Running a small business comes with daily challenges, but few owners stop to think about what would happen if they were no longer able to run their company or if a disaster strikes – from a fire to a flood. Estate planning and disaster preparedness are essential for safeguarding your business, protecting your employees, and […] The post Estate and Disaster Planning for Small Businesses appeared first on Mountain Association.| Mountain Association
In the heart of Eastern Kentucky’s coalfields, a small church in Fleming-Neon has a long history of finding a way, even in hard times. During the Great Depression, in 1938, a small group of community members in Neon heard about a church for sale in nearby Pike County. Piece by piece, they took down the […] The post Saving Grace and Energy in Neon, Kentucky appeared first on Mountain Association.| Mountain Association
For nearly five decades, Sensei Dan McCaslin has been teaching martial arts to students of all ages—some just four years old and others well into their seventies. At the Richmond School of Karate, he has built a community where confidence grows and discipline is learned through a mix of fun and structure. Classes are tailored […] The post Brightening the Dojo: Energy Savings at the Richmond School of Karate appeared first on Mountain Association.| Mountain Association
Kentucky Power recently announced new incentives to help customers make energy savings upgrades. The incentives differ based on residential or commercial accounts. In this quick blog, we share a few highlights of the program. Homeowners Kentucky Power’s EnergyAdvantage at Home program provides a free visit from an Energy Advisor who will install energy saving measures […]| Mountain Association
On July 7, 2022, Mountain Association purchased a three-story building at 479 Main Street in downtown Hazard, Kentucky. We were inspired to purchase the building given the substantial downtown revitalization progress made in Hazard over the past decade. InVision Hazard, a citizen-led revitalization group founded with Mountain Association support in 2014, has led much of […]| Mountain Association
Across Eastern Kentucky an impactful movement is gaining momentum: the fight against downtown vacancy and blight. Towns are enacting vacancy ordinances to hold property owners accountable, revitalize struggling business districts, and protect neighborhood character. These policies are helping communities turn once-neglected buildings into productive spaces, proving that small towns can take meaningful steps to strengthen […]| Mountain Association
Mountain Association has been working for more than four decades to support a just economic transition in eastern Kentucky and Appalachia.| Mountain Association
For six decades, the KCEOC Community Action Partnership has been at the forefront of fighting poverty in Eastern Kentucky. Originally founded in 1964 to serve Knox County, it was among the first 23 community action agencies established through President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Today, KCEOC has programs spanning the Cumberland Valley Region, and […]| Mountain Association
The Public Service Commission in Frankfort is currently accepting public comments for a case filed by Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas & Electric. This case is a Certificate of Public Necessity and Convenience (CPCN), which means the utilities are asking permission to invest $3.7 billion in new gas generation plants. The Public Service Commission must […]| Mountain Association
The Mountain Association works closely with communities in Eastern Kentucky to support projects that move their community forward. Communities in Eastern Kentucky know best what the gaps are in their local economy. We can help design unique and place-based interventions in economic sectors that fill gaps and demonstrate what’s possible in the region’s new economy. […]| Mountain Association
In Ashland, Kentucky, a small business is offering something rare in rural Appalachia: a space for holistic spiritual healing. Spiritual So Simple, founded by Sydney Stewart, offers intuitive readings, energy work, as well as specialty products. As a professional psychic medium and paranormal consultant, Sydney is making metaphysical support more accessible in a region where […]| Mountain Association
Press releases, new staff announcements, if we get a large grant or award we’d like to publicize, sharing media stories in which we were mentioned or interviewed| Mountain Association
In the coalfields of Martin County in Eastern Kentucky, where mining once shaped both the land and the economy, a new initiative is getting off the ground. As the coal industry declined, it left vast tracts of land deforested, compacted and covered in invasive species. Renew Appalachia, a project spanning 7,000 acres of former mine […] The post Rewilding 7,000 Acres of Eastern Kentucky’s Mined Land appeared first on Mountain Association.| Mountain Association
We recently worked with several churches on finding ways to save on their bills. We developed this guide to walk them through making decisions around efficiency upgrades. We are happy to assist any church within the 54 Appalachian Kentucky counties with specific questions! The post Energy Savings Guide for Churches appeared first on Mountain Association.| Mountain Association
By any measure, the economy of Eastern Kentucky and the wider Appalachian region is struggling. The collapse of the coal industry, the opioid crisis, and the recurring natural disasters have left scars that are slow to heal. Families and individual households trying to make ends meet rely on an array of federal assistance. Recently, there […]| Mountain Association
Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities are anticipating a huge increase in the amount of electricity they will need to produce over the next 15 years, in large part due to the possible data centers coming in to power AI. In a plan they submitted to the state’s Public Service Commission, they said they […]| Mountain Association
On Main Street in the mountain town of Hazard, Kentucky, there’s a little restaurant with a funny name but a serious mission. Shenanigans isn’t just a place to grab a meal—it’s a place where kindness is served daily. Founded six years ago by Michelle Combs, her shop has become a beacon of hope for those […]| Mountain Association
Our Statement on the Importance of Preserving the CDFI Fund After March 14 Executive Order Last Friday’s Executive Order affecting the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund directly impacts our work here at Mountain Association. For decades, we have served Kentucky’s mountain communities as a Community Development Financial Institution, providing affordable and flexible capital […]| Mountain Association
LAST UPDATED: April 19, 2025 Several counties in Eastern Kentucky were devastated by flood waters again this February and April 2025. We hope the following list of resources is helpful to our small businesses and organizations as they continue to recover. We will be updating this list with new resources as they come in. That […]| Mountain Association
Our Energy Team put together these energy savings tips for homeowners and businesses/nonprofits who are replacing building materials or undertaking new construction. Note: you may be eligible for tax credits or other incentives, check with your contractor or utility provider. LED Lighting HVAC Thermostats: Air Sealing Insulation Water Heating| Mountain Association
For years, Diane Taylor Roberts held onto a manuscript filled with deeply personal short stories about growing up in Appalachia, specifically Whitley County, Kentucky. Like many aspiring authors, she had a dream of publishing—but no roadmap for turning that dream into reality. That all changed when she started working with a business coach through the […]| Mountain Association
This was updated in 2024 with REAP caps and percentages: Several Eastern Kentucky businesses recently received money for their renewable energy projects from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). We are proud to have supported these applications: The USDA administers REAP to provide financial assistance to rural small businesses and […]| Mountain Association
This article is part of a series by Eastern Kentucky University graduate students and their professor, Michael Bradley, as they study recreation and its impact on economic development. Understanding how recreation impacts the economy is key to promoting growth and boosting community well-being. When we talk about recreation, we refer to activities people do for […]| Mountain Association
This is an op-ed that appeared in several Kentucky outlets in December 2024. As Eastern Kentucky’s energy landscape becomes more diversified, solar has the potential to create substantial community benefits, but only if certain measures are taken. My colleague, Chris Woolery noted in his October op-ed that at least 50 new large-scale solar projects have […]| Mountain Association
One of the first activities that I participated in when I started as Mountain Association’s Outreach Specialist was the Native American Heritage Festival held at Cumberland Falls, which featured three days of learning about the culture, craft, and food of Native people in Kentucky. With presentations on several different topics, it was an opportunity to […]| Mountain Association
In Eastern Kentucky, accessing high quality childcare presents unique challenges for parents and caregivers. Childcare is a fundamental building block of a thriving community so parents can participate in the workforce and improve their family’s quality of life. To fully realize the resilient economy Mountain Association envisions for Eastern Kentucky, there must be access for […]| Mountain Association
The Mountain Association finances businesses and organizations that are key to their Eastern Kentucky communities. We are a Community Development Financial Institution and a nonprofit—not a bank. This means our loans can offer greater flexibility than those available with a traditional lender. To go along with our loans, we also offer a number of other […]| Mountain Association
Get one-on-one support from an expert consultant for your business or organization. Want to work one-on-one with an expert to develop a website or a social media marketing plan for your small business or nonprofit? Need one-on-one accounting assistance or training? Help with a POS system? Or something else? Through our program, you can work […]| Mountain Association
NOTE – for 2025 information go here: https://mtassociation.org/energy/funding-for-farm-energy-projects-in-kentucky-in-2025/ Eastern Kentucky farms may be eligible to receive money for energy projects from the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy’s Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF). The KADF On-Farm Energy Efficiency Incentives Program provides incentives for Kentucky farm families to increase the energy efficiency of existing equipment or facilities. For […]| Mountain Association
The Mountain Association’s energy experts are tackling the problem of high energy bills in Eastern Kentucky. We help businesses, nonprofits, faith groups, local governments, and homeowners find much-needed energy savings. Let us do a free assessment of your energy costs, and we’ll work together to find savings. We are a nonprofit, so we aren’t here […]| Mountain Association
