Just Transition Fund

Since we launched our Federal Access Center, we've helped hard-hit communities impacted by the transition away from coal across the country access critical federal funding. These community led projects are transforming local economies, supporting and training workers, creating jobs, opening businesses, and connecting households to broadband. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/geW7fFpf #JustTransition #CoalCommunities #FederalFunding

As one of our inaugural Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge winners, PLENTY DOORS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION is receiving a $250K grant and customized technical assistance to advance their Apsáalooke Energy Justice Project—an ambitious initiative tackling job loss from the coal transition on the Crow Reservation in Montana. In partnership with Little Big Horn College and Montana State University, this project aims to establish an Indigenous-owned utility company, empower the community with workforce training, and prepare for sustainable energy and housing jobs. This work not only strengthens the workforce and local economy, but positions the Apsáalooke Nation as a potential clean energy leader. 🌱 Stay tuned as Plenty Doors gears up for future federal funding applications at the end of the grant cycle, marking an important step in their journey toward energy justice and community empowerment! Meet the rest of the 2024 CCGR cohort: https://lnkd.in/gZisriHq #JustTransitionFund #CCGR2024 #CoalCommunities #CleanEnergy #IndigenousLeadership

Looking to stay up-to-date with the latest transition news and access webinars, professional development, and opportunities to apply for federal funding for your coal community in transition? Sign up for our monthly newsletter! 🤳💻 ➡ https://lnkd.in/gnMCCJJS #JustTransition #Subscribe

Join us In congratulating six JTF-supported projects who recently won the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)'s Partnerships for Power and Workforce Revitalization (POWER) Initiative, bringing more than $5M to drive economic revitalization in coal communities in Appalachia! Meet the projects we supported: 🔹 Advantage Valley, West Virginia (WV): $1.65M for a business assistance program for manufacturers 🔹 Mon Forest Towns Partnership/Woodland Community Lenders (WV): $1.89M to boost outdoor economies in towns around the Monongahela National Forest 🔹 PLACE Initiative (KY): $50K to test a tool for diversifying coal-dependent economies 🔹 Rural Up/Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky (KY): $1.49M for career pathways in healthcare, tech, and entrepreneurship 🔹 Screen Arts Institute (PA): $400K for a media arts training center 🔹 Tablertown People of Color Museum (OH): $40K for a Heritage Trail plan focused on Black heritage and the Underground Railroad Learn more about these projects and how our Federal Access Center offered support and funding: https://lnkd.in/gcwSP6_M #POWER #FederalFunding #FederalAccessCenter #JustTransition

As one of our Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge winners, Backroads Of Appalachia is transforming the abandoned Evarts High School in Harlan County, Kentucky into an arts community. For the next year, they'll receive customized technical assistance from our team, along with a $250K grant to re-develop existing coal camp cottages into spaces for the creative arts to thrive, while they plan to apply for federal investment at the end of the grant cycle. As part of their project, they're creating videos to document each step in their process. Learn more about their vision in this behind-the scenes video! https://zurl.co/E717 For more details on their project, visit: https://zurl.co/AVCD #CCGR2024 #JustTransition

Our deepest congratulations to JTF grantee Washington County Authority and Executive Director John A. Timney for being recognized as one of the top municipal authorities in the country for fiber deployment at Broadband Nation's October award ceremony! #Broadband

We're supporting two projects in coal-impacted communities in their applications to the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Good Jobs Challenge! 👏 With this program, the EDA plans to make 5-8 awards totaling $25M to support regional workforce training systems. We're supporting projects led by Maine Technology Institute and Maine Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub, and National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM), a member of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. Learn more about our support and how they plan to train and place workers in good paying jobs: https://lnkd.in/g9NP29M6 #FederalFunding #JustTransition

Coal communities in transition need deep and steady investments to ensure workers and community members can thrive with good-paying jobs, expanded workforces, advanced infrastructure, and sustained economies. #JustTransition

The final day of our Convening has come and gone - and we're feeling so thankful for this community and for everyone who spent the last three days with us! Day 3 kicked off with a panel on workforce models within economic development featuring Phil Smith from United Mine Workers of America, Scott Satterlee of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and Suzanne Singer of Native Renewables Inc, moderated by Alecia N. Allen, MA LPC NCC of KYFC KEEP YOUR FAITH CORPORATION. We heard from experts on state transition policy from Wade Buchanan of Colorado Office of Just Transition, Kayla Lucero-Matteucci from New Mexico Economic Development Department, and Johnathan Smith of Michigan Department of Labor & Community & Worker Economic Transition Office, moderated by Deborah Philbrick of MacArthur Foundation. After lunch, our concurrent sessions took our attendees to different rooms for the chance to dive deeper on topics of their choosing. This year's options included community benefits planning with Pennsylvania experts Daniel Rossi-Keen, PhD from Riverwise, Tim Fitchett of Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, Alec Jarvis of Swift Current Energy, and Brad Clark of Eden Renewables, moderated by Melanie Santiago-Mosier of The Nature Conservancy; effective approaches to entrepreneurship featuring Noah Wilson of Mountain BizWorks, Dana Miller of Gillette College Foundation, Adam Zimmer of The Peoples Partners for Community Development, moderated by Dell Gines of International Economic Development Council; overcoming basic infrastructure challenges with Rowena Cheromiah of Navajo Nation - Minerals Department, Scott McReynolds of Housing Development Alliance, Aaron McCall of South Central Alabama Broadband Cooperative District, moderated by Jon Quinn of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; and planning for plant closures with Jade Powell of Southeastern Regional Development Agency, Vonda Ulfig of American Electric Power, Tamara Lowney (Benson) of Itasca Economic Development Corporation, moderated by Emily Carlson of Central Appalachian Network. We wrapped this year's event with a closing plenary focusing on what's ahead and how communities can create a bold vision for the future of their local economies. This panel was moderated by Brandon Dennison of Marshall University and featured remarks from Dan Conant of Solar Holler, Wahleah Johns of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) - Office of Indian Energy Programs and Policy, and Andre Brumfield of Gensler. Our deepest thanks and appreciation to everyone who made the trip to D.C. for this year's Convening and for all of our fantastic speakers, panelists, and moderators for contributing to important discussions about the future of a just transition. #JTFConvening2024

Day 2 of our National Convening was filled with energy and inspiration as we explored key policy and community development issues in rural and Tribal America. 👏 Building on the momentum of Day 1, our attendees and panelists jumped into the big conversations, tackling pressing questions and collaborating on bold solutions to advance a just transition. We started our day with relationship building activities, followed by our featured main-stage storytellers coached by Lea Thau to share deeply moving and personal experiences of their lives and work in coal country. Our deepest thanks to the bravery of Charlene Y Johnson of PLENTY DOORS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Erika Yarber of Wind River Development Fund, Don Hickman of Initiative Foundation, and Erik Hubbard of Backroads Of Appalachia! Our afternoon panels started with an opening plenary of what to expect from the year ahead, including challenges, what's working, and where we go from here with Tribal and community experts Bidtah Becker of the Navajo Nation, Jason Walsh of BlueGreen Alliance, Sherene Hess of Indiana County, PA, and Peter Hille of Mountain Association, moderated by Heidi Binko, JTF Co-Founder and CEO. Placed-Based economic development experts Colby Hall from Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR), Alex Weld from Generation West Virginia, Debbie Phillips of Rural Action, moderated by Rohan Sandhu of Reimagining the Economy Project, Harvard Kennedy School, took the stage to talk about best practices when it comes to developing local economies in rural America. The final panel of the day focused on federal transition policies and how, with our current political uncertainty, we can continue to prioritize supporting rural and Tribal community-led development, and featured Brian Anderson of EnergyCommunities, Randi Reed of Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid (KDCR Partners) and Patrick Hayes from the Office of Senator John Hickenlooper, moderated by Ines Polonius of Communities Unlimited. We closed out with federal agency roundtables where our attendees had the chance to sit with federal staff to share feedback and ask questions related to accessing dollars within that program. Stay tuned to see highlights from our final day! #JTFConvening2024