READY Local Governments is one of four tracks offered by ARC’s READY Appalachia initiative. Appalachia’s local governments are the backbone of economic and community development. With more federal funding available than ever, local governments need support to apply for these opportunities and leverage federal support to create lasting, positive…
ARC is hitting the road to showcase the five goals of our 2022-2026 strategic plan, Appalachia Envisioned. At Stop #5, we’ll focus on building Appalachia’s community leaders and capacity. This event – our final stop – will feature elected officials, economic development leaders,…
ARC hosts its first READY Appalachia convening for new grantees and existing applicants! READY Nonprofits and READY LDDs grantees and existing applicants will learn directly from program staff on how to make reports and request payments, about how to comply with federal grant regulations, and about best practices…
Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation is hosting this forum for local government, nonprofits, and community partners working in these Appalachian Kentucky counties: Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Perry, Whitley, and adjacent counties. The event will build collaboration, capacity, and relationships by connecting the Community…
Gain valuable insight on how the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) is poised to add jobs and attract additional investment in a multi-county area in TN. Learn about how a NC local development district is working with their communities to maximize the impact of…
In West Virginia, Libera, Inc. is working to help women and teens embody the state’s beloved motto, “montani semper liberi,” or “mountaineers are always free.” Named for the feminine form of the word “liberi,” Libera envisions a Mountain State where every woman and teen is free…
When Will Bright passed away in 2014 from an overdose, his mother, Lisa Bright, knew she had to turn her pain into purpose. She and her husband, Bill, started the Will Bright Foundation to both honor their son and provide others with a safe, supportive environment for their recovery…
UK Landscape Architecture rendering of River Fog Park (Image courtesy of Why Whitley Facebook) In 2018 in Whitley County, Kentucky, a group of passionate citizens held a dinner to discuss ways to change the narrative surrounding the community. There were so many things to be proud of within the county,…
In October 2019, North Carolina State University (NCSU) received a $1.1 million grant from ARC’s POWER Initiative to launch EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems. The project initially intended to strengthen a seven-county “foodshed” in Western North Carolina by helping current producers become more profitable and training new farmers to…
BRIGHT Kentucky is a free training program building developed by the Leadership Kentucky Foundation to expand capacity of next-generation economic development leaders in the state’s 54 Appalachian counties. Made possible through support from ARC, The Kentucky Department of Local Government, the Whitaker Foundation, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and others,…
Funding from all types of private foundations is examined in this report, which shows how the Appalachian Region compares with the rest of the nation in obtaining foundation grants.
