Types of Support

NOW OPEN

Local Economy Lab

Are you ready to scale a high-impact, community-led economic and workforce development project?

Our Local Economy Lab is a new, one-year initiative designed to help coal-affected communities grow their local economies. Through flexible grants of $250,000–$500,000, tailored technical assistance, and support accessing public, private, and philanthropic capital, the Lab will equip 5–10 transformative projects with the tools to grow their impact and serve as models for equitable economic transition nationwide. Applications are open now to eligible nonprofit, local, and Tribal governments in communities experiencing significant economic distress due to coal industry decline.

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Application Window Closed

Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge

Are you in the early stages of working on an economic development project and need funding support?

Meet the inaugural cohort of our Coal Communities Get Ready! Challenge winners! Through the Challenge, we identified a cohort of 12 organizations that are building readiness to apply for federal funds. This opportunity is designed for organizations that have little to no experience applying for federal funds. Each awardee will receive one-year grants valued at $250,000 and customized technical assistance that will together help build readiness to apply for and manage federal funding. Meet the 2024 winners and stay tuned for future announcements for early-stage support.

Meet the 2024 Winners

"We appreciate JTF's flexibility with regards to federal matching grants. Non-federal cash match remains perhaps the single biggest obstacle our communities face!"

Sara Cottingham
Mon Forest Towns Partnership, West Virginia

"JTF assisted us with the technical writing of the grant as well as providing us with a $40,000 match. If they had not helped with the match requirement, we probably could not have applied for the grant."

Karla Roberts
Red Bird Mission Inc., Kentucky

"The activities funded by the JTF not only supported the specific goal of applying for the POWER grant but also substantially built West Virginia Women Work’s overall capacity to compete for federal funding. This enhanced capability will be critical in expanding our services and programs to support women in nontraditional occupations across West Virginia, thereby contributing to our long-term mission and sustainability."

Carol Phillips
West Virginia Women Work

"Overall, JTF funds have been instrumental in building our organizational capacity, making us more adept at managing current projects and positioning us for future funding success."

Shaleen Old Coyote
Plenty Doors Development Corporation, Crow Reservation, Montana

"We could not be more appreciative of the guidance and support we received from JTF. We would not have received, and could not have even applied for, our $2 million award if it had not been for your guidance, support and encouragement."

Kevin Shoemaker
Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative

"We're scaling up our just transition work after years of support from JTF. We want to be able to bring something tangible to our communities instead of only talking with residents about it. We need to do both."

Sarah Martik
Center for Coalfield Justice, Pennsylvania

"The transition in Illinois is happening and JTF's support has allowed us to bring coal communities into the fold, winning and now implementing big state policy programs for energy community reinvestment. The consistent support has allowed us to build trust and relationships with communities to clean up the legacy pollution of the past and explore new opportunities."

Amanda Pankau
Prairie Rivers Network, Illinois

“I so value what you all do at JTF because it is ABUNDANTLY CLEAR that you care so much about the work, the organizations, and the people who work in them. Thank you for being such an amazing example of what philanthropy can be.”

Alex Weld
Generation West Virginia