The Just Transition Fund (JTF), a national philanthropic initiative dedicated to supporting economic transitions in coal communities, is thrilled to announce the winners of its inaugural ‘Coal Communities Get Ready!’ Challenge. This initiative aims to empower organizations in coal-impacted areas to develop innovative ideas and build the capacity to access federal funds for economic revitalization.
The 12 winning organizations, located across the United States, will receive a one-year award valued at $250,000. This includes grants for capacity building and customized technical assistance, designed to help them prepare for applying for complex federal funding opportunities by the end of the grant period.
“Local leaders in coal communities have ambitious visions for transforming their economies. However, they often lack the necessary resources and expertise to turn these ideas into reality and scale them up,” explained Heidi Binko, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Just Transition Fund. “The ‘Coal Communities Get Ready!’ Challenge was created to bridge this gap by providing the essential capacity building and technical support needed to develop the next generation of community-led projects that have the potential to spark economic revitalization.”
The JTF prioritized funding projects that demonstrate the potential to generate significant economic impact, achieve measurable outcomes, and serve as models for other communities undergoing similar transitions. The funded projects are focused on building towards federal investment by addressing various key areas, including:
* Connecting rural and urban markets
* Stimulating entrepreneurship
* Training workers for careers in the new economy
* Planning for transition during plant or mine closures
The 2024 ‘Coal Communities Get Ready!’ Challenge Cohort Winners include:
*
Allamakee Energy District (Iowa):
This organization will pilot a technical assistance program to reduce energy costs for households and businesses, while also training workers to address energy-related infrastructure throughout the county. The goal is to boost economic vitality, reduce housing costs, and support business activities in Allamakee County following the closure of the Lansing Generating Station.*
Backroads of Appalachia (Kentucky):
Backroads of Appalachia is leading the revitalization of the former Evarts High School, transforming it into an arts hub. They will redevelop existing coal camp cottages into spaces for the creative arts to thrive, aiming to drive community renewal.*
Boom KY (Kentucky):
Boom KY is partnering with school districts in Eastern Kentucky to implement technology training and develop Boom GPT, an AI-driven entrepreneurship program to foster tech-based economic growth.*
City of Becker (Minnesota):
The City of Becker is developing a hybrid business accelerator and education training center to support new business growth and innovation as the city transitions with the planned closure of the Sherburne County Generating Station.*
Center for Community Growth (Pennsylvania):
In partnership with W.H.O.L.E. Unity, the Center for Community Growth is launching “Indiana County Thrives,” a community-driven initiative to identify and develop economic and workforce opportunities following the closure of the Homer City Generating Station.*
Gillette College Foundation (Wyoming):
In partnership with The Gillette College Foundation Office of Economic Transition and the University of Wyoming, the Gillette College Foundation will establish an entrepreneurial ecosystem to nurture entrepreneurship for a more diverse economy. This will be achieved through educational programs, meetups and mentoring services, entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) support, grant funding support, internships, and hackathons, in northeastern Wyoming amid a declining coal market.*
Itasca Economic Development Corporation (Minnesota):
The Itasca Economic Development Corporation is leading a planning and development project to engage the community in co-creating a diversified economic future as it prepares for the Boswell Energy Center’s closure, supporting development in tourism, manufacturing, innovation, and education.*
Keep Your Faith Corporation (West Virginia):
Keep Your Faith Corporation is developing a culturally competent workforce model that addresses the unique needs of diverse rural communities through behavioral health services, skill development, and workforce readiness programming, creating a resilient and sustainable workforce for a strengthening economy in West Charleston.*
New Roots Community Farm (West Virginia):
New Roots Community Farm is redeveloping an abandoned two-acre farmhouse site located on their 82-acre community farm into a convening space called the New River Gorge Agriculture and Culinary Center. This will provide small farms and food businesses with access to consistent sales channels and fill a gap in the local food market by sourcing products from regional producers, while also supporting the community’s health outcomes and bolstering the growing tourism and outdoor recreation industries in the region.*
Plenty Doors Development Corporation (Montana):
The Plenty Doors Development Corporation is launching the Apsáalooke Energy Justice Project in partnership with Little Big Horn College and Montana State University to develop an Indigenous-owned utility company and train workers in sustainable energy and housing development on the Crow Reservation in Montana.*
RiverWise (Pennsylvania):
RiverWise’s Rural Innovation through Solar Empowerment (RISE) Project aims to revolutionize solar energy access in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, by supporting rural energy ventures and developing a Solar Justice40 Toolkit for community use.*
Routt County, CO (Colorado):
In collaboration with the Northwest Colorado Development Council, Routt County, Colorado will establish a Rural Innovation Center to drive sustainable economic development and entrepreneurial assistance programs in response to coal mine closures in the region.More than 70 organizations applied to participate in the inaugural cohort, with 12 winners selected. Eligible organizations included 501(c)3 organizations, local, county, and Tribal governments in coal-affected areas, that have little or no experience applying for federal funding, with priority given to community-based organizations in areas experiencing the greatest economic distress.
The Just Transition Fund operates as a hybrid initiative, serving as both a grantmaker and a catalyst for change. Through its Federal Access Center, the JTF assists coal communities in overcoming obstacles to accessing significant federal funding opportunities, which in turn empowers them to strengthen and diversify their local economies.
The Just Transition Fund (JTF) was established in 2015 to help communities secure funding through the Obama administration’s POWER Initiative, the first federal program designed to assist communities impacted by the evolving coal economy. Since then, the JTF has expanded its approach to catalyze and support the national just transition movement more broadly, while continuing to help more communities tap into a growing number of federal funding opportunities. The JTF has developed a proven model that utilizes complementary grantmaking, technical assistance, and field-strengthening strategies, all grounded in the belief that the most sustainable solutions are born from local leadership and built from the bottom up.
To learn more about the Just Transition Fund and their work, visit justtransitionfund.org or follow them on X and LinkedIn.
