What's Good in Appalachia?
AFN's 2026 Annual Gathering!
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Earlier this April, the Appalachia Funders Network gathered in Ashland, Kentucky, a river city that holds its history in one hand and what it is becoming in the other. Where rail lines once carried industry and now trace new paths forward, we came together for our 2026 Annual Gathering under the call Forging Forward: Fortitude, Hope, and Renewal.
In a moment thick with uncertainty, shifting federal landscapes, and climate strain, we refused to be met with heaviness. We met with laughter, and music. We came together under the steady, unshakable knowing that this region has always made something out of what it’s been given: Endurance and creation. More than 260 people arrived rooted in that feeling.
So we flatfooted and walked alongside Appalachian cryptids. Playful, strange, and familiar, they reminded us that belonging here has always been more about presence than perfection. Across conversations on civic infrastructure, on arts and culture, on rural news, on place-rooted investment, we returned again and again to the truth that the people closest to the work are closest to the answers.
We began with the Appalachian Capital Lab, a working space where funders, intermediaries, and capital providers discussed and brainstormed what it takes to move money here. It was a reminder that investment in Appalachia looks less like a single thread and more like a quilt; piecemeal, relational, built over time. Not in clean lines, but in careful stitching. Durable because it has to be.
In storefronts and community spaces, we met the folks shaping Coalfield Development Corporation, and listened to the stories held inside the C.B. Nuckolls Community Center & Black History Museum, experienced the living memory of Heritage Farm Museum and Village, and saw the possibilities that memory was bringing to the fore. Each stop is a reminder: development, at its best, is not imposed.
Back together, in sessions, we asked harder questions. How do you measure hope? What does capacity really mean when time, trust, and people are the currency? What does it look like to treat local news not as a luxury, but as essential civic infrastructure?
Programs coalesced. Ideas sharpened. Next steps took shape as commitments already in motion. Like the hands that came together, piece by piece, to build a paper quilt with Margo Miller, our event and this Network is a shared artifact of vision, of labor, of care. It is something made together, that could not have been made alone.
We closed with reflections from Silas House, who reminded us that to love a place like Appalachia is to love it honestly. Reminders that it is okay to hold its contradictions, and to stay present to its truths. A call to action to believe, even still, in its unfolding.
And across it all, threads held fast: self-determination. Local knowledge. The quiet, persistent power of collaboration. We know that this region’s future is not a far-off idea. It is being built now. In meeting rooms and on main streets, in classrooms and kitchens. In conversations like the ones held on Appalachia's Front Porch, where we sat for a spell, together.
And, as is often the case, if there was one thing the Front Porch made clear, it’s this: We are not waiting on what comes next. We are already making it.
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AFN has officially launched its new Member Portal—a long-awaited, shared space designed to make it easier for members to securely connect, engage, and access the full breadth of the Network. You can read about the portal's functions and how to register here.
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Getting started is simple: individuals can either register a new organization or join one that has already been created. Once you submit your registration, AFN staff will review and approve your account. After that, you’ll receive a confirmation link and can bookmark portal.appalachiafunders.org for easy access moving forward.
To help members get the most out of the portal, we’ll be hosting a New Member Orientation on May 19, with a walkthrough of key features and time for questions. All members—new and longtime—are welcome. You can register here.
If you run into any questions or hiccups along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out at kalista@appalachiafunders.org—we’re happy to help.
An important note: All members will need to register for the portal by June 1 to register for programs and access their materials.
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We are excited to announce the launch of the Appalachia Funders Knowledge Exchange's quarterly, member-only webinar series on May 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET.
This series is designed to bring members together with guest speakers, researchers, practitioners, and thought leaders to explore timely data, priority topics, and innovative approaches informing philanthropy and investment in Central Appalachia.
Our first session takes on a question with high stakes for the region: where will Central Appalachia's healthcare workforce come from? Much of Central Appalachia has been designated a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Healthcare employers across the region face persistent vacancies, rising recruitment costs, and a workforce pipeline that has long struggled to meet regional demand. Addressing that challenge requires understanding not only the scope of the problem, but the assets already present in the region that are positioned to respond to it.
Join us for Leveraging the Potential of Regional Public Colleges and Universities for the Future of Healthcare. This session brings together researchers, healthcare voices, and philanthropic perspectives to examine the healthcare workforce crisis in Central Appalachia and to explore what a place-based, regionally rooted approach to building the healthcare workforce could look like.
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Ready to get involved? Click the buttons below to register for one of our upcoming programs or submit your ideas for future offerings.
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→ Communities of Practice: Ongoing, member-only, and practice-based peer-learning circles.
Existing or upcoming Communities of Practice are:
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CEO’s Circle | May 11th, 2 :00 PM EST
- Cappalachia | May 13th, 11:00 AM EST
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Arts & Culture | May 19th, 2:00 PM EST
- Communications | June 18th, 1:00 PM EST
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Workforce Enabler Funders | Summer 2026
- Funders of Infrastructure and Civic Support | Summer 2026
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→Learning Journeys: Time-bound, cohort-based learning experiences on a focused topic.
Existing or upcoming Learning Journeys are:
- The Art of Everyday Civics | Every last Wednesday of the month at 1 PM
- Funding for the Moment We’re In | In Development
- Appalachia 101 | In Development
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Blended Capital and Impact Investing 101 | Continues Summer 2026
*following the Pre-Gathering on Impact Investing, Learners are invited to continue this opportunity with continued sessions. While many of you were with us at Mission Investors Exchange, our team will be in touch very soon with the cadence for continued meetings. If you were not able to join our Pre-Gathering as a Learner, but would like to jump in now, please contact jess@appalachiafunders.org.
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→Action Teams: Collaborative, action oriented formations focused on producing concrete outcomes (like a playbook, new fund, or solutions to regional challenges).
Existing or upcoming Action Teams are:
- Rural News Fund | Ongoing
- Appalachian Helene Fund | Ongoing
- Appalachian Capital Lab Active Investors | Ongoing
Watch the recording of our rollout or explore our refreshed programs webpage for more info.
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Curious about what it looks like to strengthen local news and information systems across Central Appalachia? Join us on May 13 for an interest meeting to learn more about Press Forward Central Appalachia, it's Rural News Fund, and how funders and partners can play a role in sustaining community-rooted journalism.
During, we will offer a look at the current media landscape across the region, share early insights from ongoing work, and explore how collaborative investment can help rebuild local news as essential civic infrastructure. Whether you’re already engaged in this work or just beginning to explore it, this is a chance to connect, ask questions, and consider what’s possible when we invest in the flow of trusted, local information.
Find more info about the initiative here.
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Join us on the first Friday of the month for our network-wide Hurricane Helene Response Call. This is a space for sharing updates, ideas, and organizing around Helene Recovery and Community Resilience.
Use the button below to add the call to your calendar. We look forward to seeing you there!
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AFN is please to welcome four new members into the Network in April of 2026! Be sure to give them a warm welcome when you meet in AFN spaces, and checkout the portal or reach out to staff for opportunities to get introduced and learn more about these new members.
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Invest Appalachia, Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Athens County Foundation, Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, Trust for Civic Life
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Recognized as Civic Hub through the Trust for Civic Life
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When Americans connect over shared goals and make plans together, that is civic life at work. Across the country, communities are demonstrating the power of everyday efforts that help Americans design the future they want to see. Whether it is improving access to groceries, offering job training, or assisting with disaster relief, local groups are reshaping traditional civic life by meeting the unique needs of their communities.
Read more about the AFN Members who are 'Civic Hubs' with the Trust for Civic Life here.
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Hosts “Invests 606” Showcase
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The Invest 606 Showcase awarded $60,000 to 6 incredible small businesses in April of 2026, creating a space to network and connect our community to the work that's being done to encourage and support entrepreneurship throughout Appalachian Kentucky.
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Award for Becoming 1st CDFI Dedicated to Digital Infrastructure
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Connect Humanity has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund to support our journey to become a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). As an emerging CDFI, this milestone will expand our ability to finance the infrastructure and digital tools communities need to thrive in the modern economy.
The award provides technical assistance to prepare for CDFI certification. Once certified, Connect Humanity would become the first CDFI in the nation dedicated to the digital needs of rural and low income Americans, helping communities access affordable capital to build internet networks and expand digital inclusion in rural and underserved areas. Read more here.
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CEO, Andrew Crosson, Named a Big Bets Fellow with the Rockefeller Foundation
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Invest Appalachia works to bring new investment into communities across Central Appalachia that have faced decades of economic decline and disinvestment. The organization raises and directs funding into local businesses, community-owned projects, and climate resilience efforts that create jobs and keep wealth in the region. By using flexible funding approaches, IA helps unlock opportunities in communities and sectors that traditional investors often overlook. Through IA’s work, Andrew’s project aims to support long-term economic stability, strengthen communities against climate shocks, and ensure residents can stay and thrive where they live.
Read more here.
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Reporting to the Vice President, Impact & Community Investing, Dogwood Health Trust (Dogwood) seeks a Senior Impact Investing Officer to develop and execute its expanding impact investing portfolio. The Senior Officer plays a critical leadership role in deploying catalytic capital—loans, equity, guarantees, recoverable grants, and innovative financing mechanisms—to advance Dogwood’s mission of dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of all people in Western North Carolina.
Learn more about the position and apply by May 4th here.
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Prevent Cancer Foundation
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Two grant tracks available to work toward a vision of a world where cancer is preventable, detectable, and beatable for all. To advance the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s bold goal to reduce cancer deaths by 40% in 2035, they aim to support innovative research and vital community projects dedicated to advancing cancer prevention and early dedication. Grants will be awarded for two years at $50,000 per year, for a total of $100,000. Apply by May 20.
Read more here.
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If you have news, an opportunity, grant, or webinar you would like for AFN to share in its next newsletter, please submit it through the member portal!
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Other News That Caught Our Eye
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