Your Gift to Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area Keeps History Growing!

Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) works in 18 counties across West Virginia and Maryland to:

• Conserve and Enhance Forest Heritage Assets

• Share Stories of Appalachian Heritage

• Support Heritage Tourism and Community Development

• Connect and Support a Growing Partnership Network

Your gift goes directly to support boots-on-the-ground projects!
The first $10,000 worth of donations will be matched by a generous donor this season!

AmeriCorps: Members benefit local communities, assets, and landscapes across our region. In our 2023-24 member service year, we supported 34 AmeriCorps members at 20 organizations whose sites, programs, and activities were visited by 39,860 individuals. These members delivered educational programs to an audience of over 5,000 individuals, treated and improved 1,052 acres of public land, and managed 1,501 hours of volunteer service. 1,184 individuals who participated in our stewardship education programs reported increased knowledge of environmental stewardship. Read more about our members’ experiences here.

Appalachian Forest Partners Programs: Growing our Forest Partners Programs to connect organizations in a network that strengthens communities and connects people with the stories, experiences, resources, and cultures of our region's highland forests.

• The Highlands Creative Economy Program applies partnership strategies for the benefit of tourism professionals and destinations across our region. Participants learn new information or skills, learn about potential funding opportunities, and improve connection with other sites or initiatives in the region. Read more about this year’s gatherings, trainings, and other successes here.

• The Appalachian Forest Discovery Site Program is rolling out in 2025 to support specific sites across our region that represent the places that best tell the stories and represent the AFNHA themes across our region.

America’s 250th: Commemorating the founding of America by sharing the stories of all the people, communities, and places that have shaped our region. This year we’ve featured over 12 local and regional stories exploring Black history, women’s history, labor history, natural history, and much more! We were honored to be recognized as the 2024 Institution of the Year by the West Virginia Association of Museums for our efforts. Read our latest stories here.

Appalachian Forest Grants Program: Awarding grants to support preservation, interpretation, tourism development, and partnership development. In 2024 we awarded $201,972 in grants to 15 area organizations. These projects are expected to produce an additional $265,000 in matching and leveraged funds in local communities. Read more about this year’s grantees here. Your gift to AFNHA will support grantmaking in the upcoming program year.

Indigenous Appalachia: Sharing the history and language of Indigenous cultures with connections to the AFNHA region. This year we hosted 20 Indigenous performers, artists, and presenters who shared their culture at 5 events showcasing food, crafts, song, dance, language, and history. Our Creating Home exhibit at the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center was visited by 3091 people - a new record! Read more about our past programs and future plans here.

Pollinator Initiative: Your gift to AFNHA helps us distribute native wildflower seeds, give educational presentations, develop hands-on activities, and manage pollinator gardens. This year 224 individuals signed our Pollinator Pledge and committed to support pollinators and their habitats on public and private lands throughout the AFNHA region.

Other Ways to Give

AFNHA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization ID 20-0815577