Grantees

Since 1987, we have granted over $6 million to more than 300 grassroots organizations working for social change in Central Appalachia.

Information is power.

We are committed to maintaining radical transparency and providing a comprehensive resource for our community, partners, and supporters. This page serves as a historical and ongoing record of the grassroots organizations and community-led initiatives that have received funding through our various programs.

By documenting the scope of our grantmaking—from general fund distributions to targeted special initiatives—we offer a clear window into how collective resources are being deployed to catalyze social, economic, and environmental justice across Central Appalachia. We invite you to explore these records as a testament to the power of community action and as a resource for connecting with the changemakers shaping our region's future.

Crowd of people at a protest holding signs, one sign reads 'Time for Change' and another reads 'Silence is Violence,' with trees and buildings in the background, black and white photo.

2020-2025


2010-2019

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  • GENERAL FUND

    Alternate ROOTS,* Atlanta, Georgia
    www.alternateroots.org

    Alton Park Development Corporation, Chattanooga, Tennessee

    Appalachian Women’s Alliance, Clinchco, Virginia  
    www.appalachianwomen.org

    Appalshop–Holler to the Hood, Whitesburg, Kentucky 
    www.appalshop.org

    The Carpetbag Theatre, Knoxville, Tennesseewww.carpetbagtheatre.org

    Citizens for Police Review, Knoxville, Tennessee 
    www.discoveret.org/cpr/ 

    Clay County Communications –WYAP Radio, Clay, West Virginia
    www.wyap.com/

    Clearfork Community Institute, Clairfield, Tennessee

    Clifford Project, Charleston, West Virginia  
    www.jrclifford.org

    Clinch Coalition, Wise, Virginia 
    www.clinchcoalition.net

    Coal River Mountain Watch, Whitesville, West Virginia
    www.crmw.net

    Community Economic Development Network of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 
    http://cednet.us/

    Community House Cooperative, Newport, Tennessee
    www.easttncontact.org

    Community Shares, Knoxville, Tennessee
    www.communitysharestn.org/CShares

    Direct Action Welfare Group, Charleston, West Virginia  
    www.wvdawg.org/

    Family Refuge Center, Lewisburg, West Virginia
    www.familyrefugecenter.com/

    Greeneville Farmers Market, Greeneville, Tennessee

    Highlander Research and Education Center *, New Market, Tennessee
    www.highlandercenter.org

    In Praise of Mountain Women, St. Paul, Virginia
    www.inpraise.info

    Kentucky Coalition *, London, Kentucky      
    www.kftc.org

    Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Berea, Kentucky  
    www.cwwg.org

    Kentucky Jobs With Justice,* Louisville, Kentucky
    www.Kentuckyjwj.org

    Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
    www.stopthebombs.org

    Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, West Virginia
    www.ohvec.org

    One Nation by Conviction, Knoxville, Tennessee 
    www.discoveret.org/cpr/onbc.htm

    Owsley County Action Team, Booneville, Kentucky  
    www.owsleycountykentucky.org/actionteam.html

    People Concerned About M.I.C, Institute, West Virginia
    www.peopleconcernedaboutmic.com/

    Save Our Cumberland Mountains, Lake City, Tennessee 
    www.socm.org

    South Central Educational Development, Bluefield, West Virginia   
    www.scedwv.com/

    Southern Appalachian Labor School, Kincaid, West Virginia
    www.sals.info/

    Stay Project, New Market, Tennessee   

    Tennessee Health Care Campaign *, Nashville, Tennessee
    www.tenncare.org/

    Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition,* Nashville, Tennessee
    www.tnimmigrant.org/

    United Mountain Defense, Powell, Tennessee
    www.unitedmountaindefense.org/

    Virginia Black Lung Association, Richlands, Virginia

    Virginia Organizing Project *, Abingdon, Virginia 
    www.virginia-organizing.org

    West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Elkview, West Virginia

    West Virginia FREE, Charleston, West Virginia
    www.wvfree.org

    Williamsburg Action Team, Williamsburg, Kentucky

    Woodland Community Land Trust, Clairfield, Tennessee   
    http://centerforsocialconcerns.nd.edu/students/Woodland/History.html

    * Grant is designated for work in Appalachian counties.

    SEIZE THE MOMENT GRANTS

    Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of Aids/ Samaritan Ministry, Knoxville, Tennessee

    Wisdom Keepers- The Longest Walk, East Tennessee

    Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum, Bland, Virginia

    TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

    Project 2000, Knoxville, Tennessee

    Center for Popular Economics,* Amherst Massachusetts

    Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, West Virginia

    Appalachian Community Economics, Pine Mountain, Kentucky

    Citizens for Police Review, Knoxville, Tennessee

    Save Our Cumberland Mountains, Lake City, Tennessee

    Clinch Valley Children’s Center, Clinton, Tennessee

    Pocahontas County Opera House, Marlinton, West Virginia

    South Central Educational Development, Bluefield, West Virginia

    Tyler County Family Resource Network, Middlebourne, West Virginia

    Wyoming County Resource Network, Oceana, West Virginia

    First Nationals Development Institute*, Longmont, Colorado

    Coal River Mountain Watch, Whitesville, West Virginia

    Major support for the Appalachian Community Fund’s General Grantmaking Program comes from
    The New York Community Trust.

    MEDIA JUSTICE INITIATIVE

    Appalshop, Whitesburg, Kentucky, Webcasting Project

    Citizens for Police Review, Knoxville Tennessee, Media Revolution Initiative

    Center for Rural Strategies, Whitesburg, Kentucky, Mountain Reporter Network

    Community Media Cooperative, Lake City, Tennessee, Regional Media Toolkit

    South Central Educational Development, Bluefield, West Virginia, Youth Media Project

    GLBTQ INITIATIVE

    Southerners on New Ground, Durham, North Carolina,* Virginia Organizing School and People of Color retreat.

    Rockin Womyn’s Music Festival, Knoxville, Tennessee

    SPECIAL INITIATIVES

    Funding Exchange “Small Axe” project for Racial Justice
    Community Economic Development Network of East Tennessee/(CEDnet)Latino Task force
    Kentucky Jobs with Justice,* Richmond, Kentucky, Brown-Black Coalition Building

    Roane County, Tennessee TVA Disaster
    United Mountain Defense, Powell, Tennessee
    Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Knoxville, Tennessee

    * indicates grants designated for work in Appalachian Counties

    FOCIS (FEDERATION OF COMMUNITIES IN SERVICE) GIVING CIRCLE GRANTS

    Joyful Noise Community Arts and Music Center, Marshall, North Carolina

    Knox County ARC Sunsetters Program, Knoxville, Tennessee

    Knoxville Volunteer Ministry for the Homeless, Knoxville, Tennessee

    Williamsburg Action Team, Williamsburg, Kentucky

    HEARTHSTONE FUND (DONOR ADVISED GRANTS)

    Family Refuge Center, Lewisburg, West Virginia

    Peace Education Project, Louisville, Kentucky

  • General Fund

    612 MAC Community Center, Fairmont, West Virginia — $9,000
    Grant monies help provide a safe place for academic support, mentoring, and skills building for young people in an African American community.

    Appalachian Womens Alliance, Floyd, Virginia — $9,000
    www.appalachianwomen.org
    Support is for the Clinchco Center in rural Dickenson County which bridges black and white communities and addresses issues of education and isolation.

    Appalshop, Whitesburg, Kentucky — $9,000
    www.thousandkites.org
    Funds are for the Thousand Kites project a continuation of Holler to the Hood using art, culture, education, and media to address issues faced by communities impacted the prison industry. It will build networks and partnerships with rural prison communities and prisoners home communities; and create a play script woven of songs, stories, poetry and letters to and from prisoners. www.appalshop.org

    Big Creek People In Action, War, West Virginia — $9,000
    www.bigcreekpeopleinaction.org
    The grant supports Young Leaders programs in the 6th poorest county in the US: Education and Economic Opportunity to help access higher education, Just and Democratic Communities to build leadership and citizenship skills, and Leaders for Change addressing race and class issues.

    Citizens for Police Review, Knoxville, Tennessee — $7,500
    www.discoveret.org/cpr/ 
    The grant will support monitoring and documenting racism in the criminal justice system and efforts to use media for community discussions and education about problems and solutions to criminal justice issues.

    Clifford Project of Friends of Blackwater, Charleston, West Virginia — $3,000
    www.jrclifford.org 
    Funding is for the J.R. Clifford Project an education and history project in the schools and combating racism through making history visible and through developing curriculum for the schools.

    Clinch Coalition, Coeburn, Virginia — $4,000
    www.clinchcoalition.net
    A grant for the High Knob Jefferson National Forest program to create alternatives to deforestation and promote and advocate for sustainable forest practices and economic development.

    Coal River Mountain Watch, Whitesville, West Virginia — $7,000
    www.crmw.net
    Grant monies will help support the Healthy Communities: Environmental Protection in the Coalfields program to fight Mountain Top Removal mining and to protect and monitor community health and destructive environmental practices.

    Community Economic Development Network of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee — $9,000
    http://cednet.us/
    The grant supports a network of organizations working on issues such as the unwritten history of African Americans in East Tennessee, barriers to Spanish speaking citizens participation in the community, and economic development in rural areas with high unemployment.

    *Community Farm Alliance, Frankfort, Kentucky — $9,000
    www.communityfarmalliance.org 
    Funds will support the Farm to Community; Creating Healthy Farms, Healthy Economics program in 3 Appalachian counties, developing creative models for rural economic development strategies and connecting farmers with community and state markets.

    Community House Cooperative, Newport, Tennessee — $7,500
    www.easttncontact.org
    Funds for peer mediation and youth leadership programs especially related to substance abuse and to continue the community information hub, implementing the Newport Community Network a storefront headquarters and expand the Tanner Tech-Media Center as a critical tool for adult learning opportunities.

    Community Shares of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee — $9,000
    www.communitysharestn.org/CShares/
    Grant support will help foster a strong and viable statewide network of social change organizations working in coalition with over 50 member groups building resources through tapping workplace payroll deductions.

    High Rocks, Hillsboro, West Virginia — $4,750
    www.highrocks.org
    The grant will help support programs with and for young women which address specific barriers to inclusiveness that youth in communities face, including gender, race, and sexual orientation.

    Highlander Research and Education Center, New Market, Tennessee — $5,000
    www.highlandercenter.org 
    Funds are for continuation of the Multi-Lingual Capacity Building Project which provides training and workshops for social justice interpreters in Appalachia and the Southeast and in immigrant communities.

    Hopeful City, Wheeling, West Virginia — $3,000
    www.hopefulcity.org
    This first time grant will help the development of MOSAIC, a project to create a united grassroots voice of residents to impact statewide decision making.

    In Praise of Mountain Women, Dungannon, Virginia — $7,500
    www.inpraise.info
    The grant will provide resources for a regional gathering of rural and low income Appalachian women: Celebrating Our Home Place: This Land is Home to Me which provides spaces and opportunities for women to connect out of isolation and focus on care of self and the earth.

    Jubilee Project, Sneedville, Tennessee — $4,750
    www.jubileeproject.holston.org 
    Funding will be used to support the Farm-to-School Project in which the Clinch Appalachian Farm Enterprise (CAF) will build skills and policy work with farmers to make it feasible for those local farmers to supply food to local schools.

    *Kentucky Coalition, London, Kentucky — $3,000
    www.kftc.org 
    The grant is for the Voter Empowerment Project in Eastern Kentucky counties to develop leadership, facilitate voter education and registration and provide honest information about policies and issues of interest.

    Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Berea, Kentucky — $4,750
    www.cwwg.org
    Funds will be used to promote environmental democracy and to advocate for the safe disposal of chemical weapons stored in army depots in Kentucky; and to develop a community based model for safe and sustainable operations at the Blue Grass Depot.

    *Kentucky Jobs with Justice, Louisville, Kentucky — $7,500
    www.Kentuckyjwj.org
    The grant will support coalition-building for Brown-Black Dialogue in Appalachian counties through workshops and trainings on civil and immigrant rights and development of strategies and networks for workers.

    Letcher County Head of Three Rivers, Whitesburg, Kentucky — $4,000
    www.letcherwater.com
    The first time grant will help develop the first community watershed organization in the state and begin planning of an Acid Mine Drainage treatment system.

    New Empowerment for Women, Logan, West Virginia — $9,000
    Grant monies will support the Mentoring Program for African-American high school young women and men leaders and will addresses educational inequalities, community history and higher education opportunities.

    Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Oak Ridge, Tennessee — $7,500
    www.stopthebombs.org
    Funds support the campaign to halt production of nuclear weapons at the Y12 plant and to educate and mobilize action to understand the economic impact of spending that could be supporting education, health care, housing, and economic development in poor and rural communities.

    Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, West Virginia — $9,000
    www.ohvec.org
    Support is for the Appalachian Coalfields – Friends of the Mountain program to protect against Mountain Top Removal and resulting valley fill and to expand outreach, leadership development and activities in coalfield communities.

    Save Our Cumberland Mountains, Lake City, Tennessee — $9,000
    www.socm.org 
    Support is for the Mountaintop Removal Organizing Project work to keep MTR (mountaintop removal) out of Tennessee and expand the interpretation of the Clean Water Act through public and private meetings, partnering against MTR with churches, civic groups, and outdoors enthusiasts, mobilizing media attention and supporters, and amending new permitting and enforcement policies; and pressuring for a water quality policy blocking future MTR permits.

    Solutions to Issues of Concern to Knoxvillians, Knoxville, Tennessee — $9,000
    www.discoveret.org/solutions
    Grant monies will aid the efforts of low and moderate income citizens to take action and focus on issues arising from the state Healthcare System cuts, Welfare Rights and Income Support policies, and local issues around access to affordable and safe housing.

    South Central Educational Development, Bluefield, West Virginia — $9,000
    www.scedwv.com/
    Funds will help expand outreach to hard-to-reach communities suffering from HIV. Community Mobilization and Empowerment teams will develop Popular Opinion Leaders from the African American community to engage peers. The Sounds of Prevention program will challenge youth to write songs and poetry about prevention education.

    *Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Nashville, Tennessee — $9,000
    www.tennesseeallianceforprogress.org
    The grant will focus on East Tennessee with a series of popular education projects designed to promote a deep discussion around community values and to help build bridges between constituencies and organizations.

    *Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Nashville, Tennessee — $3,000
    www.tcadsv.org 
    Support is for training, networking and technical assistance through the Violence Against Women Organizing and Education Project.

    *Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Nashville, Tennessee — $3,000
    www.tnimmigrant.org/
    Grant monies are for the East Tennessee Campaign work around Grassroots Civic Participation linking constituencies around shared issues, and engaging leaders in civic participation and understanding civil rights and to strengthen and unify immigrant communities.

    Virginia Black Lung Association, Richlands, Virginia — $9,000
    Grant funds for this long-term work will help support documentation of mine incidents and work sites so that hot spots can be aggressively addressed. Grass-roots pressure to reform the Black Lung Benefits Program will be sustained through training, developing and pursuing local strategies and public education, monitoring black lung claims, documenting younger workers with black lung and pulmonary fibrosis.

    *Virginia Organizing Project, Charlottesville, Virginia — $4,750
    www.virginia-organizing.org
    Funding will support the Appalachian field office which assists new and emerging groups as well as help long standing projects and organizations connect to statewide policy and networks and build support for statewide campaigns on issues affecting Appalachian areas.

    West Virginia FREE, Charleston, West Virginia — $9,000
    www.wvfree.org/
    Grant monies will help promote education and legislation around reproductive rights and womens health especially for rural teens. The statewide Emergency Contraception Project (EC in the ER) will continue surveys of hospital and pharmacy practices and when completed, will yield a directory for young woman seeking contraceptive support a critical tool for young women in rural areas with limited choice of pharmacies.

    Woodland Community Land Trust, Clairfield, Tennessee — $9,000
    http://centerforsocialconcerns.nd.edu/students/Woodland/History.html 
    Funds will support projects and outreach to demonstrate land and water quality issues as they relate to poverty and community empowerment.

    * Grant is designated for work in Appalachian counties.

    Total General Fund Grants: 34

    Total General Fund Amount Rewarded: $235,500

    Major support for the Appalachian Community Fund’s General Grantmaking Program comes from
    The New York Community Trust.

    Media Justice Initiative

    Appalshop –Appalachian Media Institute, Whitesburg, Kentucky, Webcasting Project — $7,000

    Citizens for Police Review, Knoxville, Tennessee, Media Revolution Initiative — $6,000

    Center for Rural Strategies, Mountain Reporter Network Kentucky — $5,000

    Community Media Coop Toolkit, Lake City, Tennessee — $5,000

    South Central Educational Development, Bluefield,West Virginia, Youth Media – $5,000

    Total Media Justice Grants Rewarded: $28,000

    Technical Assistance Program

    Appalshop-Youth Media, Whitesburg, Kentucky, for the “Gathering for Social Justice” in Oakland, California

    Aurora Lights, Morgantown, West Virginia, Mountain Top Removal Awareness Festival

    Bradley Initiative for Church and Community, Cleveland, Tennessee, Community Educational Summit

    CASA of Ripley, West Virginia, for fundraising training

    Clinch Coalition, Wise, Virginia, for strategic planning

    Covenant House, Charleston, West Virginia, for scholarships to Brushy Fork Institute training

    Cumberland Mountain Outreach, Beattyville, Kentucky, for scholarships to Brushy Fork Institute training

    Fair Shake Network, Institute, West Virginia, for scholarships to Brushy Fork Institute training

    First Nations Development Institute, Boulder, Colorado, for Appalachian scholarships to the annual Oweesta Conference

    Kentucky Environmental Coalition, Berea, Kentucky, for the Energy Project

    Progressive Student Alliance and Tribe ONE, Knoxville, Tennessee, to send youth to the National Youth Training Institute

    South Central Educational Development, Bluefield, West Virginia, for the Minority Rural Health Disparities Conference

    Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Knoxville, TN, for the “Colors United” black/brown youth gathering

    United Mountain Defense, East Tennessee for the Voices for Appalachia project

    Wisdom Keepers, Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, to help develop the First People’s Community Development Corporation of Tennessee

    Woodland Community Land Trust, Clairfield, Tennessee, to attend “Green” Workshop trainings

    Total Technical Assistance Grants Rewarded: $28,000

    Seize the Moment Grants

    Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, West Virginia

    Rose Hill Project, Rose Hill, Virginia

    TennCorp Community Service, Knoxville, Tennessee

    Total Seize the Moment Grants Rewarded: $690

    GRAND TOTAL $276,167

A black and white photograph of a rural landscape with a field of tall grass in the foreground, rolling agricultural fields in the middle ground, and a small silo on the right side with a utility pole nearby. The sky is partly cloudy with a few clouds visible.

2000-2009

Fund facts.

We are dedicated to providing clear and accessible pathways for a wide range of grassroots organizations to secure the funding they need to strengthen communities across Central Appalachia. Learn more about our funds, past recipients, and how to apply.

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General Fund

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Technical Assistance

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LGBTQ Fund

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FOCIS Giving Circle

FAQ

We answer some of the most frequently asked questions about our grant making.