Mountain Association For Community Economic Development Inc

THE MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION INVESTS IN PEOPLE AND PLACES IN EASTERN KENTUCKY TO ADVANCE A JUST TRANSITION TO A NEW ECONOMY THAT IS MORE DIVERSE, SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE AND RESILIENT.

LENDING AND BUSINESS SUPPORTMOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION'S LENDING AND BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAMS HELP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS DEVELOP THE TOOLS AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO CREATE QUALITY JOBS THROUGH STRONG BUSINESSES THAT PROVIDE IMPORTANT COMMUNITY SERVICES. WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO INVESTMENT CAPITAL COMBINED WITH TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO INCREASE ENTREPRENEURS' CAPACITY AND LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS. AT FISCAL YEAR END, THE COMBINED PORTFOLIO OF MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION AND ITS AFFILIATED NONPROFIT APPALACHIAN INVESTMENT CORPORATION INCLUDED 200 LOANS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $17,342,000. THERE WERE 406 LOANS CLOSED DURING FISCAL YEAR 2022, DISBURSING A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY $8,274,000. INCLUDED IN THIS WERE 377 PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LOANS, TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $5,858,000.

APPALACHIAN TRANSITION COMMUNICATIONS AND POLICYAPPALACHIAN TRANSITION IS BOTH THE OVERARCHING FRAMEWORK OF OUR VISION FOR APPALACHIA'S BRIGHTER FUTURE AND A BODY OF WORK AIMED AT MOVING US TOWARD THAT FUTURE. THIS TEAM IS FOCUSED ON CONDUCTING COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNS, TELLING IMPORTANT STORIES THROUGH A BROAD RANGE OF AVENUES, AND CONNECTING WITH LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PART OF SHIFTING THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE REGION, OUR ECONOMIC TRANSITION AND OUR BRIGHT FUTURE.

APPALACHIAN FUNDERS NETWORKTHE APPALACHIAN FUNDERS NETWORK (AFN) CONSISTS OF MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS WHO BELIEVE THAT THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE NETWORK IS HELPING TO FURTHER THEIR MISSION AND DEEPEN THEIR IMPACT. THE PURPOSE OF AFN IS TO ACCELERATE AN EQUITABLE APPALACHIAN TRANSITION BY CONVENING AND CONNECTING FUNDERS FOR LEARNING, ANALYSIS AND COLLABORATION. AFN'S SEVEN GROUPS AIM TO BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY, LEVERAGE RESOURCES INTO THE REGION, EXPLORE EQUITY, ADVANCE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS, PROMOTE CLEAN ENERGY AND PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES, REVITALIZE DOWNTOWNS, CELEBRATE ARTS, AND SUPPORT A CULTURE OF HEALTH. PRIOR TO THEIR TRANSITION TO A MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED ORGANIZATION IN 2022, MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION SERVED AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR AFN.

CENTRAL APPALACHIAN NETWORKTHE CENTRAL APPALACHIAN NETWORK (CAN)'S MISSION IS TO DEVELOP AND DEPLOY ECONOMIC STRATEGIES THAT BUILD WEALTH IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES, CONSERVE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, AND EMPOWER MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. CAN WORKS IN COLLABORATION ACROSS SECTORS, PARTNERING WITH OTHER NON-PROFITS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, FUNDERS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND PRIVATE BUSINESS. CAN ACTIVELY PURSUES ECONOMIC TRANSITION IN CENTRAL APPALACHIAN COMMUNITIES THROUGH A VARIETY OF ECONOMIC SECTORS AND MARKET-BASED STRATEGIES.MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION SERVES AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR CAN. STRATEGIC INITIATIVESMOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION'S STRATEGIC INITIATIVES WORK FOCUSES ON OUR COMMITMENT TO DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS AND TARGETED STRATEGIES THAT BENEFIT COMMUNITIES AND INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY. WE DO THIS THROUGH PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO UNDERTAKE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION AND TOURISM PROJECTS, AND TO OFFER UNIQUE TRAINING PROGRAMS, LIKE OUR HOW TO AIRBNB CLASS AND OUR IMMERSIVE BUSINESS COURSE. THIS TEAM ALSO LEADS OUR EQUITY OUTREACH WORK AND SUPPORTS THE WHAT'S NEXT EKY?! NETWORK, WHICH AIMS TO BRING TOGETHER COMMUNITIES OF EASTERN KENTUCKY TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING IN THEIR TOWNS.ENERGY PROGRAMSMOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION'S CLEAN ENERGY TEAM HELPS BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND OTHER ENTERPRISES IDENTIFY HOW THEY'RE USING ENERGY AND WHERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EFFICIENCY AND COST SAVINGS MAY EXIST. THE TEAM ALSO ADMINISTERS HOW$MARTKY, A RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM THAT WE RUN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DISTRIBUTION COOPERATIVES FROM THE EAST KENTUCKY POWER COOPERATIVE SYSTEM. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE, COMFORTABLE, DURABLE AND HEALTHY HOUSING THROUGH EDUCATION, WORKSHOPS, AUDITS, AND HELP ACCESSING UTILITY PROGRAMS. GENERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HISTORICALLY, MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION HAS PROVIDED ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES TO AND HAS MAINTAINED A JOINT EMPLOYER RELATIONSHIP WITH SEVERAL SMALL NONPROFITS WHOSE MISSIONS CLOSELY ALIGN WITH THE ORGANIZATION. CURRENTLY, MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION PROVIDES THESE SERVICES TO KENTUCKY NATURAL LANDS TRUST (KNLT) AND KENTUCKY CENTER FOR ECONOMIC POLICY (KY POLICY). KNLT IS A NONPROFIT CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION WORKING TO SECURE FUNDS TO PROTECT NATURAL LANDS AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP. KY POLICY PRODUCES SOUND CREDIBLE RESEARCH TO KENTUCKIANS AROUND COMPLEX ISSUES SUCH AS PUBLIC INVESTMENTS, TAXES, EDUCATION, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, HEALTH CARE, JOBS, AND THE ECONOMY.