WHAT ARE
AFN GROUPS?
AFN offers six special interest Groups: Arts & Culture, Downtown Revitalization, Energy & Natural Resources, Food & Agricultural Systems, Health, and Place-Based Foundations.
The Groups within AFN are a core part of how we collectively weave change within the region.
Funders of all interests and geographic footprints come together to build relationships and mutual understanding about promising strategies and to identify opportunities for collaboration. Within this environment that blends learning and action are representatives from familyfoundations, regional banks and loan funds, community foundations, federal agencies, regional private foundations, and CDFIs.
As members seek to dig deeper into their areas of focus, they may wish to join a Group for sharing information and practices with peers. The agendas are shaped by the Group participants and range from hosting a regional meeting, such as the Health Group’s Oral Health Summits, to producing a publication, such as the Arts & Culture Group’s commissioning of a profiles project about the power of the arts unique to Appalachian culture.
Arts & Culture
The Arts & Culture Group works together to support arts & culture-based approaches to economic development in Central Appalachia, focusing on creative placemaking, arts education, and cultural heritage.
Creative Capital
The Creative Capital Group’s mission is to help support revitalization efforts and innovative projects across the Central Appalachian region by providing capacity building support and technical expertise.
ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES
The Energy & Natural Resources Group works to bring greater focus and impact to future energy and natural resource investments and programs in the Central Appalachian region.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS
The Food and Agriculture Systems Group works to strengthen the region’s capacity for food system development by connecting funders and practitioners across the region.
health
The Health Group convenes funders to learn about and assess their collective health funding priorities and barriers to the implementation and sustainability of health improvement strategies.
PLACE-BASED
The Place-Based Group works to build community capacity by developing partnerships, building trusting relationships, and giving voice to community-based priorities and realities that are going to move our communities forward.