Building a new economy, together. The Mountain Association is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that supports small businesses, nonprofits, faith groups and local governments in Eastern Kentucky through flexible lending, business support, energy services, and community development initiatives.
Mountain Association for Community Economic Development Inc centers grantmaking on Eastern Kentucky’s economic transition, pairing public-revenue advocacy with solar projects, community lending, and technical assistance. One of its largest recent grants went to Kentucky Coalition for public education and activities tied to increased state revenue in Kentucky and to promote Just Transition for Central Appalachia. That same theme appears in later support for Appalachian coalitions and in energy-related work with schools, local governments, and nonprofits. The foundation also backs place-based development through flexible capital and consulting support. It funded Appalacian Investment Corp for USDA IRP matching support, while grant records show energy project awards to Housing Oriented Ministries Inc, Martin County School District, City of Middlesboro, Leslie County Fiscal Court, Martin County Health Department, Laurel County African American Heritage Center, and Housing Development Alliance Inc. Across those awards, the organization is using grants alongside lending and program-related investments to support organizations, public entities, and community projects in Kentucky and the wider Central Appalachian region.
A major theme is public education and state-revenue work in Kentucky. The foundation gave $645,652 to Kentucky Coalition in 2023 to support public education and other activities leading to increased state revenue in Kentucky and to promote Just Transition for Central Appalachia. Energy projects form another clear line of support. Grants went to Housing Oriented Ministries Inc for a solar project in Whitesburg, Martin County School District for a solar project in Inez, and City of Middlesboro for a solar project in Middlesboro. It also supports coalition and network participation. Appalachian Voices received support for Appalachia Coalition work, and earlier funding went to the same organization for Central Appalachian Network participation. Rural Action also received support for Central Appalachian Network participation.
Typical grant size is fairly mid-sized, with a 25th percentile of $14,936, a median of $30,465, and a 75th percentile of $89,275. The recent record shows a mix of one-time project grants and repeated support to some recipients across multiple years, including Kentucky Coalition, Appalachian Voices, Rural Action, Housing Oriented Ministries Inc, and Martin County School District. Mountain Association for Community Economic Development Inc is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, and it combines grants with lending and program-related investments. Its lending and business-support programs include an application process, and some technical-assistance offerings accept unsolicited inquiries.
$973K
$35.3M
$7M
$6.9M
Most grants fall between $15K and $89K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$89K
ROBIN GABBARD
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Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Kentucky, which accounts for 70% of grants in the data. Recent recipient locations include London, Inez, Middlesboro, Hyden, Whitesburg, Buckhorn, Hazard, and Berea. Outside Kentucky, the foundation also supported organizations in Boone, North Carolina; The Plains, Ohio; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Portland, Oregon. All recorded grants in the sample went to U.S. recipients.
The record shows support for public education and state revenue work, solar projects, Appalachian coalition participation, and community development. It also backs business lending, nonprofit and organizational lending, business coaching, energy audits, solar financing support, and disaster recovery lending.
No. Kentucky receives 70% of the grants in the data, but there are also grants to Boone, North Carolina; The Plains, Ohio; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Portland, Oregon.
The grant-size distribution centers on mid-sized awards: p25 is $14,936, the median is $30,465, and p75 is $89,275.
Yes. Kentucky Coalition appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Appalachian Voices appears in 2023 and 2025; Rural Action appears in 2023 and 2025; and Martin County School District, Housing Oriented Ministries Inc, and Appalachian Investment Corp also show more than one award year.
Several programs use an application or inquiry process. Lending services are offered through a loan inquiry process, and business and organizational support has an application portal. Some business-support offerings accept unsolicited inquiries, and energy savings assessments are available through the Energy Program.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Mountain Association for Community Economic Development that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Eligible businesses and organizations in Eastern Kentucky; personal residences are not eligible.
Deadline: Rolling intake.
Who can apply: Business owners or community leaders in the 54 Appalachian Kentucky counties; inquiries are reviewed for alignment with strategic priority areas such as childcare, housing-related services, healthy food access, and community resiliency.
Deadline: Rolling intake.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENTUCKY COALITION | LONDON, KY | $400,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT PUBLIC ED |
| APPALACIAN INVESTMENT CORP | BEREA, KY | $220,000 | 2025 | USDA IRP MATCH |
| HOUSING ORIENTED MINISTRIES INC | WHITESBURG, KY | $134,096 | 2025 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| APPALACHIAN VOICES | BOONE, NC | $55,000 | 2025 | APPALACHIA COALITION |
| MARTIN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT | INEZ, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| LAUREL COUNTY AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER | LONDON, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| PRESBYTERIAN CHILD WELFARE AGENCY | BUCKHORN, KY | $20,000 | 2025 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | INEZ, KY | $20,000 | 2025 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| RURAL ACTION | THE PLAINS, OH | $19,000 | 2025 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| LEARNING LANDSCAPES | PORTLAND, OR | $5,050 | 2025 | COMMUNITY PROJECT |
| KENTUCKY COALITION | LONDON, KY | $450,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT PUBLIC ED |
| MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | INEZ, KY | $94,000 | 2024 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| CITY OF MIDDLESBORO | MIDDLESBORO, KY | $87,700 | 2024 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| LESLIE COUNTY FISCAL COURT | HYDEN, KY | $70,000 | 2024 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| HOUSING ORIENTED MINISTRIES INC | WHITESBURG, KY | $34,830 | 2024 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE INC | HAZARD, KY | $14,742 | 2024 | SOLAR PROJECT |
| VARIOUS OTHER | — | $13,919 | 2024 | COMMUNITY DEV. |
| Kentucky Coalition | London, KY | $645,652 | 2023 | To support public education and other activities leading to increased state revenue in Kentucky & to promote Just Transition for Central Appalachia |
| Various other | — | $26,100 | 2023 | Community development in Appalachia. |
| Appalachian Voices | Boone, NC | $25,000 | 2023 | Central Appalachian Network participation |
| Rural Action | The Plains, OH | $15,000 | 2023 | Central Appalachian Network participation |
| Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 2023 | Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council |
APPALACIAN INVESTMENT CORP
$220,000USDA IRP MATCH
MARTIN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
$50,000SOLAR PROJECT
LAUREL COUNTY AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER
SOLAR PROJECT
PRESBYTERIAN CHILD WELFARE AGENCY
$20,000SOLAR PROJECT
MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$20,000SOLAR PROJECT
LEARNING LANDSCAPES
$5,050COMMUNITY PROJECT
MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$94,000SOLAR PROJECT
CITY OF MIDDLESBORO
$87,700SOLAR PROJECT
LESLIE COUNTY FISCAL COURT
$70,000SOLAR PROJECT
VARIOUS OTHER
$13,919COMMUNITY DEV.
To support public education and other activities leading to increased state revenue in Kentucky & to promote Just Transition for Central Appalachia
Various other
$26,100Community development in Appalachia.
Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council
$10,000Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council