Evaluations



Evaluation of ARC’s Business Development Grants Closed Between 2017-2021

This report presents findings from an evaluation of ARC’s business development projects that closed between 2017 and 2021, representing 220 grants and nearly $75 million of ARC investment. The evaluation found that ARC’s business development grants closed during that timeframe led to improvements for nearly 11,000 businesses and facilitated…
Report


Evaluation of ARC’s INSPIRE Initiative

The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Center for Rural Health Research, in collaboration with the ETSU Addiction Science Center, conducted an evaluation of the INSPIRE Initiative on behalf of ARC in 2022-2023. The evaluation was designed to advance understanding of the accessibility of the application process, implementation successes and…
Report


POWER Initiative Evaluation: The Value of POWER

Since 2015, ARC has funded 395 projects under the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative to empower Appalachian communities to create more vibrant, diverse, and sustainable economies. To understand successes, challenges, and lessons learned through implementation, as well as to examine results of POWER projects, ARC…
Report


POWER Initiative Evaluation: The POWER of Change

Stories of Results for Individuals, Businesses, and Communities ARC has worked with Chamberlin/Dunn (C/D) as a third-party evaluator since Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 to understand the successes and challenges POWER grantees have experienced in the implementation of their grants, as well as early impacts of the projects. In FY21, the…
Report


Strengthening the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Grant Performance Measurement: A Roadmap and Recommendations

This evaluation was designed to help ARC learn about grant performance measurement practices at comparison organizations, assess ARC’s current grant performance measurement system, and provide recommendations for updating the current system. Full Report Strengthening the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Grant Performance Measurement: A Roadmap and Recommendations –…
Report


POWER Initiative Evaluation: Factors and Results of Project Implementation

Since 2015, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has funded more than 240 projects under the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative to empower Appalachian communities to create more vibrant, diverse, and sustainable economies. To understand successes, challenges, and lessons learned through implementation, as well as…
Report