The East Tennessee Foundation Awards 20 Nonprofits Nearly $500,000 in Initial Flood Relief Grants, Raises More than $4 Million for East Tennessee’s Recovery

Knoxville – Tennessee — The East Tennessee Foundation (ETF), a 501(c)(3) public charity and nationally accredited community foundation focused on serving a 25-county region in East Tennessee, has distributed $479,000 through its Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) Disaster Relief Fund to nonprofit organizations helping East Tennessee recover from Hurricane Helene.

The ETF is utilizing an ongoing grantmaking process, typically granting weekly, that leverages funding and partnerships to support East Tennessee’s long-term recovery. Based on community feedback and best practice, the Foundation’s strategy focuses on long-term recovery, which is the greatest need and one of the most underfunded aspects of disaster recovery, according to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

“Since Helene struck, we have been immersed in understanding East Tennessee’s developing needs and leaning on lessons learned from previous disasters to make informed decisions to durably distribute resources for the region’s resiliency,” said Keith Barber, the ETF President & CEO. “We are tremendously grateful for the outpouring of donations and partnerships being extended for East Tennessee’s well-being, from individuals to businesses and other nonprofits, and we are responsibly stewarding their support by investing in resources that will rebuild lives and communities.”

Supporting 20 nonprofit organizations engaging in response, relief, and recovery across the East Tennessee region, the ETF’s initial N2N grant recipients include:

• Clean Water Expected in East Tennessee – Serving Cocke County

• • Water testing, emergency support, and disaster-related relief

• First Tennessee Development District: Serving Carter, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties

• • Recovery assistance for vulnerable seniors and adults with disabilities

• Johnson County Senior Center – Serving Johnson County

• • Disaster relief and assistance for seniors and community members
• Speedway Children’s Charities – Serving Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Support for children and families impacted by Hurricane Helene.

• Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless – Serving Cocke County

• • Assistance for unhoused individuals and families in Cocke County impacted by Hurricane Helene
• Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency – Serving Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Providing basic necessities for individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Helene
• CASA of Northeast Tennessee – Serving Greene, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Support for lost revenue due to Hurricane Helene
• Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, Inc. – Serving Cocke, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Lodging and housing for households impacted by Hurricane Helene
• East Tennessee Artscapes – Serving Cocke County
  • Support for lost revenue due to Hurricane Helene
• Empower Cocke County – Serving Cocke County
  • Staffing support for disaster recovery management
• First Tennessee Development District – Serving Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Small business flood recovery relief for Region A.H.E.A.D.
• Friends In Need Health Center, Inc. – Serving Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, and Unicoi counties
  • Medical and dental care for individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene
• American Red Cross – East Tennessee – Serving Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Financial assistance and case management for households impacted by Hurricane Helene
• Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council – Serving Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Resilient Farmer Fund supporting farms impacted by Hurricane Helene
• Ballad Health Foundation – Serving Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Long-term needs of patients and families, including housing, education, and food security
• Communities in Schools of Tennessee – Serving Cocke and Hancock counties
  • Short-term and long-term relief for students and families impacted by Hurricane Helene

• Community Shares – Serving Cocke and Unicoi counties

• • First Aid Collective Knox’s work supporting residents of Cocke and Unicoi counties impacted by Hurricane Helene

• Rescue DOG & End of Life Sanctuary, Inc. – Serving Carter, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties

• • Animal care services and expenses impacted by Hurricane Helene
• Tusculum University – Serving Carter, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Sevier, Unicoi, and Washington counties
  • Hurricane Helene Relief fund for students, faculty, and staff
• Unicoi County Public Library – Serving Unicoi County
  • Hotspot access and support for lost revenue due to Hurricane Helene

• Hometown Service Coalition – Serving Johnson County
  • Addressing unmet long-term needs and impacts from Hurricane Helene

“East Tennessee is our home, heart, and who we are,” said Barber. “Recovery will be a long road, and as a community foundation, we are uniquely structured to build upon the generosity of our donors by partnering with thoughtful organizations who will help us look after the best interest of East Tennessee to restore and enhance community resolutions and resiliency for generations to come.”

To date, more than $4 million has been committed and 6,000 donations have been received for the Neighbor to Neighbor Disaster Relief Fund from people and organizations across the United States, Canada, and Greece. Additional donations are arriving each week to support the East Tennessee Foundation’s mission.

How to Donate

Donations to the N2N Disaster Relief Fund directly support relief and recovery efforts. To give online, please visit the ETF’s website.

To donate by check, please make it payable to East Tennessee Foundation with “N2N” in the memo line and mail it to:

East Tennessee Foundation

520 W. Summit Hill, Suite 1101

Knoxville, TN 37902

For more information about investing in East Tennessee’s recovery, please contact:
Angelia Nystrom, VP of Advancement & Chief Legal Counsel, or
Dara Worrell, Director of Regional Advancement
Telephone: (865) 524-1223 or toll-free (877) 524-1223

How to Apply for Funding

The ETF has simplified its grant process for the N2N Disaster Relief Fund. Eligible organizations include 501c3 public charities, units of government, public educational institutions, and houses of worship.

Organizations may submit a funding request via email to gr*********@*tf.org, with the following information:

1. A brief overview of your organization’s mission and programs.
2. List the counties in East Tennessee supported by your efforts. Please note that N2N funds are to exclusively support counties most affected by the flooding in our 25-county service area.
3. A summary of the funding amount requested, community needs/specific request for which your organization is seeking funding support, and how your organization is coordinating with other disaster relief services in the county(ies) you are serving.
4. Your organization’s primary contact person (executive director, board chair, etc.) and their mailing address, email address, and phone number.

About East Tennessee Foundation

The East Tennessee Foundation (ETF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity and nationally accredited community foundation focused on serving a 25-county region in East Tennessee. As a community foundation, the ETF operates as a collection of hundreds of distinct charitable funds and supporting organizations established by individuals, families, businesses and other nonprofits. The ETF builds endowments, creating a permanent source of philanthropic funding for the East Tennessee region. For more information, visit www.easttennesseefoundation.org.

Media inquiries, please contact: Ashley Copeland, ETF Director of Marketing & Community Relations, at 423-745-3235, toll-free at 1-877-524-1223, or by email at ac*******@*tf.org.