Donations sought for Disaster Relief Fund benefiting hurricane victims

Contributions are still needed for the North Carolina Community Foundation’s statewide Disaster Relief Fund, which was re-activated last week to help recovery efforts related to Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina.

The fund will support nonprofits with programs helping hurricane and flood victims in central and eastern North Carolina. The death toll from the storm has reached 26, the Associated Press reports. The flooding caused around $1.5 billion in damage to 100,000 homes, businesses and government buildings.

“The flooding that accompanied Hurricane Matthew created a prolonged disaster of epic proportions,” said Jennifer Tolle Whiteside, CEO of the NC Community Foundation. “Many communities will be rebuilding for years to come.”

No portion of the Disaster Relief Fund will be used for the Foundation’s administrative or operational expenses, officials said. The foundation also encourages this practice among local recipient agencies.

NCCF’s disaster relief grants are generally aimed toward helping to solve unmet needs, Tolle Whiteside said.

“We do not compete with those ‘boots on the ground’ organizations established to raise funds for immediate needs, but rather concentrate on helping with rebuilding efforts and other issues that remain when these organizations are gone,” she said.

Donations can be made online through the NCCF website via the “Give Now” button or under the “Giving” tab at nccommunityfoundation.org, or by downloading a contribution form from the site and mailing or faxing it to NCCF offices.

Checks can be mailed to: NCCF at 3737 Glenwood Ave., Suite 460, Raleigh, NC 27612. Please designate your gift for “Hurricane Matthew Disaster Relief.” All gifts are tax-deductible.

Details visit nccommunityfoundation.org, contact the NCCF headquarters office in Raleigh at 919-828-4387 or email questions to info@nccommunityfoundation.org.

The NCCF is the single statewide community foundation serving North Carolina and has made more than $116 million in grants since its inception in 1988.

This story was originally published October 17, 2016 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Donations sought for Disaster Relief Fund benefiting hurricane victims."