Press release from Dogwood Heath Trust:
Dogwood Heath Trust (DHT) has awarded $100,000 to The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) to be distributed through its Janirve Sudden and Urgent Needs (SUN) Grant program to support nonprofits in delivering the COVID-19 vaccine across Western North Carolina.
The SUN program awards grants of up to $10,000 to assist human service nonprofit organizations experiencing an unforeseen crisis that diminishes their ability to provide critical services. In this case, DHT and CFWNC want to remove barriers for nonprofit COVID-19 vaccine efforts in 18 western counties, including the Qualla Boundary, a service area the two funders share. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis with grants awarded within two weeks. Nonprofits can apply at https://cfwnc.org/grants/janirve-sudden-and-urgent-needs-sun.
“Our goal is to help community-based organizations with vaccine events, outreach and other activities,” said CFWNC President Elizabeth Brazas. “These small grants can remove barriers for our nonprofit partners that operate on thin budgets. We will consider requests for food for volunteers, water, PPE, tent rentals, fan rentals, whatever is essential to getting more people vaccinated in the coming months.”
“Moving past COVID-19 means getting as many people vaccinated as possible, and that requires that we work together to make sure that community-based organizations can get the support they need to move quickly and creatively,” said Dogwood Health Trust Interim CEO Dr. Susan Mims. “Our partnership with CFWNC is just one example of the kind of collaboration our region will need to get past this pandemic and on to the work of rebuilding better and stronger than before.”
The pandemic has affected marginalized communities at disproportionately higher rates. These grants will support organizations serving diverse communities and reaching rural areas. With more than 40 years of service to WNC, CFWNC’s nonprofit network is broad, and trusted relationships allow for ease of communication. SUN’s streamlined grant application and approval processes mean that funds from DHT can quickly reach and organizations of all sizes working in their communities.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.