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Dogwood Health Trust Announces First Awards - Almost $4 Million Given Across WNC

Courtesy of Dogwood Health Trust
Dogwood Health Trust has announced that they have given out 259 awards across the region.

The Dogwood Heath Trust announced its first awards with money from the sale of Mission Health to for-profit HCA.  Nearly 300 different nonprofits and government agencies received more than $3.7 million from Dogwood Health.  The grants were spread across the entire 18 counties of Mission Health System's coverage area as well as the Qualla Boundary, according to Dogwood.

Immediate Opportunity and Needs (ION) grants were announced in December 2019 to support one-time funding or opportunity needs for non-profits and government organizations of just $500 to $25,000.

 “Sometimes, an unexpected challenge arises that an organization might need an extra investment to overcome. Similarly, unexpected opportunities present themselves and organizations may need a little help to take full advantage of them. This is what the Immediate Opportunities and Needs grants are for," explained Brian Myers, chief strategy officer for Dogwood Health Trust in a December press release. 

When the ION grants were first budgeted, Dogwood Health Trust had an initial budget of $2.5 million but ultimately they decided that more funding was needed. 

“We gave particular attention to smaller nonprofits headquartered in the counties and tribe served by Dogwood and to organizations led by people of color,” says Jackie Simms, chair of the programs and grants committee in a press release. “Choosing recipients was a challenging and awe-inspiring task; so many organizations are doing such important work in our region."

This is the first funding disbursed from Dogwood's trust of more than $1 billion dollars from the Mission Health sale. Dogwood has yet to announce a full-fledged grant round for funding. Dogwood has also been working to award Leverage Funds to help local organizations apply for federal, national and state foundations. Dogwood has also worked on other projects dealing with substance abuse and health.

Specific dollar amounts for the ION grants awarded were not announced.

Here’s the full list of the recipients in alphabetical order: 

 

  • Abounding Grace Ministry Inc

  • Anchor Baptist Church & Ministries

  • Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers

  • Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

  • Appalachian Therapeutic Riding Center

  • Arc Of Buncombe County Inc

  • Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust

  • Asheville Community Theatre Inc

  • Asheville Habitat For Humanity

  • Asheville Poverty Initiative

  • Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry Inc (ABCCM)

  • Asheville-Buncombe Institute Of Parity Achievement (ABIPA)

  • Aura Home Women Vets

  • Aurora Studio & Gallery Inc

  • Babies Need Bottoms Inc

  • BeLoved Asheville

  • Bethel Rural Community Organization Inc.

  • Big Brothers-Big Sisters Of Western North Carolina Inc

  • Big Ivy Community Club

  • Biltmore United Methodist Church

  • Black Mountain Home For Children Youth & Families Inc

  • Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic

  • Blue Ridge Health

  • Blue Ridge Hope

  • ION Grant Recipients - Feb. 2020 1

  • Blue Ridge School

  • Bluewest Opportunities Inc

  • Bountiful Cities

  • Bounty & Soul

  • Boys & Girls Club Of Henderson County Hendersonville Inc

  • Boys And Girls Club Of Transylvania County Inc

  • Brasstown Fire Department

  • Bread Of Life Inc

  • Brevard First United Methodist Church

  • Bullington Gardens Inc

  • Buncombe County

  • Buncombe County Parks & Recreation

  • Burke County Schools - FUTuRES Program

  • Burke County United Way

  • Burke United Christian Ministries

  • Calvary Episcopal Church Food Pantry, Inc

  • Caney Fork Community Development Council

  • Carson Community Development Association

  • Casting Carolinas Inc

  • Celo Friends Meeting on behalf of SEARCH

  • Center For Domestic Peace (CDP)

  • Center For Participatory Change Inc

  • Charles A Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital Inc

  • Cherokee County Cooperative Extension

  • Cherokee County Sharing Center Inc

  • Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority

  • Children & Family Resource Center Of Henderson County Inc

  • Children First Communities In Schools Of Buncombe County Inc

  • Christmount Christian Assembly Inc

  • Circles of Jackson County, Inc.

  • ION Grant Recipients - Feb. 2020 2

  • City of Marion on behalf of Marion Tailgate Market

  • Clay County Department of Social Services

  • Clay County Public Health Department

  • Clay County Recreation Center & Parks

  • Clay County Senior Center

  • Cliff's Closet

  • Community Action Opportunities

  • Community Care Clinic Of Franklin

  • Community Housing Coalition Of Madison County Inc

  • Compañeros Inmigrantes de las Montañas en Acción

  • Compañeros Inmigrantes de las Montañas en Acción on behalf of Poder Emma Community

  • Ownership

  • Comserv Inc

  • Conflict Resolution Center Inc

  • Cullowhee Kids Preschool

  • Davidson River School

  • Delta House Life Development Of Asheville Inc

  • Eagle Market Street Development Corporation, CDC on behalf of People on the Move for Old

  • Fort

  • Eagle Rock Camp

  • Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians- Public Health & Human Service Division

  • Eliada Homes Inc

  • Family Place Of Transylvania County

  • First Contact Ministries Inc

  • First Presbyterian Church Asheville

  • Food Connection Inc

  • Foothills Harvest Transitional Services Inc on behalf of Harvest House Baptist Church

  • Foothills Health District

  • Foothills Industries of Mcdowell County Inc

  • Forrest W Hunt Elementary School

  • Free Community Meal and Market /Montmorenci United Methodist Church

  • Full Spectrum Farms Inc

  • Girls on the Run of WNC, Inc. (GOTRWNC)

  • Giving Spoon Inc

  • Grace Extended Ministries Inc

  • Graham County Recreation Dept.

  • Graham County Schools

  • Graham Revitalization Economic Action Team (GREAT)

  • Green Built Alliance

  • Habitat For Humanity Avery County

  • Hatch Avl Foundation

  • Haven Of Transylvania County

  • Haywood Community College

  • Haywood County Schools: Exceptional Children Department

  • Haywood Pathways Center

  • Haywood Street Congregation

  • Henderson County Education Foundation Inc on behalf of Henderson County Child Nutrition

  • Program

  • Henderson County Free Medical Clinic Inc on behalf of HopeRX

  • Henderson County Habitat for Humanity

  • Henderson County Young Leaders d/b/a Camplify

  • Hendersonville Rescue Mission

  • HERE in Jackson County, Inc

  • Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach Inc

  • Holly Springs Community Development Club Inc

  • Homeward Bound Of Western North Carolina Inc

  • Hope For Abuse Victims Through Education And Nurturing-Haven

  • Hospice & Palliative Care Of The Blue Ridge Inc

  • Hospice Of Yancey County Inc d/b/a Compassionate Care Western Nc

  • House Of Refuge Ministries

  • ION Grant Recipients - Feb. 2020 4

  • Hunger and Health Coalition

  • Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House Inc

  • Industrial Opportunities

  • Interfaith Assistance Ministry Inc

  • International Friendship Center

  • Irene Wortham Center Inc

  • Isothermal Community College

  • Jackson County Department of Public Health

  • Jackson County Department of Social Services

  • Jackson County Department on Aging

  • Jackson County Tax Collector

  • Jewish Community Center Of Asheville Inc

  • Jewish Family Services of WNC

  • John Scarlett Memorial Foundation, dba Rotary Club of Brevard, NC Foundation on behalf of El

  • Centro Comunitario Hispano-Americano

  • Jordan Peer Recovery

  • Land of Sky Regional Council - Economic & Community Development

  • Latino Advocacy Coalition Of Henderson County Inc

  • Lees-Mcrae College Incorporated

  • Lenoir-Rhyne University on behalf of Equity Over Everything

  • Liberty Corner Enterprises Inc

  • Life 107 Ministries Inc

  • Light a Path

  • Loving Food Resources

  • Macon County Senior Services

  • Macon County Transit

  • Macon Program For Progress Inc

  • Macon STEM Program

  • Madison County Education Foundation Incorporated

  • Madison County Health Department

  • ION Grant Recipients - Feb. 2020 5

  • Matt's Ministry, a mission of Ledford's Chapel United Methodist Church

  • Mayland Community College Enterprise Corporation

  • McDowell County EMS

  • McDowell County Head Start

  • Mcdowell County Health Coalition Inc

  • McDowell County Schools/West McDowell Middle School

  • Mcdowell Lfac

  • McDowell Mission Ministries

  • McDowell Senior Center

  • McDowell Technical Community College

  • Meals On Wheels of Asheville And Buncombe County Inc

  • Meals on Wheels of Brevard

  • Mitchell-Yancey Habitat For Humanity

  • Mount Zion Community Development Inc.

  • Mountain Area Residential Facilities, Inc.

  • Mountain Community Health Partnership

  • Mountain Housing Opportunities Inc

  • Mountain Projects Inc

  • Muddy Sneakers Inc

  • My Daddy Taught Me That/ My Sistah Taught Me That

  • My Sisters Place Inc

  • Nantahala Regional Library on behalf of Graham County Friends of the Library

  • Neighbors in Ministry, Inc./Rise & Shine

  • New Hope Of Mcdowell

  • No Wrong Door for Support and Recovery

  • Only Hope Wnc

  • OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling

  • Open Hearts Art Center

  • OpenDoors Of Asheville

  • Our Voice Inc

  • ION Grant Recipients - Feb. 2020 6

  • Penland School Of Craft

  • Pigeon Community Development Center

  • Pisgah Legal Services

  • Polk County Council On Aging Inc

  • Polk County Government- Health and Human Services Agency- Public Health Division

  • Reach Of Clay County Inc

  • Region A Partnership For Children

  • Renew Bryson City

  • Resources For Resilience

  • Resources For Resilience on behalf of Buncombe ACE Collaborative

  • River Front Development Group

  • Riverlink Inc

  • Rock Bottom Recovery and Support Inc

  • Rolling Start NC

  • Roseland Community Center Inc

  • Rutherford Building Agricultural Relationships Now Inc

  • Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity, Inc.

  • Rutherford County Senior Center

  • Rutherford Housing Partnership Inc

  • Rutherford Outdoor Coalition

  • St. James Episcopal Church

  • SeekHealing

  • Senior Care Group Inc

  • Shooting Creek Volunteer Fire Dept

  • Sixth Avenue Psychiatric Rehabilitation Partners Inc

  • Smart Start Of Transylvania County

  • Southern Reconciliation Ministries Inc

  • Southwestern Community College

  • Sparc Foundation Inc

  • Spring Creek Community Center

  • ION Grant Recipients - Feb. 2020 7

  • Spruce Pine Montessori School Inc

  • St Gerard House

  • St Luke's Hospital Inc

  • Stecoah Township Rescue Squad and Fire Department Inc.

  • Stecoah Valley Arts Crafts & Educational Center Inc

  • Streets To Grace

  • Summit Charter School Inc

  • Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness on behalf of Collective Impact Collaborative

  • Swain County Family Resource Center

  • Swain-Qualla Safe Inc

  • Swannanoa Valley Child Care Council Inc

  • Teen Challenge Of The Smokies Inc

  • The Asheville City Schools Foundation

  • The Blue Ridge Literacy Council, Inc

  • The Christine Avery Learning Center Inc

  • The Community Table, INC

  • The Council on Aging for Henderson County

  • The EACH Initiative, Inc

  • The Enola Group Inc

  • The Free Clinics

  • The Housing Assistance Corporation

  • The Literacy Council Of Buncombe County

  • The Outreach Center

  • The Still Place Inc

  • Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry

  • Thirtieth Judicial District Domesti Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance

  • Tipton Hill Community Foundation

  • Town of Forest City

  • Town of Murphy

  • Transylvania Community Arts Council

  • ION Grant Recipients - Feb. 2020 8

  • Transylvania County Schools Educational Foundation Inc

  • Transylvania Farmers Market

  • Transylvania Vocational Services Inc

  • Trauma Intervention Program of Western North Carolina

  • Tryon Seventh-Day Adventist Church

  • Umoja Health, Wellness and Justice Collective

  • United Community Development Of North Carolina on behalf of Worldwide Baptist Tabernacle

  • Church

  • United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County

  • United Way of Henderson County

  • United Way Of Rutherford County Inc

  • Unity In The Community

  • University Of North Carolina At Asheville Foundation Inc on behalf of Thrive Asheville

  • Vecinos Farmworker Health Program

  • W A M Y Community Action Inc

  • Walnut Creek Community Club Inc

  • Webster Enterprises Of Jackson County Inc

  • West Marion Community Forum Inc

  • Western Carolina Community Action Inc

  • Western NC Housing Partnership Inc

  • Western North Carolina AIDS Project Inc

  • Western North Carolina Community Health Services Inc

  • Western North Carolina Superheros Inc

  • Western North Carolina Workers' Center on behalf of JMPro TV

  • WNC Communities

  • Working Wheels

  • Yancey County Economic Development Commission

  • Young Men's Christian Association Of Avery County Inc

  • YTL Training Programs

  • YWCA of Asheville And Western North Carolina Inc

Lilly Knoepp is Senior Regional Reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio. She has served as BPR’s first fulltime reporter covering Western North Carolina since 2018. She is from Franklin, NC. She returns to WNC after serving as the assistant editor of Women@Forbes and digital producer of the Forbes podcast network. She holds a master’s degree in international journalism from the City University of New York and earned a double major from UNC-Chapel Hill in religious studies and political science.