Frequently Asked Questions

We were established in 2015 by co-founders Heidi Binko and Sandra Mikush, in response to President Barack Obama’s POWER initiative, the first federal program targeted to communities impacted by the changing coal economy. Learn more about our history.

The decline of the coal industry is causing significant economic distress in the communities where plants and mines are closing. We don’t focus on closing plants or mines, but rather, we focus on economic solutions when closures do occur/are planned. Our priority is supporting hard-hit coal communities as the energy transition impacts their community and workers. We work in response to the shifting energy landscape to help coal communities prepare for transition.

We are a non-endowed philanthropic initiative, housed at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) and our work is supported by generous organizations and donors who share our vision of a future where communities once reliant on coal have thriving local economies. Click here to make a donation or click here to learn more about our partnerships.

There are a few ways you can support our work accelerating economic development in coal communities. We accept monetary donations and we partner with private companies and philanthropic foundations who are interested in working with us to leverage historical levels of funding available to develop community-driven projects in energy communities. Fill out this brief inquiry form or click here to learn more about our partnerships. You can also reach out directly to Rachael Young, our Deputy Director of Partnerships, [email protected].

Our Federal Access Center can support your community’s federal funding needs in a variety of ways. Please fill out our interest form so we can understand your needs and how our services might support them, and our team will follow up with you as soon as possible. For step-by-step support, follow our Blueprint for Transition, a comprehensive resource to help coal communities and local leaders create an equitable, sustainable, and inclusive future.

Conservatively, 372 counties – more than 10% of the country – include a coal mine, plant, or both. We employ a data-driven analysis, rooted in equity, to determine the communities where we focus our efforts, and proudly work in energy communities across the county. Our analysis, which we refresh every two years, identifies the most economically distressed coal communities with the most disadvantaged populations. We use this information to prioritize our investments and guide our state policy advocacy. Please fill out our interest form so we can understand the needs of your community and how our services might support them, and our team will follow up with you as soon as possible.

A common misconception about our work is that a just transition means only a clean energy transition. That can certainly be one component, but we know it’s not the whole picture, nor the only option. We know the dangers of replacing one mono-economy with another, so we aim to help local organizations diversify their economies within a range of promising sectors, including clean energy, sustainable agriculture, mine reclamation, tourism, healthcare, and more. Learn more about our funding priorities in our Federal Access Center.

The JTF supports projects that are strengthening and diversifying coal-impacted economies through community economic development, workforce development, and broadband infrastructure. If you are actively seeking federal funding to support a project in one of these areas, our application-ready support may be a good fit for your organization. If you have a great project idea but aren’t quite ready to apply for federal funds yet, check out our early-stage support within our Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge.

We make every effort to provide a decision within one month of submission. If you have a question about your specific application, you can reach out to Marissa Berkley at [email protected] for a status update.

We always want to hear about how your projects are progressing and learn of the successes in your community. Feel free to share any pertinent information with Audrey Josephson-Day at [email protected].

We know transition takes time and seeing the economic impact can take decades. We’re committed to the investment it takes to see forward progress in coal communities, no matter how long it takes. Read some of our project spotlight and success stories here.

We post all full-time career opportunities and internships here. Check back for updates!

Please reach out to our Director of Communications, Camille Simpson, at [email protected].

We are not formally affiliated with the EU’s Just Transition Fund. However, we do work together throughout the year to host or participate in international workshops and events to address global practices related to energy transition.