Ohio River Valley Participatory Fund
The Ohio River Valley Participatory Fund supports groups serving northern Appalachian communities that have been adversely impacted by the fossil fuel industry. This intermediary fund is deeply rooted in the region, housed at Nonprofit Partners, and guided by a Steering Committee of nonprofit leaders.
The Fund provides grants to nonprofit groups that are helping impacted communities address environmental, health, democracy, justice, movement-building, and economic development goals. Current grant offerings are focused on small to medium-sized groups working in eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia.
General Operating Support Grants
These grants help support programs, projects, and capacity-building of organizations serving impacted communities in eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. Our Spring 2026 grant round is now open! Applications are due Monday, February 2, at 11:59 p.m.
The RFP, including opportunity information, application questions and submission instructions, is available here.
View a list of previous grant recipients here.
Information Sessions
The Fund will hold an optional virtual information session for potential applicants during the Spring 2026 Grant Round. If you would like to attend and have any language interpretation or other accessibility requests, please indicate those on the registration form as far in advance as possible. We will accommodate requests to the best of our ability.
- Register here for the information session on Thursday, January 22nd from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Regional Leadership
As a participatory fund, grantmaking and governance are guided by regional leaders who help the Fund respond to the needs and priorities of impacted communities and regional coalitions. The 2024 Steering Committee includes Autumn Crowe, West Virginia Rivers Coalition; Bishop Marcia Dinkins, Black Appalachian Coalition; Gillian Graber, Protect PT; Michael Parker, Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services; and Shannon Smith, FracTracker Alliance.
Fund Supporters
The fund gratefully acknowledges its supporters, including The 11th Hour Project, the Argosy Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, the MacArthur Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Myles D. and J. Faye Sampson Family Foundation.
Questions?
If you have general questions about the Fund, about your organization’s eligibility, or if you need accommodations in order to apply, please contact ORVPF@nonprofit-partners.org
If you need technical assistance with the grant application system, please contact mkeim@nonprofit-partners.org
Support the ORVP Fund
The Ohio River Valley Participatory Fund gratefully accepts grants and donations through the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. Contributions support the Fund’s grantmaking to nonprofits serving impacted communities in northern Appalachia. Funder inquiries may be directed to orvpf@nonprofit-partners.org. To make an online donation click HERE.