Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky

10/09/2026

We are excited to announce a new fund hosted at the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky: the Friends of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College Endowment Fund!

This endowment was established to support the educational mission of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. Distributions from the fund will help provide students with a quality Christian education experience, supporting opportunities that enrich their learning and prepare them for lives of faith, service, and ministry.

The fund was also established so that Clear Creek Baptist Bible College donors can leverage the Endow Kentucky Tax Credit benefit, which is available to donors to endowed funds housed at qualifying institutions such as the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky. If you are a nonprofit interested in looking into this opportunity for your donors, please reach out to us by emailing [email protected]!

10/07/2026

Last week, Kaitlyn Moyers, our Financial Operations Analyst, travelled to California to attend the OnRamp Summit hosted by Ramp. Kaitlyn shared, "Being able to hear from and connect to finance leaders from across the country was amazing! I can't wait to use what I have learned to continue supporting our mission at the Foundation!"

10/01/2026

Those who were impact by the flooding this year in Clinton County can now apply for relief grants from the Clinton County Community Foundation. Applications are open until October 31, 2026.

Thanks to the generous support of our community, relief grants for those who were impacted by the Clinton County June flooding are available. Please help us get the word out! Grant applications will be accepted through the entire month of October. Learn more by visiting: https://www.appalachianky.org/clinton-county-community-foundation-accepts-grant-applications-for-flood-relief/

10/01/2026

Join Matthew Benedict, our Community Development Coordinator VISTA, to discuss data centers — what they are, how they impact our communities, and how best to stay informed and engaged in these matters. This discussion will take place on Thursday, November 12th at the Perry County Public Library!

HAZARD, KY -- Join K4ED and community partners on 11/12 (Thursday) at the Perry County Public Library for our next data center community workshop to learn the facts, ask questions, and explore how we can participate in upcoming decisions that shape our entire community.

During this workshop, we'll discuss:
⚡ What data centers are
🏘️ How they may impact local communities, energy use, and infrastructure
🗣️How residents can be a part of the local data center regulation process
✅ Practical ways to stay informed and engaged

Registration is not required, but is encourages so we may plan accordingly. To register, simply visit our ActionNetwork link at: https://tinyurl.com/K4EDPerryDC2

Dinner will be provided!
This event is free and open to the public.
Please feel free to message us if you have any accessibility accommodations.

Bring a friend and join us for an evening of learning and conversation about the future of our communities!

10/01/2026

Thank you, Gerry Brooks, for sharing about the incredible work that our Sycamore Project is doing in Appalachian Kentucky!

To learn more about the Sycamore Project, visit: https://www.appalachianky.org/sycamore/.

09/29/2026

Tomorrow (September 30th) is the last day to register your nonprofit to participate in the community campaign on GivingTuesday!

This is the first-ever community campaign designed specifically for our region. Don't miss your chance to be part of it!

To learn more and register, visit https://www.appalachianky.org/joingiveappky/.

09/27/2026

Today is World Tourism Day!

Appalachian Kentucky is brimming with breathtaking natural wonders — from Red River Gorge to Chained Rock. What is your favorite tourism spot in the Appalachian Kentucky region? Comment below!

09/25/2026

Get to know Lacie! Lacie DeGough is one of our Communications Officers, and she is known around the office for her welcoming spirit, Google Suite wizardry, and beautiful photography (in and outside of work hours)

We asked Lacie a few questions to help you get to know her!

1. What is a fun fact about you?
My family and I took a trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Botswana this summer! My dad lived in Zambia for 5 years when he was younger, so this was a very special trip. I got to see the places that he’s told me and my brothers about since we were little, and we also got to volunteer with an amazing nonprofit, Impact One! Impact One is a Christian organization working with community schools in Ng’ombe Compound in Lusaka, Zambia to equip them with the skills and resources that they need to serve children in Ng’ombe. It was so special to get to see the impact that they are making up close. I can’t wait to go back someday!

2. What genre of music/music artist is your favorite?
My music taste is all over the place, so I can’t pick a favorite! On my playlist at the moment, you can find Broadway musicals, folk, indie, rock, pop, country, and more. I pride myself on the system that I’ve created for organizing my Spotify playlists — I have a playlist for each month of the year containing all of the songs that I’m listening to that month. This makes it easy for me to look back through the stages of my taste in music. Each playlist tends to be around 15 - 20 hours long, because I am always discovering new songs!

3. What is something many people don't know about you?
Many people don’t know that I have wanted to be an author since I was very young! I have so many drafts of unfinished novels (and even a couple of finished ones that will never see the light of day). I like to pull out my old drafts every once in a while and read them. I don’t have much time to write anymore, but I would love to get back into it one day!

Pictured: Lacie and her family at Victoria Falls, and Lacie and her three brothers.

09/21/2026

Congratulations to Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund on celebrating 6 years! We're so grateful for the support we have received from them.

Today, Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund officially turns six years old 🖤

This fund is the product of countless people’s generosity, care, and drive. Without them - without YOU - there simply would be no Hickman Holler. Because of you, we have been able to reach some incredible achievements - achievements that not only belong to us, but to you as well.

It is with your support, your generosity, and your care that any of this is possible, and we hope to never forget that.

The Appalachian Mountains, her peaks and her valleys, form a thread that connects us to each other. To nature, to the Earth, to home. It is this connection that ties us together - this connection that drives us to continue working towards a brighter future for all of us. We thank you for joining us on this journey.

In the past six years, we have been able to do so much. Your generosity has touched so many lives, from the tallest of trees in Red River Gorge to the smallest of salamanders in Dolly Sods, and everything in between.

We’d like to take a moment to highlight our grantees, who are doing the hard work and carrying us all forward.

Kentucky River Community Care Inc
Boys & Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren Co
Boys & Girls Clubs of Appalachia
Grow Ohio Valley
Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies
Robert C. Byrd Choir Boosters
Beattyville Main Street
GreenHouse17
Pikeville Pride
Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises
Middle Kentucky Community Action Partnership
FoodChain Lexington
CPESN Kentucky Inc.
Organic Association of Kentucky
Farms Work Wonders
Feeding Kentucky
Appalachia Service Project
Americans Helping Americans
Appalachian Voices
Kentucky Waterways Alliance
Appalachian Sustainable Development
Berry Center
Hope's Wings
Community Response Coalition of Kentucky
Southeastern Kentucky Association of Native People
Grow Appalachia at Berea College
Mission Mules
Appalachian Outreach Inc.
McDowell County Water Crisis Campaign at Cross Roads United Methodist Church
Appalshop
Cowan Community Action Group
Morehead Gateway Helping Hands
Tennessee Justice Center
Coalfield Development
Accelerating Appalachia
Resolve KY Inc
Kosair For Kids/ Kosair Charities Commitee, Inc.
Domestic Violence Emergency Services of Gateway Inc.
Norton Children's Hospital
Music Heals International
National Association for Children of Addiction
Kentucky Children's Hospital Philanthropy
Community Agricultural and Nutritional Enterprises Inc
Family Connection, Inc.
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc.
The Hickman Holler Appalachian Endowed College Fund
East Tennessee Foundation
Nashville Public Radio
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass
One Generation Away
Federated Charities
CASA of the Wilderness Trail
Head Count Inc.
Native American House Alliance
Kentucky Heartwood
Native American Indian Assn of Tennessee
Automotive Free Clinic
Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance
Berry Center
Eluna Network
Newport Festivals Foundation
Aspire Appalachia
Hemphill Community Center Inc.
HOMES, Inc.
Kentucky Educational Development Corporation
Appalachian Citizens' Law Center
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc.
Stronghearts Native Helpline
Lee Initiative Inc
United Way of Kentucky
Kentucky Civic Engagement Table Inc
Appalachian Prison Book Project Inc
ACLU of Kentucky Foundation Inc.
Louisville Urban League

Each of these organizations is uplifting our region in irreplaceable, important, and caring ways. Whether that be helping to supply basic needs or advocating for justice, these organizations are the real heroes.

These past six years have been an incredible whirlwind of things we never thought possible. Everyday, we somehow become more grateful than the last that we have you all to support us. What a privilege it is to have this community and these opportunities.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the last six years. We can’t wait to see what the next six bring us.

📸: Tricia Taylor

09/18/2026

Today, we'd like to highlight one of our amazing affiliates: the Pikeville Community Foundation (PCF)! Established in 2019, PCF has been working each day to make a difference in the Pikeville and Pike County community. The Linda J. Templeton Fund is just one way that they are caring for the people in Pike County.

In 2016, Linda J. Templeton planted a seed of hope with a $25,000 gift to establish a fund dedicated to one simple but powerful vision: that no one in Pike County would go hungry—especially its children. After her passing in 2021, Ms. Templeton fulfilled her lifelong commitment by leaving a significant portion of her estate to fully fund the endowment.

Since 2021, the fund has awarded more than $433,600 to support local food pantries and school backpack programs—efforts that provide consistent, reliable access to food for individuals and families facing hardship.

In 2026 alone, the fund distributed over $120,000 in grants to 18 organizations serving Pike County. From stocking pantry shelves to sending food home with children on weekends, these grants are meeting urgent needs while strengthening a network of care across the community.

“Linda would be so pleased to see her fund supporting and feeding the hungry in Pike County,” said Brad Slone, Chair of the Pikeville Community Foundation. “That was her wish, and we are committed to honoring her legacy by administering this fund exactly as she intended.”

Linda J. Templeton’s generosity did more than create a fund—it created a lasting promise. A promise that neighbors will be cared for, that children will have what they need, and that a community will continue to come together to ensure no one goes hungry.

To learn more and donate, visit https://www.appalachianky.org/communities/pikevillecf/.