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Asheville is celebrated for its rich arts scene, exceptional dining, and warm hospitality. Each fall, the city thrives as visitors from around the world come to experience its unique charm. However, in September 2024, Hurricane Helene struck, profoundly impacting the community and the livelihoods of those who make Asheville and its surrounding areas special—the artists, servers, bartenders and restaurant staff.

In response to this devastation, GBX Group has partnered with Asheville Independent Restaurants (AIR) and the Asheville Area Arts Council (ArtsAVL) to launch the "WNC Tip It Forward" campaign. Our mission is to provide relief grants for culinary and creative workers in Western North Carolina.

How It Works:

Make a tax-deductible donation to WNC Tip It Forward.
ArtsAVL will issue a receipt for your tax-deductible charitable contribution.
Together, ArtsAVL and AIR will distribute grant funds to eligible artists and restaurant workers based on their evolving needs and the availability of funds.
Both organizations will also use a portion of funds to support their ongoing charitable work to support Western North Carolina artists and restaurant workers.
This is a long-haul initiative through 2025, so we urge you to consider one-time or recurring donations.

We invite individuals, national brands, and local businesses to join us in this critical effort. Your support will help our friends in hospitality and the arts navigate this challenging time and aid in Asheville and its surrounding areas’ recovery.

Donate Now

Your tax-deductible donation is divided equally between ArtsAVL and AIR to support WNC relief efforts in the creative and culinary communities.

ARTSAVL
BUNCOMBE COUNTY & WNC ARTS

AIR
BUNCOMBE COUNTY RESTAURANTS

FAQs

The AIR culinary worker relief grants are for culinary workers in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison counties. The ArtsAVL artist relief grants are applicable to all WNC counties impacted by Helene: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey. Both programs distribute unrestricted grants of $500 each.
Yes, your donation is tax deductible. A receipt will be sent to you from ArtsAVL for your records.
The funds raised in WNC Tip It Forward are processed by ArtsAVL as a 501(c)3, then divided equally between AIR and ArtsAVL for distribution.
Yes! ArtsAVL has awarded over 1,500 relief grants to individual artists through their relief fund grant program thus far, and they are currently working through a backlog of applications that still need funding. These donations will go toward that and the other initiatives (AIR’s relief grant program and ongoing charity work by both organizations).
Both organizations (AIR and ArtsAVL) opened applications for Phase 1 of WNC Tip it Forward in October 2024, closed applications November 30, and began grant distribution as quickly as possible. Grant fundraising and distribution to a backlog of applications is still in progress.
In short, yes. WNC Tip It Forward is rolling out in two phases: the first (and current) phase focuses on individual relief grants for culinary workers and artists in impacted areas who qualify for assistance in order to help them as fast as possible. The second phase will add relief programs for qualifying independent businesses in the culinary and creative sectors, as we recognize this will help retain jobs and strengthen these core economic foundations of our region. We are working through a backlog of Phase One applications and distributing individual grants as fast as possible and as funding allows.
The answer changes rapidly day to day. Please watch ArtsAVL and AIR social media accounts for updates.
With generous seed funding of $100,000 from GBX Group, WNC Tip It Forward has since raised another $250k+ and continues to raise money every week. Our initial goal is $1M in funding for relief grants and we are one-third of the way to our goal.
We have already processed over 2,000 grant applications and dispersed hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funds.
A detailed quarterly update will be available in late January 2025.