal agents wanting to be considered for Community Foundation of Henderson County’s next competitive Community Grants cycle are invited to submit applications for those grants to the Community Foundation by Monday, June 1. Guidelines, the online application form and more details about the Community Grants Program can be found here.