AMY Wellness Foundation is pleased to announce the Fall 2026 AMY Community Investment Grant Cycle, supporting nonprofit organizations working to improve the health and well-being of communities across Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
This grant cycle reflects what we have heard directly from our nonprofit partners. Through a regional Recovery Listening Session and partner survey, organizations shared a need for greater flexibility in how grant funds can be used. While funding for programs and projects remains important, partners also identified the need for investments in staff, organizational capacity, infrastructure, and day-to-day operations.
In response, AMY Wellness Foundation has designed the Community Investment Grant Cycle to invest in both community impact and the organizations making that impact possible. Applicants may request support for programs and projects, general operations, and capacity building through one of two grant opportunities.
Awards up to $75,000
Disaster Recovery & Resilience Grants support organizations addressing the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene and strengthening long-term recovery across Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
Organizations should apply for a Disaster Recovery & Resilience Grant if their request is directly connected to ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery or efforts to strengthen long-term community recovery and resilience.
Funding may support:
Awards up to $50,000
Community Impact Grants support organizations improving health and well-being throughout Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties, regardless of whether the work is directly tied to Hurricane Helene.
Organizations should apply for a Community Impact Grant if their work advances health and well-being in the AMY region but is not specifically focused on Hurricane Helene recovery.
Funding may support:
We recognize that organizations know best where resources are needed to advance their missions and serve their communities. Applicants may request one or more of the following types of support:
Program/Project Support
Funding for programs, services, or initiatives that directly benefit the community.
Unrestricted General Operating Support
Flexible funding that allows organizations to invest where resources are needed most to advance their mission and strengthen long-term sustainability. Organizations have the discretion to use these funds to respond to evolving community needs while increasing their overall capacity and impact.
Examples of eligible expenses include:
Capacity Building
Investments that improve long-term organizational effectiveness, sustainability, leadership, technology, or infrastructure.
Examples of eligible expenses include:
Note: If grant applicant chooses multiple areas of support, it will need to be broken out accordingly in the budget request.
Rather than applying under a specific funding category, applicants will identify which of AMYWF’s strategic priority areas their work advances.
Priority areas include:
Organizations must have a physical location within Avery, Mitchell, or Yancey County to be eligible to apply.
Government agencies and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status are eligible to receive funding from AMY Wellness Foundation.
The following fall outside AMY Wellness Foundation’s scope of support:
The Fall 2026 Community Investment Grants are not multi-year awards. Grant funds must be used during the grant period ending December 2027.
Grant Cycle Opens: September 1, 2026
Application Deadline: October 16, 2026
Internal Funding Decisions: November 18, 2026
Grantee Notifications, agreements, and funding: Before the end of 2026
AMY Wellness Foundation encourages organizations to work together to address shared community needs. Eligible applicants may request funding for their own organizational needs and serve as the fiscal agent for a collaborative request.
The lead applicant must have a physical location in the region but the partner agency on the collaboration may include partners within or outside Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties. The lead applicant must meet all of our eligibility requirements with the work benefiting the AMY region.
The lead applicant will be responsible for administering grant funds and meeting AMY Wellness Foundation’s grant requirements.
Applicants should select the grant opportunity that best aligns with their organization’s work and funding request.
Disaster Recovery & Resilience Grant: For requests addressing the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene and long-term recovery.
Community Impact Grant: For requests focused on improving health and well-being in the AMY region that are not specifically tied to Hurricane Helene recovery.
If you have questions or would like to discuss an idea please reach out to Caitlin Trew-Johnson [email protected]