History

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio: Growing Home

In Ohio, the recognition of the philanthropy "gap" in the state's poorest rural communities spurred an unprecendented commitment of public and private dollars to jumpstart the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio in 1999.  Appalachian Ohio's 32-county region is home to 12 percent of the state's population but holds less than 2 percent of the state's charitable assets.  As a result, Appalachian Ohio has far fewer grant dollars invested in and leveraged for its communities compared to the state as a whole.

A broad-based group of leaders led the way in the creation of the Foundation.  Private dollars were generated from individual donors, and multiple private and family foundations in Ohio and nationally to match a $1 million grant from the state of Ohio. The Governor's Office of Appalachia and the Appalachian Regional Commission also made substantial investments.

Since then, the Foundation has attracted national support and recognition for its unique mission in serving the often overlooked Appalachian area of Southeast Ohio. In 2006, FAO was confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. community foundations by the Council on Foundations.

The Council also recognized the Foundation's ground-breaking I'm a Child of Appalachia® campaign to promote access to education in Appalachian Ohio with a silver 2007 Wilmer Shields Rich Award for Excellence in Communication, public policy category.

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio continues to depend on private and public donors to fund its mission to improve quality of life in the region. FAO strives to reach this goal by investing in the future of Appalachian Ohio through grants and scholarships that increase access to opportunity for families.

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