The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky

We Do Things Differently

Regional Impact

Regional Impact

rising where we’re rooted

Local people, local decisions, local impact. The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky is an organization serving Southeastern Kentucky with 8 affiliates in 12 counties. We help Kentuckians across the state give to the causes they care about, and we make grants to make life better for all people.

Donate to the Rise With Us Fund

impact by the Numbers

since inception in 2006 through November 30, 2021

$45,433,827

in donations received

6,168

total grants awarded

$1,007,463

in grants provided by our community affiliates

6,168

individual donors

$17,556,428

given in grants, scholarships & investments

516

total scholarships awarded

covid-19 relief

over $1 million

in urgent COVID relief funding for Appalachian people, small businesses and nonprofit organizations

345

small businesses and farms supported

$180,000

supporting six eastern Kentucky counties

The Southeast Kentucky Healthy Downtowns Initiative provided $180,000 in funding to 6 Eastern Kentucky towns, supporting new ways for people to interact safely with public spaces and commerce.

153

businesses grants awarded

The Southeast Kentucky Downtown Business Stimulus Fund provided urgently needed grants to 153 business owners in 23 counties. The Fund also released 0% emergency interest loans to small businesses.

over 910

jobs saved

$114,718

in response and relief grants given by our affiliates to their communities

54

Black-owned family farms supported

The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky also helped pool funds for the Kentucky Black Farmers Fund to support 54 Black-owned farm families statewide during COVID.

138

grants awarded to small family farms

The Central Appalachian Family Farm Fund provided urgently needed grants to 138 local farms in 20 counties.

Flood relief

$1,312,987

awarded for flood relief

$250,000

in family farm grants

104

business grants awarded

$650,000

awarded in individual grants

202

family farms supported

$412,987

awarded in business grants

1,300

individual grants awarded

Stories of Impact
The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky invests in people rooted in communities working toward lasting, positive change.
Rising Where We are Rooted

May 14, 2021

Rising Where We’re Rooted

“The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky is a community foundation. But we’re more than that.” A year ago, we partnered with P&P Creative to create an authentic brand for the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky. The phrase “but we’re more than that” continued to come up with each discovery and strategy session. We realized that where we… KEEP READING

December 20, 2021

A Reflection on AIF’s First Five Years

Five years ago, the Appalachian Impact Fund (AIF) started with the passion of one family and a dream jotted down on a piece of paper that said we’d achieve a set of goals to redevelop downtowns, make impact investments into promising sectors, make grants to nonprofits creating economic opportunity, encourage new businesses, create new jobs,… KEEP READING

December 20, 2021

AIF’s Co-Founder Reflects on Impact

Impact. Often an ill used word, sometimes obvious, sometimes not so much.  The work- “impact”- of AIF over the past five years has been obvious in helping business, their employees and families within the region survive pandemics, floods, and the collapse of a mono-economy. Perhaps not so obvious is how AIF  touches so many individually… KEEP READING

December 20, 2021

A Message from Our CEO

It’s hard to know how to talk about what we have collectively been through as a country and a region over the last two years. It’s been a period of collective ambiguity, challenges, and a seemingly never-ending series of surprises. Many of us are ending this year wondering, “What could possibly come next?”  The Southern… KEEP READING