The Appalachia Funders Network  A Road Map

For questions, please contact Thomas Watson, Network Coordinator, at Appalachiafundersnetwork@gmail.com / 828-423-7325

The Appalachia Funders Network is a group of public and private grant-makers who envision an entrepreneurial-based Appalachian economy that provides opportunity for all while sustaining the environmental and cultural assets of our region. Members of the Network have come together, in this time of economic, social, political, and environmental transition in Appalachia to: § Learn and share information about promising development ideas, projects and efforts, § Deepen our collective analysis and understanding of entrepreneurial-based economic

development issues, challenges and opportunities within Appalachia, § Build trusting and meaningful relationships among Appalachia-focused grant-makers, and § Discover new and innovative ways of working together for the purpose of accelerating the

economic transition of Central Appalachia.

Our work is focused in Central Appalachia, the region we define as the Appalachian counties of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. We believe that the current convergence of economic innovation, federal policy initiatives, expanded regional capacity, and regional and national funder interest offers unprecedented opportunities to: § Deepen the impact and expand the scale of promising economic transition efforts, § Develop and grow innovative approaches to building and growing wealth within the region, and § Leverage existing resources to increase outside investment in Appalachia's economic recovery.

During the recent Network Gathering in Charleston, WV, over 45 grant-makers representing approximately 35 organizations spent significant time thinking about the role and work of the Appalachia Funders Network. The ideas generated from this Gathering were utilized to develop the below vision and plan of action for our collective work. The release of this document is a direct response to a mandate from Network members to produce a road map for our work ahead. With that mandate in mind, the Steering Committee would like to offer the following interconnected set of goals, indicators of progress, and concrete action steps for the Appalachia Funders Network.

The Appalachia Funders Network Steering Committee is comprised of the following members:

Becky Ceperley, Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation; Ray Daffner, Appalachian Regional

Commission; Wayne Fawbush, Ford Foundation; Terry Holley, East Tennessee Foundation; Stefan Jirka, Blue Moon Fund; Mary Hunt-Lieving, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation;

Sandra Mikush, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation

The Appalachia Funders Network  A Road Map

For questions, please contact Thomas Watson, Network Coordinator, at Appalachiafundersnetwork@gmail.com / 828-423-7325

Goal I Members of the Appalachia Funders Network are well-connected to those who share similar

interests and priorities. 12-month indicators of progress: § Individual Network members possess a deeper understanding of the focus, priorities and

strategies of other grant-makers within the Network. § Network members have clear opportunities to collaborate.

Over the next 12 months, the Network will: § Conduct appreciative inquiry interviews with Network members to identify the purpose,

interests, priorities, programs, capacities, skills, expertise, and assets within the Network. *

§ Utilize the appreciative inquiry data to create a map of the individual organizational assets and self-interests among network members.

§ Identify convergence points across the appreciative inquiry data to help connect Network members who share common interest and priorities.

§ Build on the existing Network website to create a confidential, web-based communication and collaboration tool for funders to exchange information, align resources and targets, and identify common interests.

§ Host the 2012 Network Gathering § Utilize 2012 Network Gathering to intentionally connect grant-makers with similar interest and

priorities.

Goal II Grant-makers within the Network have a common analysis, shared vision, and collectively defined investment targets for accelerating the economic transition of Central Appalachia.

12-month indicators of progress: § Network members have developed a common analysis of the entrepreneurial opportunities and

challenges within promising economic development sectors including food systems, energy efficiency and green jobs, health, and others.

§ Network members have begun to develop a shared understanding of key investment targets for accelerating the economic transition of Appalachia.

Over the next 12 months, the Network will: § Facilitate the development of existing Network Working Groups including:

o Entrepreneurship o Food Systems *

§ Explore the possible formation of additional Working Groups (i.e. energy efficiency and green jobs, health) and/or the development of other yet-to-be-defined member engagement structures or initiatives.

§ Organize up to three peer learning exchanges between development practitioners and grant-makers, as defined by Network Working Groups.

The Appalachia Funders Network  A Road Map

For questions, please contact Thomas Watson, Network Coordinator, at Appalachiafundersnetwork@gmail.com / 828-423-7325

Goal III Network members are collaborating across sectors (i.e. nonprofit, business, local, state and federal government) to leverage additional investments in entrepreneurial-based activities

within Central Appalachia. 12-month indicators of progress: § The number of new relationships, strategic linkages and/or partnerships formed between

Network members and representatives of the public and private sectors. § The number of federal and business sector grant-makers actively engaged in Network activities. Over the next 12 months, the Network will: § Conduct targeted outreach to Federal and business sector grant-makers. § Explore linkages and potential partnerships between the Network and existing Federal

initiatives including Startup America & the White House Rural Council. * § Document at least three cross-sector partnership success stories and lessons learned. § Host at least 3 participatory learning sessions related to building cross-sector partnerships;

possible learning topics include: o Wealth Creation in Rural Areas o Value chain development o Working with the business sector to promote social and economic change * o Collective impact networks

Goal IV

Through participation in the Appalachia Funders Network, Grant-makers are effectively working together across our region to deepen the impact and expand the scale of promising

entrepreneurial-based economic development efforts. 12-month indicators of progress: § A low-cost, funder driven Network is doing an effective job of coordinating and facilitating the

implementation of the Network Road Map. § The Network has clearly defined internal policies, processes and procedures. Over the next 12 months, the Network will: § Carry out the activities defined in the Network Road Map. § Communicate quarterly implementation plans to Network Members. § Create and implement a measurement plan to capture the results and lessons of the

Network. * § Develop a public web-page to help facilitate connections with non-Network members. * § Clarify the values, mission and vision of the Network. § Define Network membership criteria and responsibilities. § Develop a 2-year budget and funding plan to support Network activities. § Clarify roles and responsibilities of the Network Coordinator and Steering Committee.

*Please note that within each goal, the bold text represents the immediate action steps that are currently underway.