Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc
The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc is a public charity based in Hazard, Kentucky, formed in 2002. It describes its work as supporting Appalachian Kentucky communities through collaboration, asset building, and leadership development, with a geographic focus that includes the 54 counties designated as Appalachian Kentucky by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Key facts about Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc
In short: Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc gave $3.5M across 90 grants in 2024 (avg $39K), mostly in Kentucky. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 61-1329396
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,496,933
- Grants made (2024)
- 90
- Average grant
- $38,855
- Median grant
- $12,586
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (49 of 90, 2024)
- Total assets
- $33,062,397
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (84% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$33.1M
+4.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.5M
-25.5% YoY
Grant Count
90
+28.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$39K
-42.1% YoY
Is Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 49 of 90 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $66K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
In its 2024 filing, the Foundation states its mission is “to be a catalyst for community collaboration and charitable giving” and to create permanent endowment funds as a sustaining resource to improve quality of life and place in eastern Kentucky. Its website describes its mission as empowering Appalachian Kentucky communities to thrive through collaboration, asset building, and leadership development.
The Foundation’s 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. For example, Appalachian Service Project describes its mission as addressing housing needs in Central Appalachia, while Frontier Housing says it works on affordable housing in Appalachian communities. Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky says it provides legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable people and families in eastern and south-central Kentucky. FaithLife Ministries describes work connecting people affected by substance use disorder and poverty with social enterprises and programming. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 90 grants totaling $3,496,933. Grant amounts ranged from $5,250 to $1,544,071, with a median grant of $12,586. Kentucky recipients received 84% of grant dollars; other reported recipient states included Tennessee (7%), West Virginia (2%), North Carolina (2%), and Illinois (1%).
The largest reported grant was $1,544,071 to Appalachian Community Development Core Inc in Hazard, Kentucky. The grantee describes its mission as providing supportive services to the Foundation’s operations. Other notable grants included $201,600 to Appalachia Service Project, $158,000 to Frontier Housing, $60,000 to Oakdale Christian Academy, $51,000 to Teach For America Appalachia, and $50,536 to Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky.
The Foundation’s website describes several grant opportunities. Its Civic Experiment Grant Program supports community-based civic engagement and experimentation projects across Appalachian Kentucky; the program awarded $90,000 to 13 organizations and projects in March 2026. The L.I.F.T. Fund provides matching grants of $5,000 to $50,000 for Eastern Kentucky organizations and municipalities applying for state or federal funding in areas including workforce and economic development, housing, renewable energy, broadband, and arts and culture.
The Foundation’s grant portal requires applicants to create an account before viewing available grants. Its website also provides instructions for individual applicants, including those applying for disaster relief. The Thompson Charitable Regranting Program’s 2026 application period was April 15 through May 31, 2026, and is past.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc
Appalachian Kentucky Civic Experiment Grant
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc
Amount
US $5,000 - US $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bonita Compton Scholarship
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Civic Experiment Grant Program
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation says it serves the 54 Appalachian Kentucky counties designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Its regional-impact information also describes 12 affiliates serving 20 counties: Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Clinton, Estill, Floyd, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Menifee, Perry, Pike, Powell, Whitley, and Wolfe.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 90 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $950K (2021) to $4.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 90 grants totaling $3.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Appalachian Community Development Core Inc ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
403 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 355 grants of 403 (88%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Community Development Core Inc Hazard, KY | To further the exempt purpose of the organization | $1,544,071 |
| Appalachia Service Project Johnson City, TN | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $201,600 |
| Frontier Housing Inc Morehead, KY | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $158,000 |
| Oakdale Christian Academy Jackson, KY | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $60,000 |
| Teach For America Appalachia Chicago, IL | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $51,000 |
| Appalachian Research & Defense Fund of Kentucky (AppalReD) Prestonsburg, KY | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $50,536 |
| The Marshall University Foundation Huntington, WV | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $50,000 |
| Lowe's Home Improvement Store #1819 Hazard, KY | disaster relief | $46,711 |
| City of Albany Albany, KY | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $40,000 |
| Concerned Letcher Countians LLC Whitesburg, KY | to further the exempt of purpose of the organization | $40,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $29,222,874 | $20,144,039 | $13,843,338 | $4,868,925 |
| 2023 | $31,549,275 | $11,777,632 | $10,585,653 | $4,696,453 |
| 2024 | $33,062,397 | $8,397,592 | $9,139,705 | $3,496,933 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $33,062,397 | $31,549,275 | $29,222,874 |
| Revenue | $8,397,592 | $11,777,632 | $20,144,039 |
| Expenses | $9,139,705 | $10,585,653 | $13,843,338 |
| Net Investment Income | $805,827 | $598,044 | $287,460 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kristin Collins as Executive Director; Kathy Atkins as Chair; Cory Chesnut as Treasurer; Keith Gabbard as Vice Chair; and Janet Smith as Secretary. It also lists Danny Maggard, Randy Craft, Simon Christon, and Ketaki Bhattacharyya as directors.
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc is led by Kristin Collins, Executive Director on the 2024 filing; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kristin Collins
Executive Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$87K (2024)
Kathy Atkins
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danny Maggard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Casey Michalovic
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Danielle Bocook
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ketaki Bhattacharyya
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Randy Craft
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Simon Christon
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cory Chesnut
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janet Smith
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Gabbard
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa
Bond
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Gerry Roll (2020–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Alison F Davis (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Crissy Fiscus (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Joel Brashear (2020–2022) — Chair
- Former: Josh Howard (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Maria Braman (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Haley McCoy (2022) — Director
- Former: Ellen Williams (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Rodney Chrisman (2020–2021) — Vice Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $87K, to Kristin Collins (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 420 Main Street, Hazard, KY 41701
Phone: (606) 439-1357
Website: https://appalachianky.org
Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc
How much does Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc give each year?
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc gave $3.5M across 90 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $4.7M across 70 grants.
What is Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc's typical grant size?
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc's median grant in 2024 was $12,586, and its average grant was $38,855, across 90 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc that year got $16K on average.
Where does Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc give grants?
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Hazard, KY (15 grants), Pikeville, KY (15 grants), Prestonsburg, KY (7 grants) and Whitesburg, KY (6 grants).
Who are Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc's largest grantees?
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Appalachian Community Development Core Inc ($1,544,071), Appalachia Service Project ($201,600) and Frontier Housing Inc ($158,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc?
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc reported $33.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.4M.
What does Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc fund?
In its 2024 filing, the Foundation states its mission is “to be a catalyst for community collaboration and charitable giving” and to create permanent endowment funds as a sustaining resource to improve quality of life and place in eastern Kentucky. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc?
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check appalachianky.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc's EIN?
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1329396. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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