UCDD receives $100,000 grant to help Appalachian communities access more federal funds

In partnership with Tennessee, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced nearly $2.5 million in awards through READY LDDs, one of four tailored tracks ARC's capacity-building initiative, READY Appalachia.

These awards will help 26 Local Development Districts (LDDs) in nine Appalachian states - including Upper Cumberland Development District - expand staffing capacity to better support their communities in identifying, accessing, and implementing federal funding through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and other funding sources.

"ARC remains committed to working with our partners in our Local Development Districts to build parity throughout all of Appalachia, and this latest round of funding will augment the work these Local Development Districts are doing to help their communities utilize unprecedented amounts of federal funding across the region," said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin.

This package joins the approximately $500,000 in READY LOO funds ARC awarded to five Area Development Districts in Appalachian Kentucky last month, bringing the total to nearly $3 million for 31 LDDs in 10 states.

READY LDDs is one of four tracks under READY Appalachia, ARC's new community-capacity­ building initiative offering free training and flexible funding for nonprofit organizations, community foundations, local governments, and Local Development Districts (LDDs) in the Appalachian Region.

ARC is allocating READY LDDs awards on a quarterly basis until all funds, totaling $4 million, are expended. The final application deadline is June 30, 2023. Additional information about the funding is available at arc.gov/readyldds.