Hope for the High Country

Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts from the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation

High Country Business Resiliency Disaster Grant

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, our 501c3 non-profit, has established the High Country Business Resiliency Disaster Grant to help small businesses in Watauga, Ashe, and Avery County recover from the crippling impacts of Hurricane Helene. These emergency grants, not loans, will provide necessary aid to the very businesses that have provided for our communities for generations. Grant applicants do not need to be members of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce to receive funding.

High Country Business Resiliency Disaster Grant Application

Applications open on Friday, September 5 at 8:00 AM and close on Monday, September 29 at 12:00 PM.

Since Hurricane Helene arrived in Boone and Watauga County, we’ve seen devastation fuel unity and adversity build strength throughout these mountains. Residents of the High Country always rally to help our own and combined with the kindness of friends and strangers from afar, our community has been energized to persevere through some of the most challenging experiences we’ve ever faced.

We've long relied on our vibrant and eclectic local businesses to serve as the welcoming arms of a community that embraces people, creating deep-rooted relationships for residents, students, and visitors who equally hold a special feeling for the High Country in their hearts.

Among the sobering realities we’ve recently experienced, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), says 40% of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster. Thanks to the gifts and support of generous donors, business leaders, and longtime friends of the area, we are position to change that narrative and help sustain the small, independent businesses that make the High Country so unique.

Now is the time to unite behind these resilient High Country businesses and the individuals they support. Many of these locations have been anchored in our memories for generations, and they are among the first places we walk toward when given the chance. Your donation – large or small – will aid these businesses at their most critical time and ensure their stories will remain a part of the community we love.

Donate to the Foundation

Application Update

Thursday, September 4, 2025

After awarding grants to over 200 businesses in its previous funding rounds, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation will reopen applications on Friday, September 5 at 8:00 AM and close on Monday, September 29 at 12:00 PM. This program is available to disaster impacted small businesses in Watauga, Ashe, and Avery Counties.

Previous applicants and recipients may apply, but priority will be given to those businesses that have yet to receive funding through earlier rounds.