Asheville Chamber Newsletter Spotlights LIFT Fund, HOME-ARP Grants for Local Businesses

About $11 million in tourism-related capital funding becomes available April 1, when the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority opens its 2026 LIFT Fund cycle, according to the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce's March 18 Business Buzz newsletter.

The LIFT Fund targets capital projects designed to increase patronage of lodging, meeting, and convention facilities in Buncombe County while benefiting the broader community. The TDA describes the fund as providing "strategic investment in tourism-related capital projects that increase patronage of lodging, meeting, and convention facilities in Buncombe County while benefiting the community at large." Applications are open to eligible organizations, with a link to apply available through the Chamber's website.

The authority overseeing those funds is a board of 11 volunteers who manage occupancy tax revenues under North Carolina law. Four members are appointed by Asheville City Council, four by the Buncombe County Commission, and one by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Six seats represent accommodations businesses that collect the tax; three represent non-lodging tourism enterprises. Brenda Durden of Asheville Hotel Group chairs the board, with Matthew Lehman of The Grand Bohemian serving as vice chair and HP Patel of BCA Hotels as treasurer. Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore and Commissioner Terri Wells serve as non-voting, ex-officio members representing City Council and the County Commission, respectively.

The same newsletter flagged two additional community opportunities. The Respite Scholarship Program offers monthly stipends to families of children with emotional, behavioral, or medical challenges, covering costs such as babysitting, summer camps, after-school programs, and YMCA memberships. The program is intended to give parents short-term relief by helping them pay trusted childcare providers. Application details are available through the Chamber's Business Buzz link.

Through the end of March, Tanger Outlets Asheville at 800 Brevard Rd. is collecting hygiene and personal-care items in its food court daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The drive, a partnership between Tanger Outlets and Women United, runs through March 31 and will direct collected items to ABCCM programs and Helpmate, two organizations serving women and families in Buncombe County.

The newsletter did not include details on the HOME-ARP $3 million grant applications referenced in the Chamber's announcement, and the Chamber had not published that information in the materials available as of the newsletter's March 18 release date. Businesses and nonprofits seeking the full package of opportunities flagged in Business Buzz can access the Chamber's newsletter archive at the Asheville Area Chamber website.