In 2024, ARC awarded more than $5 million in POWER funds to three advanced manufacturing projects that will benefit coal-impacted communities and workers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia.

This workbook was created exclusively for the 2024 READY Local Governments training program by an external contractor to guide participants through the course. While the intended audience was local government entities, the content may be useful to all ARC applicants and grantees who are looking to access tools…

READY Grants to Grow is a $9 million funding opportunity that will award grants of up to $500,000 to organizations seeking to build individual, organizational and/or community capacity.

Asheville, North Carolina serves as a successful model for economic revitalization in Appalachia. Tourists from far and wide seek out its rich cultural history, outdoor recreation opportunities, culinary scene and much more. As a result, entrepreneurship and business growth has helped diversify its economy and create numerous employment opportunities for…

ARC’s Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) awarded $11.5 million to 39 grantees working to address Appalachia’s substance use disorder crisis. Each project makes a unique contribution to local, state and regional recovery ecosystems, which are complex – but critically needed – webs connecting peer support, health and…

It takes innovative thinking to address the substance use disorder crisis, which continues to disproportionately affect the Appalachian Region. How can communities grow support services and workforce opportunities for individuals in recovery? For Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) in Southwest Virginia, their answer is simple: local food.

The journey through justice system involvement, recovery from substance use disorder and workforce re-entry is longer and more complex than most realize. Investing in partners, such as The REACH Initiative in Charleston, West Virginia, that make this process easier for Appalachians is a key part of…

Community foundations serving Appalachia are invited to join an informational webinar on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET to learn about READY Community Foundations. This no-cost, six-week virtual training program is designed to help community foundation leaders build skills in effective operations, fundraising, and programming. Following…

READY Community Foundations is one of four tracks offered by ARC’s READY Appalachia initiative. In many areas of Appalachia, community foundations are the only philanthropic option for nonprofits, local government entities and other community groups. READY Community Foundations provides no-cost training to help these organizations strengthen operations, programming…

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…

Since 2007, the number of children placed in foster care due to parental substance use disorder (SUD) has risen by 53%, per the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System. As with other SUD-related issues, this trend is disproportionately higher in Appalachian counties, such as Barbour County, West Virginia,…

In Appalachian Mississippi’s 24 counties, the manufacturing, transportation, and logistics sectors have major potential to create new workforce opportunities – especially for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). However, the region is lacking local capacity to launch a coordinated, comprehensive recovery ecosystem to help these populations successfully access…

Recovering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) can be a vicious cycle, especially when it comes to accessing the treatment and support services needed to successfully secure meaningful employment. Furthermore, it’s not just an individual who feels these effects, but entire communities. In upstate South Carolina, public services in Cherokee,…

Like many coal-impacted areas in Appalachia, Eastern Kentucky is tackling economic transition by diversifying its economic bases and creating new opportunities. Emerging industries such as information technology (IT), computer science, and engineering have shown promise, but a shortage of IT talent was keeping the region from reaching its full potential. …