Donor Spotlight

Donor Spotlight

Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary | Generosity rooted in pride, remembrance, dedication to home

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I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund

The creation of the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund is a dream realized for the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. To finally have a fund focused on the greatest needs and most promising opportunities across all of our communities will accelerate our mission on an exceptional scale. And now, we have the great opportunity to invite donors to join us in growing this fund from the ground up with a dollar-for-dollar match!

What will my gift make possible?

The I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund is dedicated to unleashing the potential of the children of Appalachia. Giving FAO the resources needed to address the areas of greatest need and opportunity in the region, the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund supports:

• FAO’s work to build local capacity by nurturing local community foundations and connecting partners around issue of regional importance;
• Programmatic initiatives and grant programs creating opportunities across our 32 counties in Arts and Culture, Community and Economic Development, Education, Environmental Stewardship, and Health & Human Services; and
• FAO’s work to encourage high expectations among all the region’s residents, including FAO’s I’m a Child of Appalachia campaign.

The I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund is unique, with half of each gift invested in endowment for the future and the other half impacting programs in the next 1 – 5 years. In the near-term, this includes: a partnership to connect books with children who need them; the first competitive, FAO grant round focused on environmental stewardship; a grant program that puts youth in the driver’s seat of substance use prevention; and a redesign of our long-treasured I’m a Child of Appalachia Writing Contest.

With so many initiatives already underway, imagine what we could do with millions in matching funds dedicated to visionary and strategic programs today and far into the future.

How will the match work for the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund?

All gifts to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar, and there is no limit to how much a donor can give and see matched while matching funds lasts.

This match is available on a first come, first serve basis – and then it’s gone! Not one of us can afford to stand on the sidelines and allow this once in a lifetime chance to grow abundant opportunity pass us by.

Levels of Giving

Permanent, flexible, and region-wide grantmaking dollars, making an impact both today and tomorrow, are essential to FAO’s mission of creating an abundance of opportunity throughout the region’s communities. That’s why we will celebrate the role you played in this visionary matching opportunity and all that it will make possible.

• $1 million or more: GAMECHANGER
• $500,000+: GROUNDBREAKER
• $250,000+: INNOVATOR
• $100,000+ : PIONEER
• $50,000+ : TRAILBLAZER
• $32,000+: SHAREHOLDER
• $10,000+: COMMUNITY LEADER
• $5,000+: HOMETOWN HERO

All gifts of $10,000 or more are also eligible for a permanently named fund, allowing donors to celebrate their family’s love for the children of Appalachian Ohio or honor a loved one.

Because gifts of all amounts will make a difference, gifts under $5,000 will be recognized as members of the I’m a Child of Appalachia Network.

Gifts to the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund are tax deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, bequests, and life insurance. Donations can be made online here. To mail your donation, please designate the fund and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, PO Box 456, Nelsonville, OH 45764.