Dear Allies,
We are pleased to announce the release of our 2014-2015 request for proposals (RFP) for our General Fund.
Thanks to the partnership with the New York Community Fund’s Alexander Fund and generous support from our community of donors, we are proud of the fact we have been able to award over six million dollars in grant support to over 300 grassroots organizations in Central Appalachia since 1987. Given the state of the economy that has been no small feat.
However, this year there has been a significant drop in the amount of funds made available to us for grantmaking and we are only able to award $100,000 from our general fund, which means this will be an extremely competitive cycle.
Please take time to carefully read the funding criteria and please keep in mind that ACF gives special consideration to grassroots organizations with budgets less than $200,000 that have limited access to traditional funding sources. ACF also examines how long a group has received continuous funding from ACF.
First time applicants, please review ACF’s working definition of social change at the bottom of this message.
Thank you all for the work that you do in the region. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Peace, love and justice!
Margo Miller
Executive Director
Letter of Inquiry (LOI) DEADLINE: November 17, 2014 at 5:00 PM EST
PROPOSAL DEADLINE: To be determined – 2014 at 5:00 PM EST
Download General Fund Application Instructions
Download the 2014-2015 Letter of Inquiry Coversheet. Word document or PDF
2014-2015 General Fund Application is currently not available to download.
Celebrating over 25 Years of Change, not Charity in Central Appalachia!
ACF’s Definition of Social Change
The Appalachian Community Fund defines social change as the movement of people toward the establishment of environmental, economic, and social justice and the redistribution of wealth, power, and resources as indicated by evidence of:
- Organizing and action led by people working to control their own lives;
- Educating communities about the root causes of oppression and injustice;
- Eliminating barriers to full participation in society ( i.e. racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, ablesim, and exclusion from decision-making processes);
- Focusing on efforts to change cultural, social, political, and economic systems and institutions that create, accommodate, and perpetuate social injustice;
- Creating and modeling democratic cultural, social, political, and economic systems;
- Connecting local issues with national and global concerns; and
- Networking, collaborating, and cooperating with other change agents working toward similar goals.
ACF supports many different social change issues and approaches including:
- Educational opportunity and equity increased funding for schools, higher education opportunities, and racial diversity among teachers and administrators.
- Environmental action opposing unregulated practices of Mountain Top Removal, a process of blasting the tops off of mountains to get to the coal seam which destroys forests and mountains, creates dangerous rock slides and waste piles, and pollutes and dams up streams and creeks.
- Cultural and artistic participation for social change writing and performing historical and political drama and music, preserving and affirming traditional arts and crafts, multi-cultural sharing and work among Central Appalachia’s diverse populations including untold stories of struggle in African -American and other underserved communities.
- Community based economic development and opportunity building markets and skills in rural communities through local solutions, local products, community kitchens, and improved economic development policies and practices.
- Women and girls issues support and healing for survivors of domestic violence, overcoming isolation, gender barriers, and access to continuing education.
- Multi-cultural and racial justice programs in support of new immigrant communities, and programs and processes for racial equality and healing
- Community media community-owned and staffed radio stations, newspapers, film and video by and for communities, increased policy work to address media control.
- Youth outreach – programs designed by youth for youth to increase their skills and to address the needs of youth in academics and public and community services.
- Health care and child care making child care and health care affordable and accessible for everyone.
- Non-violent communities – organizing to end police brutality, increase democratic participation, institute policies and practices against hate crimes and homophobia.
- Civil liberties and human rights organizing to ensure civil liberties and human rights are upheld for all people, including those of immigrant residents andmigrant communities.
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