Morehead, KY – The James Graham Brown Foundation has committed to
delivering a $1,850,000 grant to Fahe, a purpose-driven network serving
Appalachian states, including Kentucky, and providing boots-on-the-ground
leadership throughout its target region. The grant will be applied over a three year period, supporting Fahe’s capacity to leverage federal and state funding
for housing for long-term flood recovery. Additionally, grant funds will be used to
support Fahe’s member Frontier Housing in their work to build modular housing
for low-income families in the same Eastern Kentucky region.
Fahe’s efforts align with the James Graham Brown Foundation’s existing
Community and Economic Development Strategy for Eastern Kentucky. The
grant will enable Fahe to hire staff to support local municipalities and execute
projects with federal funding. Another portion of the grant will be committed to
Frontier Housing, a Fahe partner, who will implement DreamBuild Kentucky –
focusing on the efficient and affordable construction of code-compliant
modular housing for low-income families. Fahe’s work has the potential to
significantly improve the well-being of people living in the 13 flood-impacted
counties.
President & CEO of Frontier Kentucky Tom Manning-Beavin said, “This award
from the James Graham Brown Foundation is essential to making the
DreamBuild initiative possible. DreamBuild, at its heart, is an entrepreneurial
concept aiming to change how quality stick-built homes are delivered to
homebuyers. Unfortunately for Frontier, there isn’t a mechanism for nonprofits to
use venture capital to support entrepreneurial concepts like this. Instead,
nonprofits need visionary foundations like JGBF to support innovation. JGBF’s
investment will enable DreamBuild to go from an idea with great potential to aninitiative with the capacity have lasting impact in Eastern Kentucky and
beyond.”
Frontier Housing will use James Graham Brown Foundation grant funds for startup costs including equipment, materials, facilities and staff to develop and scale
the DreamBuild model in Eastern Kentucky. Frontier will develop initial prototypes
and begin to deliver 20-30 homes per year by the end of the grant period in
This operation is expected to be fully self-sustaining within 2-3 years. This is
projected to create approximately 50 permanent manufacturing jobs in the
heart of the coalfields.
“Fahe is focused on high-impact, high-leverage initiatives to improve lives in
Appalachia and in Eastern Kentucky through investment and localized
activation,” said Mason Rummell, president and CEO of The James Graham
Brown Foundation. “Fahe’s work very clearly provides opportunities to improve
Kentucky communities and the quality of life of our children and families,
creating the kind of impact the James Graham Brown Foundation seeks in
enhancing the image and national perception of our state.”
Fahe is comprised of 50+ diverse community-based nonprofits that serve the
Appalachian states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland
and Alabama. Fahe connects investment to local leadership in one of the more
challenging regions in the nation. Members of Fahe are staffed by local leaders
who are connected to their communities and understand their needs.
“When our communities in Eastern Kentucky were hit by historic flooding two
years ago it became starkly clear that a home is at the center of everything.
Families need a home to emerge from hard times. I’m so proud of the work we
are doing to help with disaster relief and to help more families in hard-to-serve
places build a better future. This three-year grant will help us make great strides,
and we commend the James Graham Brown Foundation for their partnership
with us and our communities in Kentucky,” said Jim King, CEO of Fahe.
Fahe focuses on increasing access to and the availability of quality, affordable
housing. Fahe also pursues community development initiatives, including
projects that impact education, health and social services, and economic
opportunity. Fahe was established in 1980 by its members to advocate for
resources for housing and the training of skilled labor and to help bring more
resources into the region. Since its creation, the Fahe Network has helped
finance over $1.7 billion for projects across Appalachia, primarily through
community loan fund capital and mortgages. In addition to supporting its
Members, Fahe has been committed to helping local municipalities access financing and providing capacity to execute local projects.
About the James Graham Brown Foundation
The James Graham Brown Foundation was established in 1954 by the noted
lumberman, horseman and entrepreneur. Since its founding, the organization
has awarded nearly 4,000 grants totaling over $685 million. The foundation funds
a variety of causes and local charities working in the areas of education, human
services, economic development, cultural and civic projects.
