Donor Spotlight

Donor Spotlight

Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary | Generosity rooted in pride, remembrance, dedication to home

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Grant Opportunities

The Edge of Appalachia – Adams County Fund is awarding grants and scholarships to Adams County residents and organizations working to improve quality of life in their communities. Applications should be submitted by Wednesday, Dec. 20, for primary consideration. Additional information and the applications are available here.

Sign up for FAO’s e-newsletter and Like us on Facebook to be notified when grant application periods open.

The Foundation offers the following grant programs at other times of the year:

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio’s 14 geographic affiliates and the region-wide African American Community Fund accept grant applications annually. 

Funding is available for nonprofits, schools, and public organizations serving Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry, and Vinton counties, as well as Nelsonville and the surrounding communities of Buchtel, Carbon Hill, and Murray City. The African American Community Fund is accepting grant applications and capacity-building funding requests from Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit and public organizations across Appalachian Ohio’s 32 counties.

Grants will be awarded to projects and programs focusing on five areas essential to creating and sustaining transformative change in Appalachian Ohio: arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environmental stewardship, and health and human services. Emphasis is on supporting individuals of all ages who are spearheading efforts that create opportunities, meet pressing needs, and unleash the potential of local communities and the Appalachian Ohio region. Applications that support youth-led projects are encouraged as well.

Additional information and the applications are available on each affiliate’s webpage:

African American Community Fund

Community Foundation for Perry County

Gallia Community Foundation

Guernsey County Foundation

Harrison County Community Foundation

Highland County Community Fund

Hocking County Community Fund

Jackson County Community Foundation

Lawrence County Community Foundation

Meigs County Foundation

Monroe County Community Foundation

Morgan Community Fund

Nelsonville Community Foundation

Noble County Community Foundation

Vinton County Community Fund


The Husky Education Fund supports educational activities of the Harrison Hills City School District. This Fund ensures permanent resources for programs and activities that enhance and enrich the educational experience of students and teachers. Email completed applications to rhawk@ffao.org with “Husky Education Fund” in the subject line. Or mail to: Husky Education Fund, Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Attn: Rochelle Hawk, PO Box 456, Nelsonville, OH 45764. For more information, contact FAO at 740.753.1111.  2023 applications are closed.


The Southern Perry County Academic Endowment Fund supports programs throughout Southern Perry County that positively impact the community by promoting academic excellence and opportunities for educational enrichment. These grants have been used to fund a variety of programs in the past, including historical preservation, community arts and culture programming, and classroom enrichment activities and resources. 


The Civics Education Grant application is open to public educators and nonprofit service providers. Educating and equipping strong citizens is essential to strong communities and a strong democracy. That’s why the Longaberger Family Foundation and the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio are offering grants to K-12 public educators and nonprofit service providers. Projects should encourage students to acquire a broad, deep knowledge base in subjects integral to robust citizenship, forge positive relationships with the self and wider-world, and work to analyze different views to feel empowered to participate in civic life.


The Michele L. Hart Legacy Fund grant application is open for projects in Vinton County. Nonprofit and public organizations serving Vinton County are invited to apply with a special emphasis on projects and programs directly supporting individuals in the areas of healthcare, domestic violence, and higher education. Grant requests between $500 and $1,000 will be considered.

The Fund is in memory of the late Michele L. Hart. Hart’s sister, Rebecca “Becky”, established the Fund to support those areas close to Michele’s heart. Becky shared her family’s desire to help people in Vinton County. It was this passion that led her to create a fund to honor her late sister by helping Vinton County residents and making resources available to all.


The Gulfport Energy Fund‘s grant applications are open to nonprofit and public organizations for projects serving Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, and Noble counties. The Fund hosts two annual grant rounds, supporting education projects in the spring and environmental stewardship and health & human services projects in the fall. Grant awards typically range from $1,500 to $5,000 though grant requests of up to $10,000 may be considered. Click here for more information.


The Dale Hileman Legacy Fund supports public and nonprofit organizations working to promote economic growth within the 16 counties served by Eastern Ohio Development Alliance: Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Tuscarawas, and Washington counties.


The Donald R. Myers Legacy Fund to Support Partnership in Appalachian Ohio supports projects and activities of nonprofit and public organizations in the 32 Appalachian counties in Ohio. Projects should improve quality of life with an emphasis on education, regional networking opportunities, support for community leaders, and fulfillment of basic needs.


The Coshocton County Connectivity Fund supports nonprofit and public organizations whose projects use internet connectivity to improve quality of life in Coshocton County. 


The Perry County Connectivity Fund supports nonprofit and public organizations whose projects use internet connectivity to improve quality of life in Perry County. 


The Max Conner Memorial Fund supports an annual grant round that promotes academic excellence and classroom enrichment for students in the Nelsonville-York School District. Funding will support projects taking place during the school year, with mini grants typically ranging in size from $100 to $500. Any employee or student of the Nelsonville-York School District is eligible to apply. 


The Southwestern Energy STEM Education Fund supports STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) educational activities in K-12 classrooms and schools in Guernsey and Monroe Counties by offering mini-grants to public school districts and educators.


The Logan-Holl Foundation Fund provides grants for projects that benefit the City of Logan and Hocking County, Ohio. The Trustees meet twice a year in June and December. Grants open in January. 

If you have any questions regarding FAO’s grant programs, or if you would like to share information about a potential grant project, please contact us at 740.753.1111.