Best Letcher County Grants for Nonprofits in Kentucky

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower Appalachian Kentucky communities to thrive through collaboration, asset building, and leadership development.

We bring together people, ideas, and resources to build communities and encourage philanthropy. Our approach is to meet communities where they are instead of telling them where they should be. 

Appalachian Kentucky Civic Experiment Grant Program

The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky is excited to announce the launch of the Appalachian Kentucky Civic Experiment Grant Program, a new funding opportunity created to support neighbors, organizations, and community leaders who have ideas to strengthen civic life and address local challenges across Appalachian Kentucky.

Grant proposals will be reviewed based on:

• New or creative ideas that respond to real community needs
• Positive community impact, with clear benefits for local people
• Alignment with shared values like community, equity, integrity, service, and hope
• A realistic plan that shows how the project will get done
• Long-term benefit, including how the work could continue or inspire others

Department for Local Government

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Department for Local Government (DLG), under the Office of the Governor, provides financial help in the way of grant and loan assistance, as well as advising local governments in matters of budget, personnel and other issues relevant to those entities.​

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

The Department for Local Government (DLG) administers approximately $26 million annually from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The CDBG program provides assistance to communities for use in revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding affordable housing and economic opportunities, providing infrastructure and/or improving community facilities and services. With the participation of their citizens, communities can devote these funds to a wide range of activities that best serve their own particular development priorities.

All project activities must meet at least one of three national objectives:

• Benefit to low and moderate income persons
• Prevention or elimination of slums or blight
• Meeting particularly urgent community development needs​

Funds are designated for various program areas including Community Projects, Community Emergency Relief Fund, Economic Development, Housing, Public Facilities, and Public Services (Recovery Kentucky).​

Public Services (Recovery Kentucky)

​​​​​CDBG Public Services funds, in the form of operational costs to support the Recovery Kentucky Program, will be made available in 2026 to existing Recovery Kentucky Substance Abuse Centers. These centers serve individuals who have a history of substance abuse, with an emphasis on the homeless, those at risk of becoming homeless and those referred by the judicial system.

Department for Local Government

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Department for Local Government (DLG), under the Office of the Governor, provides financial help in the way of grant and loan assistance, as well as advising local governments in matters of budget, personnel and other issues relevant to those entities.​

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

The Department for Local Government (DLG) administers approximately $26 million annually from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The CDBG program provides assistance to communities for use in revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding affordable housing and economic opportunities, providing infrastructure and/or improving community facilities and services. With the participation of their citizens, communities can devote these funds to a wide range of activities that best serve their own particular development priorities.

All project activities must meet at least one of three national objectives:

• Benefit to low and moderate income persons
• Prevention or elimination of slums or blight
• Meeting particularly urgent community development needs​

Funds are designated for various program areas including Community Projects, Community Emergency Relief Fund, Economic Development, Housing, Public Facilities, and Public Services (Recovery Kentucky).​

Public Facilities

​​​​​The Public Facilities Branch provides funding to primarily develop Kentucky's water and wastewater systems. As part of the Commonwealth's allocations from the CDBG program, these projects have been allocated an estimate of $8,834,662 with designated maximum amounts for treatment plants and lines/pumps and tanks of CDBG funding per community. Self-help grants (maximum amount of $300,000 per project) are funded under this branch.