EXPLORE ASHEVILLE’S ALWAYS ASHEVILLE FUND
AWARDS MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN HELENE RECOVERY AID
TO SMALL, INDEPENDENT TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES
More than 320 Applicants Awarded Small Business Grants
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (November 26, 2024) – Explore Asheville is providing more than $1 million in financial support to 322 local travel and hospitality businesses, delivering crucial economic assistance after Hurricane Helene, just before the holiday season. Explore Asheville, a 501(c)6 nonprofit, established the Always Asheville Fund two weeks after Hurricane Helene to support the reopening of small, independent travel and hospitality businesses in Asheville and across Buncombe County.
“The Always Asheville Fund kicks off the distribution of much-needed grant relief dollars for our creative, small business community, serving as a vital first source of support for many local businesses," said Vic Isley CEO & President of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “These funds will provide some immediate relief to the small travel and hospitality businesses that have gone to great lengths and personal expenses to reopen, sustain jobs for their employees, and service our community. These businesses, which include art galleries and retail shops, restaurants, breweries, and tour providers, are an essential part of Asheville and Buncombe County’s identity and economy.”
More than two-thirds of eligible applicants will receive financial grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. The award amounts were adjusted to support as many applicants as possible. Of the 620 total applications received, 390 met the grant application criteria. Applications were evaluated based on their visitor impact, alignment with Explore Asheville’s strategic imperatives, ability to reopen quickly, access to additional revenue sources, and local workforce retention.
“Our community is experiencing unprecedented levels of loss, leading to a significant need for financial support to aid in recovery,” added Isley. “Explore Asheville recognizes that the needs of the community far exceed our ability to provide funding for all eligible applicants at his time and is heartened to get these grants in the hands of business owners before the holidays.”
Explore Asheville created the Always Asheville Fund with dollars from its earned revenue, unrestricted by state legislation. To date, online donations and partnerships have been leveraged to expand the fund to a total of $1,130,000. Additional partnerships, such as the New Orleans Cooks for Carolina dinner series and SoCon ticket sale donations, are expected to continue growing the Always Asheville Fund into next year.
Since 2001, Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority have committed $96 million in grants to more than 50 community projects, as well as $5 million in grants through the Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund to nearly 400 small travel and hospitality businesses to reopen following the pandemic. Nearly 90% of those businesses were still in operation prior to Helene.
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Media Contact:
Ashley Greenstein
agreenstein@exploreasheville.com
828.318.8960