For the first time, we’re sharing comparative data on how philanthropy shows up, or doesn’t, for rural Appalachia. |
|
|
With this one of a kind and never before gathered information, we clearly show just how stark the disparities are. Not just between urban and rural America, but between rural Appalachia and the rest of the country. Building on the groundwork laid by As the South Grows, this research represents the first dataset of its kind focused specifically on our region.
We hope This becomes a valuable tool for funders, community leaders, and advocates to better understand the gaps and opportunities in resourcing our communities. |
|
|
Join us on the first Friday of every month 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. *Note: In July, we'll meet on the second Friday (July 11) due to the Independence Day holiday.*
Use the button below to register and add the call to your calendar. We look forward to seeing you there! |
|
|
AFN Statement on Regional Flash Flooding |
|
|
Our hearts are heavy as we hold close the communities in West Virginia impacted by the devastating flash floods over the weekend. Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, and neighborhoods forever changed. As always, folks across our network are asking: How can we help?
In moments like these, the strength of Appalachian communities is met with the generosity and solidarity of those who believe in this region. The West Virginia Nonprofit Association has shared trusted ways to support response and recovery efforts on the ground. Here’s how you can stand with our neighbors in this time of need: |
|
|
-
United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley
Accepting monetary donations to directly assist those impacted.
Support flood victims at: www.unitedwayuov.org
- Ohio County Family Resource Center
Follow the OCFRN on social media for updates, the most recent information released can be found within this Facebook post.
- United Way of Tygart Valley
Serving the Fairmont area and surrounding communities. Flood victims can access resources and assistance through their website. Learn more by visiting this address.
- American Red Cross
If you or someone you know is in immediate need of assistance, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS for support.
-
VOAD Damage Assessment Form: If your home or property was affected by the flooding, please complete the VOAD Damage Assessment Form to help state officials understand the extent of the damage and direct aid where it’s needed most.
|
List generated by West Virginia Nonprofit Association |
|
|
We’re continuing to hold the same pre-existing time block for group meetings through the end of 2025. This time will now be used for members to convene, organize, and reflect on how they want their group to evolve under the new AFN structure. |
- Place-Based | July 29th at 3:30 PM EST
- Energy and Natural Resources | RESCHEDULED: TBD
- Creative Capital | July 8th at 2PM EST
- Arts & Culture | July 15th at 2PM EST
- Health | July 17th at 3 PM
|
|
|
| Congrats to our Health Group Co-Chair Marcia Brand |
NRHA’s Rural Health Awards are given each year to individuals and organizations in the field of rural health who have dedicated their time and talents to improving the health and well-being of others.
Marcia was honored as NRHA Volunteer of the Year at the National Rural Health Conference! Her unwavering commitment to rural health is truly inspiring—congratulations on this well deserved recognition! |
|
|
|
| Congratulations to Our Member SOAR and Fellow Regional Changemakers Coalfield Development on Receiving the Rockefeller Fellowship
|
“Our U.S. Big Bets Fellows represent the very best of America,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “In a time of growing division, these twelve leaders are using their tenacity, innovation, and optimism to bring us closer to one another and to get all Americans, especially those so often left behind, closer to the American Dream. As we have since our founding, The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to support American big bettors, and we are excited for all this latest group will accomplish.”
|
|
|
| GivingTuesday Announces Inaugural Community Campaign Accelerator Cohort |
GivingTuesday today announced the members of its inaugural Community Campaign Accelerator cohort, selecting 18 leaders representing 36 community foundations and their affiliates across Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The cohort will participate in the three-year capacity building program designed to strengthen civic engagement and collective giving across the South. The full list of cohort members is available on GivingTuesday’s website.
|
|
|
|
New FIT Center Opens in Somerset to Support Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care
|
At Fahe, we believe Housing Can’t Wait—especially for young people transitioning out of foster care. We’re proud to highlight the FIT Center in Somerset, KY, completed in July 2024: a new independent living facility designed for youth aging out of foster care. Located within walking distance of jobs, a technical college, and other essentials, the FIT Center creates real opportunities for long-term stability. |
|
|
| Leadership Transition Ahead of 50th Anniversary |
Susie Surkamer will retire as President and Chief Executive Officer in June 2025, following a 13-year tenure leading the regional arts organization. The announcement comes as the organization approaches its 50th anniversary, marking a significant moment of transition and paving the way for a new era in its history. A search has begun for a new Executive Director to lead the organization and build on Surkamer's legacy. |
|
|
| Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond |
The Rural Investment Collaborative™ Program Graduates
|
The Rural Investment Collaborative™ brings together community leaders in small towns and rural areas from Maryland, North and South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington DC. The leaders participate in shared learning and programming that helps them improve their access to capital, so their communities thrive.
Applications for the 2026 Community Investment Training Cohort open July 7!
Learn more about the program here. |
|
|
| Appalachian Community Capital |
Know a CDFI Making a Difference? Tell Us! |
Have you checked out CDFI Innovations? It’s our new storytelling series featuring real entrepreneurs and the CDFIs helping them grow, thrive, and build stronger communities. Know a CDFI doing transformative work in your community? We want to hear from you! |
|
|
| July 30-31, 2025 | Black Mountain, NC
Part Summit, part Conference, part Celebration and part Group Therapy, we’re bringing together disaster relief partners for a two-day meeting-of-minds in beautiful Western North Carolina. This is a chance to reflect on the work we do with communities reeling from climate-driven disasters and disruptions of infrastructure while learning how we can network and improve our efforts.
Learn more here. |
|
|
|
Tamarack and Mid Atlantic Arts Launch Survey on Arts Community Needs Amid Federal Changes |
You are invited to help shape the future of the arts in our region.
We are imagining new and collaborative ways for artists and arts organizations to thrive together and with intention. We'd love to hear from you as part of our strategic planning process. Your thoughts, experiences, and ideas matter. You can share in whatever way feels most comfortable for you.
Complete the survey here! |
|
|
| 15,000 Churches Will Close This Year. Each Could Be a Home for Civic Revival |
In Appalachia, a church donated its building to 30 community organizations — one example of how faith-based organizations are transforming their spaces to meet the needs of their communities. |
Read the full article here. |
|
|
| Trump undermined Biden’s FEMA in North Carolina. Now the cleanup is lagging on his watch |
“Appalachia is much more of a mirror of America than we’re willing to fully embrace or realize,” said Ryan Eller, executive director of Appalachia Funders Network, a philanthropy that invests in the region. Read the full article here. |
|
|
| Aid groups weigh how much more they can help if FEMA reduces its disaster response |
Funders that fuel recovery work say they can’t replace federal money. “It’s not just unrealistic, it’s a dangerous abdication of public responsibility,” said Ryan Eller, executive director of the Appalachia Funders Network.
Read the full article here. |
|
|
From New Media Growth Partners |
A Press Forward Central Appalachia Research Partner |
We know that in Central Appalachia, the future of local journalism is at a critical crossroads.
This is why we formed a Press Forward chapter. Despite assumptions about digital innovation, many counties still rely on traditional newspapers as their only independent source of local news. Yet few alternatives are emerging to fill the gaps left behind when these outlets disappear.
To better understand why—and how we turn that around—Press Forward Central Appalachia has partnered with top researchers and institutions to launch a comprehensive research plan, including a State of Rural Journalism Report by Benjy Hamm and Al Cross, and a Literature Review by data economist Luke Boutwell. These findings reveal that sustainable local journalism is foundational to civic health and democratic participation, but its survival depends on reimagined business models and economic investment. We’re inviting Central Appalachia’s economic development leaders to engage with this research and help us build a Rural News Fund strategy rooted in the realities of our region.
Click the buttons below to learn more about these pieces of critical research. And if you're interested in joining this work, let us know! |
|
|
What's Good in Appalachia? |
|
|
June is Pride Month in the Mountains! |
|
|
Pride in Appalachia isn’t new. It didn’t roll in from the coasts or arrive by invitation. It was born here, quietly, defiantly, in coal camps, mountain hollers, and small towns where queerness bloomed in spite of everything. |
|
|
This Pride Month, we honor the generations of queer Appalachians who have shaped our region's story, often quietly, always courageously. From early mutual aid networks to present day advocacy, queer and trans Appalachians have long contributed to the health, culture, and resilience of this place we call home. |
|
|
Below is a list of Pride Month Celebrations happening throughout the region, each one a reflection of the joy, visibility, and community that continues to grow across Appalachian towns, hollers, and hills. |
|
|
Happy Civic Season to all building a brighter, more inclusive Appalachia! |
|
|
Each summer, the calendar invites us into a powerful period of reflection. Juneteenth, celebrated in June, honors the end of slavery in the United States and the continued pursuit of justice and liberation. A few weeks later, July 4th commemorates the founding of a nation rooted in ideals like freedom, equality, and opportunity. These are ideals we are still working to fully realize.
Some national civic organizations have begun to refer to the time between these two holidays as Civic Season, an emerging effort to connect past and present and to invite deeper civic engagement. While this concept is still gaining traction, it offers a meaningful opportunity for communities, especially in regions like Central Appalachia, to reflect on our shared histories and imagine the future we want to build together.
We’re curious. Have you or your organization explored Civic Season in your work or community? If so, we would love to learn from your experiences. Send us a message and tell us more! And if not, we offer this framing as a prompt for reflection during this time of year. It is a time that honors the complexity of our past and the promise of what is possible when we come together with purpose.
|
|
|
Other News That Caught Our Eye |
Do you have news or opportunities for collaboration you want to see highlighted in the next newsletter? Let us know! |
|
|
Our Contact Information
Appalachia Funders Network
420 Main St, Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 439-1357
www.appalachiafunders.org
*{{Unsubscribe}}* |
| |
|
|
