Gathering Registration is now OPEN!
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It’s that time again - registration for AFN’s 2026 Annual Gathering in Ashland, Kentucky is officially OPEN!
Our theme for 2026 is...
Forging Forward: Fortitude, Renewal, and Hope in Appalachia
Regular registration is live! Grab your ticket, reserve your room, and book your travel to join us on Appalachia’s Front Porch this April 13 - 15.
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2026 Steering Committee Voting is Live!
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Voting is now open for our 2026 Steering Committee Nominees. Please remember that each member organization is entitled to one vote. Voting will be open until January 25th. The link to the voting form is below.
New candidates for vacant seats are:
Ashley Ahlers, John Rex Endowment
Baylen Campbell, Invest Appalachia
Annie Forrest, REDF
Heather Parlier, Dogwood Health Trust
View their bios and the voting form at the link below. Many thanks to our 2025 Nominating Committee for their work and diligence in building this year's slate!
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2026 Gathering Call for Participation Open!
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Proposals must be received by January 28th to be considered. Have questions? Contact Jess Mullins Fullen!
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RFP for Investment Advisor
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The Appalachia Funders Network will share a Request for Proposal this week seeking a mission-aligned investment advisor to design and manage AFN's first values-driven investment account.
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Appalachia has long endured the consequences of extractive economies that removed wealth from the region while leaving behind diminished natural resources, limited local ownership, and weakened decision-making power. Even as a small nonprofit, AFN’s investment account will be intentionally designed as a counter-model: a tool to help increase and retain local wealth, strengthen community control, and quite literally invest in rather than extract from the region. As we develop AFN’s Investment Policy Statement, we will document the process for use as an educational resource across the Network and as professional development for members interested in values-aligned strategies to diversify their funding streams.
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Watch the recording of our rollout or explore our refreshed programs webpage for more info.
Ready to get involved? Sign up today 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:
- Cappalachia | Q2, 2026
- Arts & Culture | Tuesday, January 20, 2026
- CEO’s Circle | Launching January 2026
- Communications | Launching Winter 2026
- 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 | Kicking off January 28
- Blended Capital for Program Staff | In Development
- Funding for the Moment We’re In | In Development
- Appalachia 101
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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
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All AFN members were sent 2026 membership invoices in November. If you have questions or have not yet received yours, please contact Kalista.
Dues payments are due by January 31, 2025.
Interested in becoming a member in 2026? Fill out our membership application form and we’ll be in touch!
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AFN is organizing a delegation to Foundations on the Hill (FOTH), hosted annually by United Philanthropy Forum, Council on Foundations, and Independent Sector, from March 16-19, and registration is open now.
If you'd like to get involved, simply register for the event and we'll get connected. If you'd like to support the coordination of AFN's delegation as a Captain alongside Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky's Kristin Walker Collins and Just Transition Fund's Rachael Young, email us! Responsibilities include:
- Thought partners in developing our materials for the Hill - above the matters of concern for the national funder field, what additional stories, concerns, or priorities should we be sure to name in those meetings? What information do we want to offer our delegation in their packets so they feel confident advocating for Appalachia?
- Help determine which federal agencies and offices we should prioritize for meetings.
- Attend a few preparation meetings leading up to the event (no more than 2, 45 min prep calls leading up).
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Join us on January 16 at 10 AM EST for our network-wide Hurricane Helene Response Call. This is a space for sharing updates, ideas, and organizing around Helene Recovery and Community Resilience.
Our January 16th call will be a structured conversation to solicit feedback on the experience of the monthly calls thus far, with prompts to reflect on what you’d like to see more (or less) of in 2026. Your input will help us to design the best experience possible for this group.
Use the button below to register and add the call to your calendar. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Appalachian Community Capital
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ACC Board of Directors Selects Daniel Wallace as new President and CEO
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Appalachian Community Capital (ACC) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has selected Daniel Wallace as the organization’s next President and CEO. Daniel will step into his new role on January 2, 2026, succeeding Donna Gambrell, who will retire at year’s end after guiding ACC through almost a decade of transformative growth.
With nearly 30 years of rural business development and nonprofit leadership, Daniel’s experience includes owning and operating a small business and serving as Executive Director of an arts organization. He leads with an entrepreneurial spirit, expertise in community development, and a passion for making a difference in rural communities. Read more here
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Appalachian Solar Finance Fund + Invest Appalachia
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New resilience hubs with solar and battery systems will provide power and support in Dungannon and Duffield, Virginia, during disasters — and help to lower power bills year-round!
The hubs are being made possible in part through funding from Google and through the Sharing the Power Foundation, as well as Invest Appalachia, a regional investment platform that partners with Appalachian Voices and the Appalachian Solar Finance Fund. Read more here.
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40 Years of the Craft Emergency Relief Fund
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In 2024, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund began a new chapter. The organization announced an updated mission, strategic vision, and guiding principles—affirming its dedication not only to education, emergency relief, and preparedness, but also to advocating for a thriving and sustainable craft community. That same year, new FEMA rule changes under the Biden-Harris administration expanded eligibility for federal disaster assistance to self-employed artists and entrepreneurs—a policy shift that CERF+ worked on tirelessly for years.
From its founding by craft artists in 1985 to today’s expansive network of support, CERF+ stays rooted in mutual aid and invested in the well-being of artists, while envisioning a future where creativity and security coexist. Read more about CERF+’s 40 years here.
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$7MM in New Market Tax Credits Investment in Edenton, NC
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The Innovate Fund, a certified Community Development Entity committed to transforming underserved communities, today announced the closing of a $7,000,000 New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) investment to support a catalytic commercial redevelopment project in Edenton, North Carolina. This vital funding will drive economic growth and create 155 quality jobs in a community historically lacking access to capital. Read more here.
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Mercy Investment Services
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Data centers, the physical backbone of the modern digital economy including artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, are expanding at an unprecedented pace. Despite their importance, data centers are quietly becoming one of the most consequential drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and rising electricity costs, posing risks to climate goals and the communities hosting them.
Click here to access the rest of this article.
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Mountain Association is celebrating 50 years of partnership and investment in Appalachian communities. Take a look at where they’ve been, where they are going, and the stories that mark the way here!
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NMTCs offer a strong economic tool to support project development. This free training will focus on providing a general overview of the NMTC program, including NMTC eligibility, allocations, and various financing structures to best utilize these credits. Trainings will occur on 1/15 and 1/28 from 12pm - 1:30pm EST.
Email Amanda Cote at acote@kleinhornig.com to sign up or receive more information. Thanks to The Innovate Fund for sharing!
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Berea College Appalachian Fund
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Kentucky Arts Rising (KAR) provides operating support for small Kentucky arts organizations with annual revenue under $100,000. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2026, with the grant period running from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
Click here for more details, guidelines, and to submit your application.
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This opportunity offers flexible funding support for up to two years that organizations can use to maintain core operations, infrastructure and stability as they continue to recover and rebuild following Hurricane Helene.
It’s open to 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities with annual operating budgets of at least $200,000 that serve the Qualla Boundary and/or 18 counties of Western North Carolina, and are strategically aligned with Dogwood’s priorities of housing, education, economic opportunity and/or health & wellness
Access the opportunity here.
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Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
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The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky is excited to announce the launch of the Appalachian Kentucky Civic Experiment Grant Program, a new funding opportunity created to support neighbors, organizations, and community leaders who have ideas to strengthen civic life and address local challenges across Appalachian Kentucky.
This work was made possible through the support of the Trust for Civic Life, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
Access the opportunity here.
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Fahe is hiring for the following positions in Kentucky: VP of Partners for Rural Transformation, Commercial Business Development Officer, and Loan Servicing Specialist
Find more information on the opportunities here.
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Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
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The Community Foundation of WNC is hiring for a Donor Relations Officer (DRO) is a relationship-builder with excellent communication skills who provides frontline customer service and support to new and existing fundholders. This position manages systems and processes that ensure exceptional donor experiences and effective grantmaking. The DRO is part of the Donor Relations team and reports to the Senior Donor Relations Officer. This is an in-person position and successful candidates will live in or relocate to Western North Carolina.
Find more information about the position here. Applications are due by January 29.
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AI Data Centers in Rural Communities
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The U.S. House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains invited ASBN to participate in an upcoming congressional hearing examining the impacts of AI data centers being sited in rural communities. The candidates for the oral testimony have been chosen, but ASBN is actively soliciting written testimonies from small businesses, ranchers, and community members about the real-world impacts of AI data centers.
Email mjarrett@asbnetwork.org for details.
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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 here!
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January on the Move at AFN
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We’re kicking the year off with a bang at AFN - with travel across Appalachia and beyond. In these first weeks of 2026, we’ve been on the move: connecting with philanthropic partners, gathering with our Steering Committee, joining national conversations on local news at the Knight Media Forum, and strategizing with leaders at the Reimagine Appalachia Virtual Strategy Summit.
Here’s where you’ll find us in the first weeks of the new year:
→ Ryan participated in a fireside chat on Appalachia’s future as part of the Reimagine Appalachia Virtual Strategy Summit. Jess and Melody facilitated a panel on the subject afterward.
→ Ryan traveled to Los Angeles for the United Philanthropy Forum CEO Convening.
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→ Ryan, Jess, Melody, and Kalista will travel to Abingdon, Virginia for AFN’s Winter Steering Committee Retreat.
→ Ryan and Jess will travel to Miami for the Knight Media Forum.
We’re looking forward to crossing paths soon - whether on the road, on a call, or somewhere on Appalachia’s front porch!
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What's Good in Appalachia?
This month, it's Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy in Appalachia
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We are gearing up for Foundations on the Hill at AFN, and we’ve been asking ourselves what it really means to show up as advocates for Appalachia - what we need to bring with us beyond talking points.
Tomorrow marks 66 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Charleston, WV in January 1960 and spoke at First Baptist Church. King’s message that day is easy to summarize but has proven still harder to practice. He urged forgiveness and reconciliation “as a new order emerged,” but he didn’t confuse reconciliation with passivity.
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He asked people to do what they could to “advance the case of mutual self-respect and understanding,” and warned against trying to win “first class citizenship” by using “second class means." In other words: justice isn’t only the destination, it’s the vehicle you use to get there.
So, rather than just asking how far we have come since 1960 (or how far we still have to go), we find ourselves wondering what King and other advocates would press upon us today. Not just what laws should change or be adopted, but what kind of civic life we’re building - one where respect and fairness are practiced as habits, not treated as exceptions.
As we work toward a just transition in Appalachia this month and always, we are grateful for King’s legacy, and for the generations of Appalachians who have carried the work forward: holding our traditions and culture, insisting on equality, and reminding the country that this region’s past, present, and future are worth fighting for.
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Other News That Caught Our Eye
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