Locally-forged models of economic development

2025 Civic Hub grantee

Coalfield Development is a West Virginia–founded nonprofit working across Central Appalachia to rebuild local economies from the ground up. The organization serves rural communities that have long faced the social and economic impacts of disinvestment, extractive industries, and outmigration.

Coalfield Development creates opportunities for the people and places that have been left behind by investing in both people and places, with the goal of sustaining and growing locally forged models of economic development that rebuild trust, belonging, and generate lasting prosperity for rural communities.

“The people and places that have been left behind are the keys to unlocking the new prosperity ahead – and we’re transforming a century of generational challenges every hour, every day.”

– Jacob Hannah, CEO, Coalfield Development

The nonprofit leads a variety of efforts, from workforce training for individuals with barriers to employment in diversified sectors to community-led revitalization of real estate properties. It also supports social enterprise and entrepreneurial development and nonprofit capacity building. It bases its approach on trust and relationships with local leadership, with the goal of building resilient rural communities where all kinds of people can unlock their full potential, power, and purpose.

The Civic Hub grant will strengthen Coalfield Development’s ability to support community-driven initiatives across Central Appalachia, from revitalizing abandoned land mines that once served as assets, to expanding opportunities for people facing barriers to employment.

Learn more at www.coalfield-development.org