Summer Appeal 2021-2022

 Appalachian Community,As your new Donor Engagement Coordinator, I want to thank you for your contributions to the Appalachian Community Fund. This organization allows people in the region to create Change, not Charity in their everyday lives.  As you know, the Appalachian Community Fund is bold, forward-thinking, and inclusive—a champion of the people of Appalachia. By lifting up the voices of its community, supporting its community’s vision for change, and advancing local leadership, ACF energetically embodies the power of collective action and bottom-up transformation. Inclusivity is paramount to ACF’s definition of community— and this value is lived out in ACF’s efforts to give many different voices a platform. Y’all means all! ACF’s commitment to effective, people-driven progress works in harmony with—and is bolstered by—its firm Appalachian roots. Beyond honoring Appalachian culture and heritage, ACF’s approach to change-making fundamentally reflects the spirit of Appalachia: gritty, resourceful, and with a well-developed instinct for problem-solving. At the heart of the brand is a staunch belief in the sharing of resources, energy, time, and ideas with each other to achieve a common vision for change and to shift the narrative about Appalachia. As we strive to create sustainable and lasting communities rooted in injustice, we must build for the future. I am tasked this year with assisting in securing our sustainability as a unique philanthropic organization.  This is why I am coming to you today. I have a vision and a plan.  We awarded over half a million dollars in grants in 2021. We were stimulating social change in our backyards through our General Fund, Technical Assistance, and LGBTQ Fund, among other initiatives. Imagine what we could do with more commitments to our mission?   Folks like yourself who give to ACF regularly are our best ambassadors!  You believe in our mission, and we share a vision for a better future. Please, consider donating to our fund! Can we count on you?  In solidarity,   Taysha DeVaughan Donor Engagement Coordinator/ Development Coordinator    P.S.  You can donate today.  Let's Start a Movement Together!