Each year, Bele Chere works with many local non-profit organizations to provide fundraising and awareness opportunities. Through the Children’s Non-Profit Partner Program, child-focused organizations facilitate an activity in the Bele Chere Children’s Area and can distribute information about their program to attendees. Giving local non-profits the opportunity to rent booth space at a reduced rate throughout the festival provides a great way of getting information out to the local community about available resources. And the Non-Profit Fundraising Program provides more than $40,000 in additional fundraising to participating organizations.
Are you interested in participating? Click here to go to http://www.belecherefestival.org/ for more information.
There are several ways local non-profit organizations can participate in Bele Chere to raise funds, provide information, or be a partner in our Children's Area.
Eligibility and General Information
Only Western North Carolina nonprofit organizations with 501-C status are eligible to participate in the festival. Western North Carolina is defined as Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Graham, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Jackson, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Yancey, and Watauga counties.
Nonprofit Information Booth
Nonprofit organizations can apply for an Information Booth within the festival to disperse information about your mission. You may display a donation box or hold a raffle for fundraising, but you may not sell any merchandise.
Only 20 Nonprofit Information Booths are available. Applications are reviewed by the Festival's Vendor Committee for suitability and all items to be given out must be submitted with application or a complete description provided. Nonprofits who have had positive evaluations from the previous year and have participated in the past years are given first priority and all remaining booths will be awarded in a lottery system.
The deadline for information booths has passed for 2011. Please call Kristin Pérez at (828) 259-5800 or email kperez@ashevillenc.gov if you'd like to be added to the Nonprofit Info Booth mailing list for 2012.
Nonprofit Fundraising Program
Each year Bele Chere partners with over 25 nonprofit agencies to facilitate various critical components of the festival. Through this program, nonprofits organize volunteers to work at beverage stations, satellites, trailers, wristband booths, merchandise booths and shuttle stops in exchange for a percentage of net profits or flat fee payment to the nonprofit.
In 2010, the Bele Chere Festival Nonprofit Fundraising Program contributed over $41,000 in payments to all nonprofits participating in the program. Individual payments to nonprofits varied based on the activity they performed for the festival.
The deadline to apply has passed for Bele Chere 2011. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list for 2012, please call (828) 259-5800 or email belechere@ashevillenc.gov
Children's Nonprofit Partner Program
Local nonprofit organizations are invited to become a Bele Chere Children's Area Nonprofit Partner. These organizations create and facilitate a craft activity in our Children's Area in exchange for the opportunity to distribute information about their organization's mission. This is a unique chance to gain visibility among families with children. Applications are still available but space is limited. Click here for additional information and the application. Deadline to apply is May 13th.
Many thanks to last years 2011 Bele Chere Nonprofit Information Booth Participants
Asheville Board of Realtors
Asheville VA Medical Center
Asheville Vegetarians
Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
Brother Wolf Canine Rescue
Camp Lakey Gap
Chain Free Asheville
City of Asheville
Clean Air Campaign
Dogwood Alliance
Eagle's Nest Foundation
ERMI-NC Chapter
Land of The Sky Barbershop Chorus
MAIN
Mayor's Committee for Veteran Affairs
Mountain Voices Alliance
Mt. Zion Community Development, Inc.
NC DSDHH
North Carolina Outward Bound
North Carolinians For Fair Tax
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Many thanks to last years 2011 Bele Chere Nonprofit Fundraising Program Participants
Beverage Stations
Asheville Area Paralegal Association
Asheville Ski Club
BPO Does
Cataloochee Ski Patrol
PBL AB-Tech
St John’s Episcopal Church
The Mediation Center
Wild South
Satellites
Green Opportunities
Asheville Breakfast Rotary Club
BPO Does
Wristbands
Animal Haven of Asheville
Differently Abled News Network
Knights of Columbus
Mountain Voices Alliance
Rotary Club of Asheville West
St James AME Church
Girls on the Run of WNC
Coven Oldenwilde
Beverage Trailers
Beta Omicron Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi
Buncombe County’s Junior Miss
Explorer Post #57 APD
Merchandise
Sole Hope
WNC Youth Out Right
Shuttles
St. Pauls United Methodist Men – West
NAMI -- East