Summary:

The purpose of this program is to assist organizations in their efforts to operate more effectively while adapting to the demands in their communities. Funding will be provided to help Appalachian communities and regions complete capacity-building projects with the goal of expanding the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address local challenges.

The program is intended to ultimately make organizations stronger, with increased capacity for serving their clients and communities, rather than to sustain organizational operations or support organizations with healthy operating budgets. Applicant organizations should have a clear track record of serving their communities and making a positive economic impact.

Funding will be provided to address long-standing capacity limitations among Appalachian organizations to drive economic development in the Appalachian Region, as well as the timelier objective of ensuring that historic levels of federal funding reach underserved or economically distressed communities in Appalachia. Funding is intended to ensure the region achieves socioeconomic parity with the nation.

Funding will be provided for strategies that grow the region’s capacity through sustainable and outcome-driven projects related to the funding agency's other investment priorities, which are building Appalachia’s businesses, workforce ecosystem, infrastructure, and regional culture and tourism. Funding will be provided for both planning and implementation projects, as detailed on page 10 of the NOFA file.

Projects must address at least one of the following capacity-building program priorities:

• Individual capacity building: strengthening the skills, resources, and abilities of the applicant's staff and leaders to grow and thrive, thereby furthering their capacity to develop their organizations, including through:
  • Training, mentorship, and skills development of staff or relevant individuals
  • Projects targeting local leaders
• Organizational capacity building: developing plans and implementing strategies in preparation for an entity to expand, create, or improve existing programs or services, including through:
  • Investment in new systems, enhanced technology, platforms, and services to improve organizational efficiency
  • Recruiting staff with relevant expertise and experience
  • Strategic planning processes to advance an entity’s mission and goals
  • Evaluation efforts to demonstrate the impact and validity of a program or service, thereby enabling the organization to sustain and build capacity for growth
  • Restructuring business models and accounting practices to increase financial stability, diversify revenues, promote compliance, and build sustainability
• Community capacity building: identifying strategies that can be replicated in communities that will ultimately galvanize the region toward greater capacity to further economic development, including through:
  • Coalition building, stakeholder engagement, and partnership management
  • Collaborating with other organizations to improve services, improve efficiencies, and eliminate duplication
  • Delivering and sharing tools, resources, and training developed by technical assistance providers and subject matter experts
  • Expansion of best practices and leveraging successful models and strategies for community and economic development

Examples of supported project activities are provided on pages 8-9 of the NOFA file.

End-user beneficiaries of the project are entities that demonstrate low capacity, deliver services that support underserved groups/areas, and are engaged in economic development activities that are aligned to the funding agency's investment priorities. Refer to pages 7-8 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding project beneficiaries.

An optional webinar is scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.

Eligibility is limited to projects that serve and benefit a portion of the Appalachian Region as defined by the Appalachian Region Development Act (ARDA) of 1965, as amended. The Appalachian Region includes certain counties in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and all of West Virginia. Refer to the Eligibility section for details.

Last Updated: October 30, 2024