Mountain Association For Community Econo

Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, doing business as Mountain Association, is a non-profit community development corporation headquartered in Berea, Kentucky that serves the Appalachian region. The organization is registered as a tax-exempt corporate entity in SAM.gov and has been receiving federal awards since 2006. Mountain Association operates as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and intermediary lender focused on delivering comprehensive economic and community development services to underserved populations, including women, minorities, low-income individuals, and rural small business owners across Appalachian Kentucky. The organization provides microfinance, business support, renewable energy consulting, and community revitalization services to strengthen local economies and create economic opportunities in distressed rural areas.

Mountain Association has demonstrated substantial federal grant funding success across multiple agencies and programs, having received over $6.6 million in documented prime grants since 2021. The organization's primary federal funding sources include the Small Business Administration's Microloan Program (CFDA 59.046), through which Mountain Association has received multiple formula grants totaling over $630,000 to provide microloans up to $50,000 and accompanying technical assistance and business training to startup, newly established, and growing small businesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services has awarded Mountain Association approximately $325,000 through the Rural Energy for America Program (CFDA 10.868) and the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (CFDA 10.870) to support renewable energy system implementation, energy efficiency improvements, and rural microenterprise development. The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded a significant $1.875 million project grant under the Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002) to support sector-based economic strengthening strategies, while the Economic Development Administration provided $1.5 million to support disaster recovery and resiliency efforts and $1.25 million for economic adjustment assistance in the Berea region. Additionally, the Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund awarded $1.8 million through the CDFI Rapid Response Program to enable Mountain Association to serve pandemic-affected businesses and residents. Mountain Association has also served as a sub-grantee receiving capacity-building funding from Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Rural Action Inc., partnering with these organizations to expand programming and services in underserved communities such as Hazard and Perry County, Kentucky, with a focus on downtown revitalization, micro-lending, business support services, and renewable energy initiatives.