Provide resources and support to grassroots groups and community-based organizations working for social, economic, racial, and environmental justice in Central Appalachia.
Appalachian Community Fund centers its giving on community-based organizations in Central Appalachia working for social, economic, racial, and environmental justice. Its general grants program is built around unrestricted support, organizing, and education strategies, with startup projects also eligible in some programs. The fund’s named grant programs show a consistent emphasis on grassroots capacity, from the General Fund to the LGBTQ Fund and technical assistance support. The foundation’s focus areas include anti-racism, equality, environmental justice, immigration, health equity, social enterprise, and youth leadership development. It also backs work tied to community organizing, grassroots capacity building, and technical assistance. That mix points to a funder oriented toward movement infrastructure as much as direct service. Recent grant records include a single 2024 cash grant of $1,190,623, alongside program categories that range from community-based grants to scholarship and training support. The presence of a donor-circle fund, the FOCIS Giving Circle, and named support for LGBTQ organizing suggests a structure that channels resources into both general-purpose and issue-specific funding streams.
In environmental justice, Appalachian Community Fund gives to community-based organizations in Central Appalachia through unrestricted and general grant programs that support organizing and education strategies. The same program structure also reaches anti-racism and equality work, showing that systemic change is a common thread across those issue areas. Immigration and health equity are also part of the foundation’s grantmaking profile. Its general grant programs explicitly list both as focus areas, and the funding is aimed at community-led organizations rather than individuals. That aligns with its broader emphasis on grassroots organizing and community-controlled funding. The foundation also supports LGBTQ organizing through a dedicated LGBTQ Fund for Appalachian communities and Central Appalachia. Youth leadership development appears in its scholarship and training-support grants, which are listed as separate funding support for organizing and leadership training.
The only recent grant amount shown is $1,190,623, so the p25, median, and p75 grant-size figures are all the same. Appalachian Community Fund is a foundation-style grantmaker rather than an individual-funding or program-related-investment vehicle: it funds organizations, not individuals, and makes no PRIs. Its structure includes multiple named funds and programs, including general grants, technical assistance, scholarship support, the FOCIS Giving Circle, and the LGBTQ Fund. Several programs accept unsolicited applications, including Appalachian Community Fund Grants, LGBTQ Fund, and ACF General Grantmaking. The grant programs point to a mix of open and targeted funding, with some categories reserved for technical assistance or donor-circle allocations.
$1.2M
$6.1M
$1.5M
$1.7M
Most grants fall between $1.2M and $1.2M, with a median of $1.2M.
25th Percentile
$1.2M
Median
$1.2M
75th Percentile
$1.2M
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Appalachian Community Fund’s giving is centered on Central Appalachia, with program coverage also naming Tennessee and Kentucky in several grant descriptions. The grant record provided shows a U.S.-only recipient distribution. Geography is defined by region and ARC-designated counties rather than by the foundation’s Knoxville headquarters. The structured program descriptions point to Appalachian communities, Central Appalachia, and selected counties in Tennessee and Kentucky as the main recipient geographies. No non-U.S. recipient countries appear in the data.
It funds community-based and grassroots organizations in Central Appalachia, especially groups working on social, economic, racial, and environmental justice. Its program descriptions also name community-led organizations, racially marginalized communities, LGBTQ individuals and groups, immigrant communities, youth, and people with disabilities as beneficiary groups.
The listed focus areas include anti-racism, equality, environmental justice, immigration, health equity, social enterprise, youth leadership development, community organizing, grassroots capacity building, and technical assistance. The active programs also specifically name LGBTQ organizing and power-building.
Yes, for some programs. Appalachian Community Fund Grants (General Grants Program), the LGBTQ Fund, and ACF General Grantmaking are marked as accepting unsolicited applications, while the General Fund, Technical Assistance, and Power and Powerlessness Fund are not.
The provided grant-size figures all sit at $1,190,623 for p25, median, and p75. The active Scholarship Program is separately described as making small awards of $300–$1,000 for scholarships and organizing training support.
The foundation’s program descriptions focus on Central Appalachia, with Tennessee and Kentucky also named in several grant programs, including ARC-designated counties. The recipient country distribution shown in the data is entirely U.S.-based.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASH GRANT | — | $1,190,623 | 2024 | — |
CASH GRANT
$1,190,623Current and upcoming funding from Appalachian Community Fund that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Not fully detailed in the scraped content; referenced as an ACF funding initiative available to eligible organizations in Central Appalachia.
Deadline: No deadline; applications welcome any time during the year.
Who can apply: Not fully detailed in the scraped content; referenced as an ACF funding initiative available to eligible organizations in Central Appalachia.
Deadline: No deadline; applications welcome any time during the year.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
