The National Coal Heritage Area Authority is seeking proposals for funding for projects that support community efforts to interpret, preserve, and promote coal heritage resources in southern West Virginia.
Projects must be located within the National Coal Heritage Area in Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Wyoming counties and the Paint Creek and Cabin Creek watersheds in Kanawha County.
Projects must have matching funds available and be sufficiently advanced to be completed by June 30, 2021. Funding for projects under this request must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis with other funds from non-federal sources or well-documented in-kind resources including volunteer labor and services and donated materials and supplies.
The National Coal Heritage Area management plan identifies interpretive themes for the area which include the Business of Coal Mining, Working in Coal, The Company Town, Mining Technology and Crisis and Renewal.
Each project must address at least one of the interpretive themes in some manner and could go across several thematic areas.
Eligible activities for this round of grant funding include Interpretation and Heritage Programming, Historic Preservation and Resource Stewardship, Archives and Historical Records Collection, and Greenways, Public Parks and Non-motorized Trails.
Previous projects have included preservation of archival materials, preservation of historic structures, creation of museum exhibits and creation of brochures and marketing materials.
Organizations eligible for grant awards are legally established non-profit organizations and institutions and public and governmental organizations including county and municipal governments, state agencies, economic development authorities, and educational institutions.
Community organizations without adequate professional staff are encouraged to seek the assistance of other organizations with fiscal systems and staff capability to manage the grant funds, if necessary.
Approximately $150,000 has been allocated for this round of grants. The deadline for receipt of grant applications is March 13, 2020.
For more information and grant instructions, visit the National Coal Heritage Area website at www.coalheritage.org, call 304-465-3720 or email lhawkins@coalheritage.org.
