Calendar of Events

Growing Minds has announced a new Jumpstart Grant for farm to school projects. Pre-K through 12 schools, homeschool groups, teacher and nutrition education programs, and community organizations serving children and families within the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina may apply for $500-$1,000 to provide children with positive local food and agriculture experiences. Eligible projects include edible school gardens, farm field trips, local food taste tests, or meals. In addition to funding, grantees may request supplemental training and/or technical assistance from the Growing Minds staff to help implement their project.

Grant applications are due Jan. 15, 2022.

The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless.  Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.

Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs.  Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.

The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.

Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce that for the fifteenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

Student learns vegetable gardening

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website page, 2022 School Garden Grants, where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get online access to the 2022 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 7, 2022, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 5, 2022. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 44 School Garden Grants totaling over $45,000. These grants have involved more than 16,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2022.

Guidelines for 2022 School Garden Grants can be found at 2022 School Garden Grants (buncombemastergardener.org)

Apply by 2/14 | $500-2,500 grants for arts-based community projects. Priority will be given to projects based in low-income neighborhoods, Title 1 public schools, and communities in need.

Update Jan. 4, 2022

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.

In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.

Growing Minds has announced a new Jumpstart Grant for farm to school projects. Pre-K through 12 schools, homeschool groups, teacher and nutrition education programs, and community organizations serving children and families within the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina may apply for $500-$1,000 to provide children with positive local food and agriculture experiences. Eligible projects include edible school gardens, farm field trips, local food taste tests, or meals. In addition to funding, grantees may request supplemental training and/or technical assistance from the Growing Minds staff to help implement their project.

Grant applications are due Jan. 15, 2022.

The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless.  Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.

Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs.  Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.

The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.

Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce that for the fifteenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

Student learns vegetable gardening

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website page, 2022 School Garden Grants, where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get online access to the 2022 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 7, 2022, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 5, 2022. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 44 School Garden Grants totaling over $45,000. These grants have involved more than 16,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2022.

Guidelines for 2022 School Garden Grants can be found at 2022 School Garden Grants (buncombemastergardener.org)

Apply by 2/14 | $500-2,500 grants for arts-based community projects. Priority will be given to projects based in low-income neighborhoods, Title 1 public schools, and communities in need.

Update Jan. 4, 2022

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.

In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.

Growing Minds has announced a new Jumpstart Grant for farm to school projects. Pre-K through 12 schools, homeschool groups, teacher and nutrition education programs, and community organizations serving children and families within the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina may apply for $500-$1,000 to provide children with positive local food and agriculture experiences. Eligible projects include edible school gardens, farm field trips, local food taste tests, or meals. In addition to funding, grantees may request supplemental training and/or technical assistance from the Growing Minds staff to help implement their project.

Grant applications are due Jan. 15, 2022.

The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless.  Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.

Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs.  Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.

The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.

Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce that for the fifteenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

Student learns vegetable gardening

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website page, 2022 School Garden Grants, where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get online access to the 2022 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 7, 2022, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 5, 2022. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 44 School Garden Grants totaling over $45,000. These grants have involved more than 16,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2022.

Guidelines for 2022 School Garden Grants can be found at 2022 School Garden Grants (buncombemastergardener.org)

Apply by 2/14 | $500-2,500 grants for arts-based community projects. Priority will be given to projects based in low-income neighborhoods, Title 1 public schools, and communities in need.

Update Jan. 4, 2022

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.

In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.

The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless.  Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.

Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs.  Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.

The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.

Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce that for the fifteenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

Student learns vegetable gardening

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website page, 2022 School Garden Grants, where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get online access to the 2022 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 7, 2022, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 5, 2022. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 44 School Garden Grants totaling over $45,000. These grants have involved more than 16,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2022.

Guidelines for 2022 School Garden Grants can be found at 2022 School Garden Grants (buncombemastergardener.org)

Buncombe County is committed to building a healthy, safe, well-educated, and thriving community that is equitable and sustainable. Investments in our community start with 8 core grant programs supporting organizations working in support of the Buncombe 2025 Strategic Plan focus areas and goals.

The application cycle for 2022-2023 grants is now open with grant deadlines throughout the spring. Grant awards will be available for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are critical to our grants processes, and Buncombe County encourages participation from organizations led by and providing service to people of color/BIPOC individuals.

Read more to see if the following opportunities might be right for your organization. Learn more about these grant opportunities at www.buncombecounty.org/grants.

Affordable Housing Services Program

Affordable Housing funding is intended to ensure comprehensive opportunities for affordable and safe housing as a foundation for healthy and thriving families and neighborhoods. Goals include: increasing the stock of affordable housing; preserving the existing housing stock; reducing substandard housing; and supporting homeownership initiatives, such as down payment assistance and weatherization programs. Applications open Dec. 13, with an application deadline of Feb. 11, 2022.

Aging Services Funding

The Aging Services grants are made in alignment with the Buncombe County Aging Plan, which reflects the vision of an age-friendly community where older adults are safe, well, and engaged. The goals of the plan are to: prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults; prevent financial fraud and scams; improve health and wellbeing among older adults; improve and support financial wellbeing among older adults; improve and support caregiver wellbeing; increase older adults’ access to transportation; improve older adults’ access to services and supports; and increase age-friendly capability of Buncombe County. Funding includes State/Federal Home and Community Care Block Grant as well as local County dollars. Applications open Jan. 18, 2022 with an application deadline of Feb. 21, 2022. 

Community Recreation Grants

The purpose of the Buncombe County Recreation Services Grants Program is to provide funding to qualified organizations within Buncombe County interested in partnering with our Department to carry out our mission through the promotion of recreational fitness, health and wellness initiatives as well as community-based activities and capital improvements that increase recreational opportunities for the communities served. Grant awards will build momentum for long-term change in the community in alignment with the Buncombe 2025 plan. Applications open Feb. 7, 2022 with an application deadline April 1, 2022.

Early Childhood Fund

The overall goal of the fund is to ensure that every child in Buncombe County has an equal opportunity to thrive during their first 2,000 days including access to quality early childhood education. Funding is earmarked to support early care and education for children birth through kindergarten, including infants/toddlers, preschoolers, and pre-kindergarteners. Funding will be allocated for projects working toward increasing slots for enrollment, increasing quality, developing/diversifying the early childhood workforce, supporting families, and enhancing the effectiveness of the overall system of early care and education. Applications open Dec. 13, with an application deadline of Feb. 11, 2022. 

Isaac Coleman Grants

These grants are targeted investments for organizations working to improve equitable opportunity. Our goal with this investment is to rebuild the health, safety, and self-sufficiency in our communities. No new applications will be taken for the 2022-2023 grant year. In June 2020, the Board of Commissioners approved 3-year grants. Funding will be extended for current grantees until June 30, 2023, subject to budget availability and project performance. 

Juvenile Crime Prevention Program

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Division of Juvenile Justice partners with Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils in each county to galvanize community leaders, locally and statewide, to reduce and prevent youth involvement with the juvenile justice system. The intent is to provide community-based alternatives to youth development centers and to provide community-based programming, treatment, counseling or rehabilitation services for youth involved in, or at risk of becoming involved with the juvenile justice system. Applications open in January, 2022 (exact dates TBD).

Strategic Partnership Grants

Strategic Partnership Grants fund nonprofit organizations with programs that promote a healthy, safe, well-educated, and thriving community with a sustainable quality of life. Funded projects must align with Buncombe 2025 Strategic Plan focus areas: Educated & Capable Community; Environmental & Energy Stewardship; Resident Well-Being; and a Vibrant Economy. Applications open Dec. 13, with an application deadline of Feb. 11, 2022.

Tipping Point Grants

These are small grants to help amplify community efforts. These grants will either fuel what is already happening or allow the development of local projects. The idea is that by onloading positive factors and offloading negative factors, the scales can tip toward greater community resiliency. Projects should be led by an individual or community-based group, connected to a specific neighborhood or geography, and grounded in cultural identity and sense of place. Applications open Dec. 13, with an application deadline of Feb. 11, 2022. 

Visit www.buncombecounty.org/grants for full details including application information, previously funded projects, performance reporting, and funding committee materials.

Apply by 2/14 | $500-2,500 grants for arts-based community projects. Priority will be given to projects based in low-income neighborhoods, Title 1 public schools, and communities in need.