Highlands Creative Economy Initiative
Funding Amount
$197,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Overview
Funding Source: Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation ($197,000 awarded in 2023)
Geographic Scope: All 18 counties within the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area
Partners:
- Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA)
- Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College (Eastern)
Purpose: Enhance cultural heritage, natural, and human assets to grow tourism and benefit rural communities through regional collaboration
Program Components:
- Monthly networking meetings for tourism-related organizations
- Training events and workshops
- Annual Tourism Summit
- Focus on identifying and developing best practices for regional attractions
- Promotion of AFNHA as a wider tourist destination
Meeting Schedule: 4th Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom
Audience: County tourism leaders, local businesses, and tourism organizations
Background: Initially supported by a major Benedum Foundation grant in 2021, this program expanded the Potomac Highlands Creative Economy group to include all 18 AFNHA counties to grow partnerships and networking opportunities
Contact:
- Address: PO Box 1206, Elkins, WV 26241
- Phone: (304) 636-6182
- Email: afnha@afnha.org
What Appalachian Forest Heritage Area Inc actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2024
- Grants in 2024
- 12
- Total given
- $101K
- Median grant
- $8,941
- Range
- $5,421–$14K
- By dollars: West Virginia 77%, Maryland 23%. Top recipient cities: Elkins, WV; Frostburg, MD; Mathia, WV.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Example grants
Evergreen Heritage Center Foundation Inc · Frostburg, MD
The purpose of this project is to develop displays and interpretive signage for an…
$14K
Hardy County Convention and Visitors Bureau · Mathia, WV
Working with designers, installers, a writer, and continuing our work with consultants…
$10K
High Rocks Educational Corporation · Hillsboro, WV
We need to restore and repair two buildings on Historic Main Street. We are seeking…
$10K
Passages of the W Potomac Heritage Area · Cumberland, MD
The PWPHA would like to add augmented reality sites to the app. These sites would all…
$10K
Woodlands Development Group · Elkins, WV
The rehabilitated Tygart Hotel will have it's walls covered with original art created…
$10K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Travel and tourism
- Community development
- Arts
Categories
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