Empowering Appalachia
means investing in equitable, socially-responsible ways to support our communities.
Projects engage local residents in collaborative art-making and advocacy work to identify and address the unmet needs of our communities..
Our Mission is to lead, coordinate, and support community engaged programs and initiatives focused on art, culture, and advocacy.
Each project pays local artists and creatives for work, purchases supplies from small businesses, and transforms at-risk and underserved areas of our community into places of impact and opportunity.
and we’re putting our money where our mouth is.
Who we trust
We’re proud to work with local businesses and organizations that act in the presence of injustice and adversity.
To help #empowerappalachia please consider supporting one of these incredible organizations.
BreakerOne9
Custom curated SWAGBOXES for fleet owners and business owners who want to give back to their teams and customers.
Southern Ohio Folklife
Supporting, documenting & networking folklife
in Southern Ohio.
Watch Me Grow Ohio
Providing access to fresh, healthy foods in at-risk areas and free programs in sustainable agriculture, environmental awareness, and community engagement.
Scioto Literary
Supports area writers and storytellers, celebrating the distinctive cultures of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and sharing compelling stories about Central Appalachia with the world.
Scioto Connect
Connecting individuals to treatment and harm reduction resources in Southern Ohio.
Portsmouth Welcoming Community
Community of Christ
Upholding and restoring the worth of all people individually and in community, challenging unjust systems that diminish human worth.
Waymakers Collective
Radical grantmakers in the heart of Appalachia, sustaining community organizations led by Black, Indigenous and People of Color, young people, LGBTQ folks, non-English speakers, new immigrants, and those unlikely to get mainstream funding.
14th Street Community Center
Historically a Black institution, the 14th Street Community Center uses educational, wellness, and social programs to foster creativity, equity, and inclusion for all.
Portsmouth Street Art Project
Public graffiti and street art collective in Portsmouth, Ohio.
WesBanco
Money doesn’t make you wealthy. Understanding it does. Impacting communities through Strategic Partnerships and Investment.
Time Out For Me Inc.
Enhancing the self-esteem, self-image, and confidence of youth through effective communication and goal-setting.
Appalachian Queer Film Festival
Promoting Queer film and filmmakers across the world, offering Queer content to the underserved Appalachian region, and discovering and amplifying Queer artists in the Appalachian region.
Ohio Arts Council
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.
Porch Beers Zine
Zine looking at pop culture through a queer and Appalachian lens.
What people are saying
“Artistic expression is so important to our mental health, self-esteem, and feeling of belonging. The projects you have planned for our children and families are going to build community and relationships throughout the neighborhood.”
— Sarah Sloan, Community Action Organization of Scioto County, Inc.