GIVING THAT IS GROWING AND MAGNIFYING OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT
EXPANDING OUR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY
Local leaders are essential to advancing opportunities and transformative change in our communities. That’s why FAO partners with local affiliate foundation volunteers and other visionary leaders who know their communities best to build for today and the future by growing giving.
In 2022, FAO welcomed three local foundation affiliates from Lawrence, Noble, and Vinton counties to our community of givers and local leaders united by a shared commitment to the future of Appalachian Ohio. Our philanthropic family now includes 14 geographic affiliates and the region-wide African American Community Fund. Every county in Appalachian Ohio is now served by a local foundation – a bold goal established by FAO’s founders 24 years ago.
AMPLIFYING THE IMPACT OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY FUND
In January 2020, the African American Community Fund (ACCF) was founded at FAO with a goal of growing resources dedicated to serving Appalachian Ohio’s African American communities and improving the physical, economic, and structural conditions that affect quality of life.
In its first three years, AACF has grown in its fundraising efforts, community partnerships, and region-wide impact. In 2022, AACF, with support from the AEP Foundation and generous donors and in partnership with FAO’s I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund, awarded 17 grants – more than double the previous year. These grants went to Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits spanning youth mentorship, historic preservation, and economic development.
In November 2022, AACF received an FAO Changemaker Award in recognition and celebration of its work in advancing transformative changes within Appalachian Ohio.
GIVING THAT SPARKED A SUPER BOWL WIN FOR THE JOE BURROW HUNGER RELIEF FUND
What started as a few words from a child of Appalachia turned football superstar has grown into a movement that is filling the most fundamental of human needs in southeastern Ohio.
Joe Burrow’s 2019 Heisman Trophy acceptance speech inspired a nationwide outpouring of generosity to the Athens County Food Pantry, whose board seized the opportunity to maximize those gifts by creating the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund at FAO. Bolstered by the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2022 Super Bowl appearance, the fund has grown to more than $1.65 million, awarded its first grant to another southeastern Ohio food pantry, and was featured in 800-plus news reports – from “NBC Nightly News” and The Washington Post to “Good Morning Columbus.”
In August 2022, the Athens County Food Pantry board received FAO’s inaugural Changemaker Award for its commitment to improving lives and creating lasting change in the region.
Read about the first grant made through the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund.
A SPIRIT OF GIVING IN HIS LIFETIME AND BEYOND
As a college student, Stephen McKean taught in K-12 classrooms in the region. He went on to enjoy a successful writing career and to travel the world, but he never forgot about the children of Appalachian Ohio.
Stephen made monthly online donations to FAO, and when he passed away in 2021, he bestowed $1 million to FAO to use as needed to support transformative programming for the rising generations of Appalachian Ohio. The Stephen McKean Legacy Fund for Appalachian Ohio creates and enriches lifechanging opportunities for the region’s youth.
FAO presented its 2022 Chaddock Philanthropist of the Year Award to Stephen, a quiet champion of the region whose generosity will forever open a world of opportunities to the children of Appalachian Ohio.
To learn how you can make a gift through FAO to ensure that your legacy lives on, please visit our planned giving page or contact us at 740.753.1111.
STEPPING UP TO MATCH A STATE INVESTMENT AND CLOSE THE ‘PHILANTHROPY GAP’
Every gift of time, talent, and treasure made through FAO helps address the “philanthropy gap” that has left Appalachian Ohio with 90 percent fewer charitable dollars per capita than the rest of Ohio.
Since July 1, 2019, our community of givers has donated $32.1 million to FAO and its affiliate foundations, matching more than dollar-for-dollar support from the state aimed at helping to level the playing field for our region. More than 20,000 gifts – of all sizes – have launched 127 new funds and made an immediate and lasting impact on the people and communities in Appalachian Ohio.
Do you want to be a part of building an abundant future for the people of Appalachian Ohio?
Give today to the I’m a Child of Appalachia® Fund. Every gift makes a difference – in ways that can be seen today and will be felt for generations. For information about giving to other FAO funds, establishing your own named fund, or making a planned gift, call FAO at 740.753.1111.
