2
Appalachian Community Fund is bold, forward-thinking, inclusive—a champion of the people of Appalachia. By lifting up the voices of our community, supporting our community’s vision for change, and advancing local leadership, Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) embodies the power of collective action and bottomup transformation. Inclusivity is paramount to our definition of community, and this value is lived out in our efforts to give many different voices a platform. To everyone at ACF, “y’all means all” is much more than a fun catchphrase. ACF’s commitment to effective, people-driven progress is bolstered by our firm Appalachian roots. Beyond honoring Appalachian culture and heritage, our approach to change-making fundamentally reflects the spirit of Appalachia: gritty and resourceful with a well-developed instinct for problem-solving. At the heart of the fund is a staunch belief in the sharing of resources, energy, time, and ideas with each other to achieve a common vision for change and to shift the narrative about Appalachia.
3
OUR MISSION ACF funds and encourages grassroots social change in Central Appalachia. We work to build a sustainable base of resources in order to support community-led organizations seeking to overcome and address issues of race, economic status, gender, sexual identity, disability, and the environment. As a communitycontrolled fund, ACF aims to expand and strengthen movements for social change—to change systems and institutions—by leveraging our collective power.
WE VALUE ▸
Equality of people and equity in practice
▸
The critical importance of anti-racism work in bringing about social change and all forms of justice
▸
Diversity of voices, experience, and geography
▸
Decision-making that is built on consensus, equal participation, and shared leadership
▸
Accountability, integrity, and transparency to our donor partners, our grantee partners, and all allies who seek justice
▸
Sharing of stories, resources, and experience to build relationships, leadership and solidarity
▸
Cultivating connections between people, communities, and the environment and promoting inclusivity
▸
Grassroots experience, skills, and wisdom
▸
Celebration of Appalachian culture and heritage
▸
The natural and human resources that make Appalachia a rich and diverse region
OUR PRINCIPLES The Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) operates on principles of compassion and respect for all beings, integrity, transparency, a belief in and commitment to justice, and care for our region and our planet. An analysis of oppression, particularly racism, informs ACF’s work. In all its activities, goals and outcomes, ACF seeks to model an organization which is effective, responsible, accountable, democratic, anti-racist, and committed to developing leadership. ACF works to change systems and institutions and also believes in changing those it is a part of, recognizing and acknowledging that the systems it seeks to change transcend geographic, national and international boundaries. The Fund believes in sharing power, sharing responsibility, and seeking input and ideas from all components of the organization as it strives to embody, and to encourage other organizations to embody, these principles.
4
Programs Our programs are designed to advance important social justice initiatives and recognize members of our communities who have made significant contributions.
The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium is a collective of funders, activists and community leaders working to advance the movements for Black girls and women in the Southeast. It’s a partnership with the NoVo foundation, Appalachian Community Fund, Black Belt Community Foundation, Fund for Southern Communities, and Truth Speaks Consulting. In 2018–2019, the consortium co-created an infrastructure for regional grantmaking and movement building, providing resources to locally based organizations run by and working directly for black girls, including those outside of traditional non-profit groups. The consortium partnered with girls and those who center girls in their work to design an infrastructure to manage grantmaking and additional capacities needed in the Southeast, while supporting and strengthening social movements for Black girls. In addition to direct grantmaking, the consortium will coordinate efforts and support opportunities providing spaces for healing, political education, and organize capacity building for movements that center around and are led by Black girls and women. The consortium is coordinated entirely by a community of Black women in philanthropy, activism and girls’ work, who hold deep roots in movement-building throughout the Southeast. The partnership recognizes their critical role and the importance of centering the lived experiences and leadership of those most impacted by deep-seated injustice.
Appalachian Hero Awards is presented to individuals or organizations in the region that have made a substantial contribution to the social justice movement in Central Appalachia. Awardees receive $100 for a social change organization of their choosing.
5
Out in Appalachia provides support to LGBTQ communities and individuals in Central Appalachia. This project is a grantee of the broader Out in the South Initiative coordinated by the Funders for LGBTQ Issues as a strategy to increase funding and deepen fundraising strategies and relationships for LGBTQ communities across the South. Our goals include building secure communities, breaking down isolation, supporting leaders and encouraging emerging leaders, introducing fundraising tools and expanding grant making capacity in what has been an under-served region. This work requires long term commitments to vision and relationship building. Four gatherings held at the beginning of the project were attended by 170 people. The gatherings identified the needs of the LGBTQ community including the need for community capacity to tackle healthcare and quality of life issues for LGBTQ people in our region. There was also the recognition of the obstacles faced in anti-LGBTQ bias and a climate of fear and intolerance. The development of Out in Appalachia (formerly known as Out in the South/Appalachia) has coincided with the growth of LGBTQ community organizations in small towns throughout Central Appalachia. ACF plays a role in supporting start-up efforts of new Pride and service groups. We understand that it will take a culture shift in our communities to be able to survive and thrive openly. We believe that shift is happening and deserves support. No one should have to leave their hometowns in order to feel welcome.
The Appalachian Affinity Project, a pilot project, provides direct support to capacity builders in the region working toward social change that have traditionally built movement capacity. Capacity building includes but is not limited to facilitators, strategic planners, website builders, consultants, volunteers, organizers, and many others who may not identify as a capacity builder. As part of the pilot project, we are creating a capacity builder’s affinity group that will consist of members from partner organizations working towards change. The affinity group will assemble to fine-tune the project structure and create a culture of sharing resources with the idea that we can eliminate the demand for contending resources. In addition, the project will award fellowships to those individuals and organizations identified as providing capacity building. Members of the affinity group will have the opportunity to serve on the grant review panel. Funding will go towards honing skills, updating/developing websites, general support, technical support, and even basic needs. Foremost will be those things that strengthen the capacity builders’ ability to do their work. The purpose of this pilot program is to create a culture of sharing and collaboration instead of an environment of competition in order to ensure that Appalachian capacity builders can do more than survive—they can thrive in their field of interest.
6
Grant Opportunities Appalachian Community Fund supports community-led efforts addressing systemic economic, racial, environmental, and social issues in Central Appalachia in order to ensure a more just and equitable future for our region.
General Fund We provide grants to grassroots organizations working to tackle the underlying causes of poverty and oppression in the Appalachian counties of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. This annual board-directed program focusing on organizing for social change. Organizations may use these monies for general support as well as for programs and projects.
Technical Assistance We believe that building organizational capacity and skills is essential for carrying out effective social justice work. This small grant program is designed to meet specific technical assistance needs of grassroots organizations working for social change in Appalachia. By helping staff, board, and members hone their skills, ACF believes an organization’s work will be stronger and more effective.
Power and Powerlessness Fund Appalachia has a long history of both resilience and resistance. In this spirit, we fund grassroots organizations in Appalachia seeking to reclaim power for their communities by challenging systems of injustice and inequality, particularly the four counties of Campbell and Claiborne in Tennessee, and Bell and Whitley in Kentucky. This fund was created as a modest way to attempt to thank these communities and organizations for all the lessons they taught, the hospitality they gave, and the courage which they exhibited in challenging the issues of power and powerlessness in the region.
FOCIS Giving Circle The FOCIS Giving Circle honors and preserves the community service values of FOCIS (Federation of Communities in Service) and encourages future generations to nurture and sustain these values. Giving Circles are a growing area of philanthropy, where a group of people pool their resources and make collective decisions on how to ‘socially invest’ their dollars.
Donor-Advised Grants and Donor-Designated Gifts Occasionally, ACF receives donor-advised grants and donor-designated gifts. This happens when individual donors contact us to make grants and gifts on their behalf.
7
Grantees General Fund The Alliance for Appalachia, London, KY Association of Infant Mental Health, Nashville, TN Ben's Friends, Richwood, WV Black in Appalachia, Knoxville, TN Bridge Refugee Services, Knoxville, TN Christiansburg Institute, Christiansburg, VA Clean Water Expected in East Tennessee Clearfork Community Institute, Eagan, TN The Clinch Coalition, Wise, VA Community Shares. Knoxville, TN Graduate Medical Education Consortium, Wytheville, VA Hemphill Community Center, Jackhorn, KY Hindman Settlement School, Hindman, KY Junior Appalachian Musicians, Independence, VA Knoxville Community Apothecary, Knoxville, TN Knoxville Community Radio (WOZO), Knoxville, TN Libera, Morgantown, WV Mountain Access Brigade, Knoxville, TN Neighbors Immigration Clinic, Lexington, KY Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, WV Open Heart Ministries, Clarksburg, WV A Place at the Table, Louisville, TN Race Matters, Charleston, WV Radio Eye, Lexington, KY Raising a Voice, Knoxville, TN Sew It Sell It, Knoxville, TN Shora Foundation, Knoxville, TN South Central Educational Development, Bluefield, WV Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Big Stone Gap, VA Southern West Virginia Harm Reduction, Whitesville, VA Tennessee Clean Water Network, Knoxville, TN Tennessee Immigrant Empowerment Solutions, Knoxville, TN Trans Empowerment Project, Knoxville, TN Urban Alliance, Knoxville, TN UUNIK, Knoxville, TN We ARE, Wheeling, WV Welcoming Immigrant Neighbors Blount County, Maryville, TN Total Awarded
$500 $575 $575 $2,000 $2,000 $575 $2,000 $1,500 $2,000 $575 $2,000 $500 $500 $575 $575 $575 $875 $2,500 $575 $1,000 $2,500 $575 $2,000 $500 $575 $875 $575 $2,000 $2,000 $325 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $575 $575 $875 $575 $42,500
Technical Assistance Black in Appalachia, Knoxville, TN Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County, Chattanooga, TN A New Beginning, Knoxville, TN Total Awarded
$800 $800 $800 $2,400
Sister Justice Donor Advised Fund Black Appalachia Young and Rising, New Market, TN Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity, New Market, TN JR Clifford Project, Thomas, WV Step by Step, Charleston, WV Total Awarded
8
$200 $300 $200 $200 $900
FOCIS Giving Circle Appalachian Sustainable Development, Bristol, VA Campbell Culture Coalition, LaFollette, TN Catholic Committee of Appalachia, Spencer, WV Elder Spirit Development Corporation, Abingdon, VA East Tennessee Harm Reduction, Knoxville, TN Sexy Sex Ed, Whitesburg, KY Southern Connected Communities, Clairfield, TN Virginia Organizing, Charlottesville, VA William King Museum of Art, Abingdon, VA Total Awarded
$1,000 $1,000 $500 $1,000 $800 $750 $1,000 $750 $500 $7,300
Donor Advised Grants Allies of Knoxville’s Immigrant Neighbors, Knoxville, TN Appalachian Citizens Law Center, Whitesburg, KY Appalachian Voices, Norton, VA Appalshop, Whitesburg, KY Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Knoxville, TN Black Mamas' Bail Out, Knoxville, TN Bridge Refugee Services, Knoxville, TN The Carpetbag Theatre, Knoxville, TN Center for Rural Strategies, Whitesburg, KY City Council Movement, Knoxville, TN Community Defense of East Tennessee, Knoxville, TN Community Mediation Service, Knoxville, TN East Tennessee Public Radio - WETS, Knoxville, TN East Tennessee Public TV, Knoxville, TN Flying Anvil Theater, Knoxville, TN Foothills Land Conservancy, Rockford, TN Highlander Center, New Market, TN IJAMS, Knoxville, TN Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee, Knoxville, TN Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knoxville, TN Ministries in Economic Justice, Stephen City, VA Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, Washburn, TN SEEED, Knoxville, TN Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Knoxville, TN SPEAK, Knoxville, TN Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment, Knoxville, TN WDVX, Knoxville, TN WMMT, Whitesburg, KY WUOT, Knoxville, TN Total Awarded
2020 GRAND TOTAL: $61,500
9
$1,000 $100 $200 $200 $300 $100 $300 $700 $200 $200 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $1,000 $200 $1,000 $200 $200 $200 $100 $100 $100 $1,000 $100 $200 $100 $8,400
Financials A full copy of Appalachian Community Fund financial statements as audited by independent public accountants is available on our website under Publications at the bottom.
10
Donors We couldn’t continue this work without the generous support of our donors. Thank
you!
4Imprint
Anonymous (8)
Brandi Augustus
Aaron Stern
Ariana Graham
Brenda Bell
Alan and Gwendolyn Shusterman
Arlene Bermann
Brittany Murray
Arnold and Kathleen Simonse
Bruce Cohen
Alan Lewis Alexander Ellis
Ashley Golden
Allan Morgan
Ashley Johnson
Candace Jane Boyd and Bill Troy
Allie Cohn
Barbara Clinton and Jim Selin
Carlynn Owen
Allison and Stuart Malter
Barbara Crushshon
Carol and Bill Reuther
Amanda Augsburger
Barbara Hickey
Carol Risher
AmazonSmile
Benita Whitman
Carolyn McCoy
Amber Patterson
Benjamin Becker
Cathy A Howell
Amelie Ratliff
Beth Bingman and Rich Kirby
Chris Irwin
Andre Weinstock and Michelle Hewitt
Bill Dockery
Christina Grafje-Gilbert
Andrea Assaf and Dora Arreola Andrew Hawkins Angela Harden Angela Holmberg Ann and Bruce Mathews Anna Cooper Anne B. and Michael Blakeney Anne N. Baldwin Anne Todd
11
Callie Pruett
Christopher Bangs
Emilee Headrick
Jen Girdish
Christopher Edwards
Eric Abelquist
Jenna Dirksen
Claire Sherrah
Ethan Hermann
Jennifer Stiles
Community Shares of Tennessee
Gilliam Kerley
Jim Sessions and Fran Ansley
Gina Lynette
Jo Brown
Gita and Martin Lefstein
Joanna Owenby
Guy Osborne
Joanne and Steve Grossman
Harvey and Naomi Cohen
Joel Hillhouse and Christine Adler
Corey Circello Cori Vinson Craig and Teri Williams D. Bassett and S. Thomas Daren Grisham
Heather Finney and Carrie Balent
David and Sandra Lyons
Helen Moore
John and Nancy Stewart
David F. Choy
Henry Gregory
John David Davis
David Johnson
HK Simmons
David S. Klein and Virginia Rankin
Hunter Gresham
John Gaventa and Juliet Merrifield
David Stewart David Webb Dean and Erlandson Dennis and Rona Fischman
Isaiah Benedek
John and Jean Rosenberg
John Glen John R. Montgomery
Jack Gregorio
JoJo Colquitt
Jacob Key Jacqueline E. Hill
Jon Wolf Jonathan Dudley
Diane Fisher
Jamie Harris and David Massey
Directions for Rural Action
Janell Pisegna
Joy Jenkins
Donna Friedman
Janice Holland
Karen Jones and Bev Futrell
Donna Russell
Jared Coffin
Karen Kinney
Dorothy Fruchtman
Jaye Levy
Karli Fisher
Doug and Pegeen Reichert Powell
Jayme Brunaon
Kate Black
Jean Luce
Kate Chandler
Jeanette Phillips and Jason Zombron
Katy Brockway
Douglas and Carol Wingeier Ellen Hertzmark
Jeffery Wood
Doug Minter
Jonathan Eburne
Kay Newton Kayak Consulting Group
12
Kayla Villegas
Loren Howley
Matt Steinhauer
Keith Orlowski
Marc Miller
Matthew Blondell
Kelli Woodend
Margaret De Rivera
Kelly Steele and Charles McCroskey
Margo Miller
Maxine Kenny and Steve Brooks
Kevin Jennings and Jeff Davis
Marguerite Schauer
Kevin Kochanski
Marian Colette and Dal Macon
Kim Fellner
Marilyn Starnes
Kristen Colvin
Marjorie Miller
Kristin Feierabend and Evan Ferrier
Mark Berkheimer
Kroger Laura Beck
Marrick E. Sayers Marsha and Terry Uselton
Megan Cook Michael Gifford Michael Pence Mike and Elizabeth Armstrong Miles Koniver Mini Ann Liu Morgan Hall Morgan Wilson
Laura Bresler
Martin J. Amerikaner and Linda Spatig
Lawrence Glass
Mary Anne Walker
Nelle Chilton
Lee Ann Swarm
Mary Herr
Nick Szuberla
Leocha Fund of Tides Foundation
Mary Ochs
Olivia Marenco
Mary Sill
Owen Pazderak
Matt Prater
Pallavi Chandna
Leslie Lipka Linda Lawson
Nathan Flynn
Pamela Rogers Patricia A. Geier Patricia and Domenic Mantoan Patricia Davis Patrick Flannery-Reilly Paul Beach Peggy Mathews and Jim Thompson Peter Schattner Raghav Kaushik
13
Raymond and Irene Wilborn Charitable Foundation
Samantha Oddi Sara Blocker
Raymond E. and E. Crane Foundation
Sarah Gilliam
Rebecca Sheidler
Sensible Concrete Works, LLC
Rich and Lucy Henighan
Sonia Kowal and James Wildash
Richard Henighan
The Trentham Santiago Group Tom and Susan Bell Tracey Vieser Trans Empowerment Project Travis Hardy
Tanya Mote
Vicki Harden
Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
Virginia Rounds
Robert Jackson Robert Kegley
Teresa Collins
Robin Carton and Meredith Smith
Tess Ewing and Louise Rice
Richard Stonestreet
Walter Davis and Bill Fields Wayne Kramer Will Brown
Ronald Watson
The Marcella Center for the Arts and Education
Will T. Cheek
Rosalyn Becker
The Merck Foundation
William Rubenstein
Rose and Stephen Wilkins
The Social Justice Charitable Foundation
Winky Foundation
14
BOARD Angela Reed, Bluefield, West Virginia Angela Alston, Lewisburg, West Virginia Ashley M. Browning, Knoxville, Tennessee Brandi Augustus, Knoxville, Tennessee Emanuel Bailey, Knoxville, Tennessee Mo Hall, Knoxville, Tennessee Paige Cordial Billman, Sugar Grove, Virginia Teresa Collins, Whitesburg, Kentucky Richard Stonestreet, Charleston, West Virginia Board Historian Darryl Cannady, Bluefield, West Virginia
STAFF Walter Davis, Associate/Regional Organizer Taysha DeVaughn, Communications Coordinator/Regional Organizer Kathy Jennings Johnson, Office Manager Margo Miller, Executive Director
ORGANIZING TEAM Rachel Carretta Reed Young