Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky is a community foundation that does philanthropy differently. With a stated intention to “shift control back into the hands of local leaders,” the Foundation serves as a rural development hub that meets communities where they are, develops local leaders, and works with them to develop ideas and resources. Their innovative approach includes hosting the Appalachian Impact Fund (AIF), which has made $1.6 million in grants and $1.3 million in impact investments to support energy-efficient and affordable housing, commercial real estate development, growth of promising sectors, low-interest consumer loans, and small business lending. Downtown revitalization efforts in Hazard, Kentucky, illustrate the Foundation’s multidimensional approach. As abandoned buildings deteriorated and a fire destroyed a historic building on Main Street, the Foundation hosted a series of town hall meetings that culminated in the creation of InVision Hazard, a citizen-led coalition focused on downtown revitalization and creative placemaking. With backbone support and funding from the Foundation, along with technical support from Fahe and Mountain Association, InVision Hazard inventoried downtown buildings, helped reinstitute code enforcement to address abandoned buildings, held candidate forums that helped usher in new elected officials, and created cultural events to attract visitors to downtown. In 2019, AIF provided $200,000 in below-market loan capital and $50,000 in grant support to complete the ArtStation, a gallery, performance, and arts education space that has been catalytic, leading to new businesses moving to Main Street. The Foundation and its partners are making it possible for the people of Appalachian Kentucky to envision and create the future they deserve, turning good ideas into investable opportunities.

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