Hurricane Helene Grantees

In response to the significant impact of Hurricane Helene on our community, the Community Foundation for the CSRA established the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, we were able to make rapid relief grants to dozens of nonprofits that were on the front lines of administering critical aid. Through this fund, we have granted over $7.7 million to support immediate relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene. This initiative is providing critical assistance to the affected communities, ensuring they receive the necessary resources to rebuild and recover.

The Community Foundation is steadfast in its commitment to empowering nonprofits during these challenging times. Our second phase of granting, focused on the longer-term recovery and stabilization of our community. We recognize the critical role these organizations play in enriching and supporting our communities. To help them navigate the current landscape, we have offered targeted financial assistance in the following key areas:

  • Lost Revenue
  • Relief Reimbursement
  • Increased Operating Costs
  • Infrastructure Needs
  • Recovery Programming

In this phase of funding, organizations had UP TO TWO opportunities to submit a grant request.

Grant Usage: These grants could be used for the following needs:

  • Relief Reimbursement (Maximum Award $15,000) This grant supported immediate recovery efforts. Examples of emergency relief are food, water, temporary housing, tarps, cost of tree removal from homes, emergency child care, etc.
  • Lost Revenue (Maximum Award $10,000) This grant is for lost revenue due to canceled events/fundraisers or lost earned income. The impact must have occurred during the months of September – December of 2024.
  • Increased Operating Costs: (Maximum Award $50,000) This is a dollar-for-dollar match grant that will be paid once other funds have been raised. Funds can be used for additional program costs that have occurred due to Helene services, loan repayments, and/or interest fees due to Helene loans.
  • Infrastructure Needs: (Maximum Award $50,000) This grant is for public access spaces who can show damages have had a negative economic impact on both their organization and their community. Grant may assist in covering costs associated with insurance deductibles, repairs, and mitigation activities.
  • Recovery Programming: (Maximum Award: $50,000 for organizations with an annual operating budget up to $750,000, $100,000 for organizations with an annual operating budget over $750,000)
    This grant is for programming and/or activities that have been created or expanded due to the impact of Hurricane Helene. Examples of allowable programming are mental health care, housing, utility assistance, assistance with clothing and/or household goods, etc. These services may be related to ongoing programming that is now serving Helene impacted individuals in addition to regular clientele or may be new programming that is being provided due to needs from Hurricane Helene.

Questions: Contact a member of the program team of the Community Foundation:
Contact Lasima Turmon
Contact Erin Starnes

The generous funding provided in response to Hurricane Helene is offering essential support to communities in need across multiple counties. Each grantee is actively and tirelessly working across diverse service areas to make certain that relief efforts effectively reach those who are most affected.

Through the collaborative efforts of these dedicated organizations highlighted below, the Hurricane Helene funding is making a significant impact in restoring hope and rebuilding lives.

Recovery Programming

The Recovery Programming grant is designed to fund programming and activities initiated or expanded in response to the impact of Hurricane Helene.

Nonprofits that received funding in this category:

  • ACTS of Aiken
  • Adventure Bags, Inc.
  • Aiken Senior Life Services
  • Augusta Dream Center
  • Augusta Faith Leadership Consortium
  • Augusta Heritage Academy, Inc.
  • Augusta Locally Grown
  • Augusta/CSRA Habitat for Humanity
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta
  • Broad Street Ministry Center
  • Cancer Support Services
  • Child Enrichment
  • Easter Seals East Georgia
  • Edgefield County Youth Empowerment Center
  • Golden Harvest Food Bank
  • Greater Augusta Arts Council
  • Home Builders Greater Aiken-Augusta Region
  • James Henry Sweat Foundation
  • Kids Restart
  • Leadership Augusta
  • Mental Health America of Aiken County
  • North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church
  • Overflow Foundation
  • RISE Augusta
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta
  • Sand Hills Garden Club
  • SC State Guard Mission & Operations Support Foundation, Inc.
  • St. Vincent de Paul Society Georgia
  • The Dr. Paulette P. Harris Literacy Center
  • The River
  • The Salvation Army Augusta Area Command
  • The Salvation Army of Aiken
  • Toxic Elite Dance Company
  • Unity Outreach Church
  • Wholesome Wave Georgia

Increased Operating Costs

This grant is structured to provide a dollar-for-dollar match, which means the grant amount will be equal to the funds raised by the organization from other sources. The goal of the matching grant is to support organizations in covering additional program costs or managing financial obligations related to Helene services.

Nonprofits that received funding in this category:

  • 143 Ministries International
  • Aiken Senior Life Services
  • Apparo Academy
  • Aquinas High School
  • Augusta Heritage Academy
  • Augusta/CSRA Habitat for Humanity
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta
  • Briarwood Academy, Inc.
  • Cancer Support Services
  • Edgefield County Youth Empowerment Center
  • Episcopal Day School
  • Family YMCA of Greater Augusta
  • Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch Inc.
  • Gamechangers Foundation
  • Garden City Rescue Mission
  • Georgia-Carolina Council, BSA
  • Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Inc.
  • Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia
  • Golden Harvest Food Bank, Inc.
  • Hitchcock Woods Foundation
  • Home Builders Greater Aiken-Augusta Region
  • McDuffie Care, Inc.
  • MelodiousOne Educational Institute, Inc.
  • Miracle Making Ministries
  • Paine College
  • Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church
  • Safe Homes of Augusta
  • Sand Hills Garden Club, Inc.
  • Soar Academy Augusta Inc
  • SORBA-CSRA
  • St. John United Methodist Church
  • The River
  • The Salvation Army of Aiken
  • Via Cognitive Health
  • Walter L. Shepeard Community Blood Center
  • Wholesome Wave Georgia

Infrastructure Needs

This grant is designed to support publicly accessible spaces such as parks, trails, and outdoor public gathering areas. The goal is to aid spaces that have suffered damages with a noticeable negative economic impact on both the organization managing the space and the surrounding community.

Nonprofits that received funding in this category:

  • Aiken Steeplechase Association
  • Augusta University Foundation
  • Bath Gardens Foundation
  • ENOPION Theatre Company
  • Family YMCA of Greater Augusta
  • Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch Inc.
  • Girl Scouts of Historic GA
  • Hitchcock Woods Foundation
  • Mead Hall Episcopal School
  • Phinizy Center for Water Sciences

Relief Reimbursement

Relief Reimbursement grants were granted for emergency relief efforts provided from September – December of 2024.

Nonprofits that received funding in this category:

  • 143 Ministries
  • Belle Terrace Presbyterian Church
  • Concerned Women
  • Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons
  • Good Neighbor Ministries
  • Living in Purpose
  • Mental Health America of Aiken County
  • Miracle Making Ministries
  • Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers
  • Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church
  • RISE Augusta
  • Saint Luke United Methodist Church
  • The James Brown Family Foundation
  • Westabou Montessori School

Lost Revenue

The Lost Revenue grant provided financial assistance for organizations that experienced a loss of revenue due to canceled events, fundraisers, or other sources of earned income.

Nonprofits that received funding in this category:

  • Apparo Academy
  • Aquinas High School
  • Augusta Canal National Heritage Area
  • Augusta Locally Grown
  • Augusta Mini Theatre
  • Augusta Museum of History
  • Burn Foundation of America
  • Brown Girls Code
  • Christ Community Health Services Augusta
  • CSRA Business League
  • Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons
  • Easterseals East Georgia
  • Goodwill of Middle Georgia
  • Georgia-Carolina Council, BSA
  • Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art
  • Good Neighbor Ministries
  • Guiding Path Enrichment Center
  • Historic Augusta
  • Hope House
  • Le Chat Noir
  • Mead Hall Episcopal School
  • Oaks Ministries
  • Pregnant Choices
  • Project Refresh
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta
  • Sacred Heart Cultural Center
  • Safe Homes of Augusta
  • Saint Luke United Methodist Church
  • The Augusta Players
  • The Center for New Beginnings
  • The James Brown Family Foundation
  • The Salvation Army Augusta Area Command
  • Via Cognitive Health
  • Walter L. Shepeard Community Blood Center
  • Westabou Montessori School
  • Westobou Festival
  • Woodlawn United Methodist Church Preschool
picture of lasima turmon

We welcome your questions and comments. Please contact Lasima Turmon, Sr. Program Officer, here or 706-724-1314.

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