Grants to Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia Nonprofits for Community-Based Social Change Initiatives in Eligible Regions

General Fund Program

Agency

Foundation

GrantWatch ID#

126411

Funding Source

APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY FUND

Geographic Focus

USA: Kentucky; Tennessee; Virginia; West Virginia

Important Dates

Deadline: 06/07/23

Grant Description

Grants of up to $5,000 to Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia nonprofit organizations for operating expenses in eligible areas. Funding is intended for programs that address the underlying causes of oppression and poverty and assist community-based efforts for social change. To be eligible for funding, organizations must conduct work in a Central Appalachia county designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s map.

ACF funds organizations that have developed a realistic plan for creating social change and prioritize work which utilizes organizing and education as strategies to achieve this end. They invite projects that are start-up in nature.

ACF funds organizations working to:

End racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism
Promote non-violent communities
Build organizations that are fair, inclusive, and democratic

Organizations wishing to apply must:

Be community-led, community-driven, and community-based
Strive for change at a systemic level instead of or in addition to one person at a time
Demonstrate an understanding of forms of oppression, especially racism
Have strong local community leadership representative of and accountable to the organization’s constituency

Recipient

Eligibility

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Eligibility Criteria" for clarification)

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Organizations wishing to apply must:
• Work in the Appalachian counties of Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and/or West Virginia
• Have their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization

Additional Geographic Information:

Organizations must conduct work in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, or West Virginia in a county designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s subregions map:
https://www.arc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Subregions-in-Appalachia_2021_Map.pdf

Ineligible

The ACF does not fund:
- Profit-making organizations
- Electoral lobbying for initiatives or public office
- Individual efforts
- Major capital projects
- Social services organizations (unless they demonstrate some analysis and strategies intended to challenge the systems that lead to the problem)

Pre-Application Information

Timeline:
- The current grantmaking cycle is receiving applications through June 7th, 2023
- The board will be making decisions through the first two weeks of June.
- Grant awards are anticipated to go out before the end of June.

- For organizations based outside the region, the proposal must include a specific work plan for the Appalachian portion of the work.
- Preference will be given to organizations with budgets of $100,000 or less.

Funding Criteria: https://appalachiancommunityfund.org/funding-criteria/
FAQs: https://appalachiancommunityfund.org/faqs/

Estimated Size of Grant

The Fund is making grants of up to $5,000.

Contact Information

Online Application: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=appalachiacf

For questions or more information, please contact 865-523-5783 or grants@appalachiancommunityfund.org.

Appalachian Community Fund
1405 E Magnolia Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37917

Grants to Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia Nonprofits for Community-Based Social Change Initiatives in Eligible Regions

General Fund Program

We have foundations for

We have grants for