A colleague has created a data set that shows where the relief money in the Asheville bioregion is going to provide relief and restoration from the impact of Hurricane Helene. Thanks to Tiffani Hart, who leads Ashevillerelief.org, we can see that much money from state and federal funds is going to each CDFI for these designated categories: housing, health, and entrepreneurship. We can see where the big foundations like Golden Leaf and Dogwood Health are giving out grants.
We know where the money is supposed to go, and relief money goes out the door fast; it’s measured by how fast it reaches the devastated area. We have a series of meetings planned with groups working on the ground like Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance and others who are actively providing relief to show them where the big pots of money are. It’s a sprawling spreadsheet, and we are looking for a volunteer (almost all the relief has been by volunteers) to turn it into a database that’s easier to use.
We can see the big numbers, like the $50 million Dogwood Health, the major foundation in the area, is putting out and the small numbers, like the replacement of the nutrition equipment in elementary schools; we can see the $5 million for mental health to $60,000 to Centro Latino for rental assistance in McDowell County.
We know where the money is going, in what categories and will be glad to make the data available to local non-profits and community groups who are working in those categories.
This data set needs to be turned into a community resource, enabling communities affected to tell the funders what they need; often government and big foundations make their decisions without input from the low status communities such as Swannanoa, the unincorporated area that was the epicenter of Helene.
We want this funding map to help groups speak truth to capital, to tell the funders what they think the money should be spent on, since they were not part of the deliberative or design process.
We think we have something, and it will be more valuable if we share it. Contact Tiffani at Ashevillerelief.org or me if you want to schedule a call with your non-profit or group to go over the data.
Because we have the funding map, groups can speak truth to power, to the incoming federal and institutional philanthropic money. We can ask good questions, and those questions can perhaps alter how that money is spent; we can try to get the funds spent on groups beyond the usual suspects, groups that are typically invisible to aid funders.