About Us
About Press Forward Central Appalachia (PFCA)
77% of Central Appalachian Counties are news deserts, including 200 out of the 257 Central Appalachian counties of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. We've come together to meet this challenge.
As the Central Appalachia chapter of Press Forward, we bring funders and partners together to build alignment, share learning, and coordinate action across the region. We strengthen local news and information systems across our communities by leveraging a coordinated regional model, including our Rural News Fund.
About the Rural News Fund (RNF)
The Rural News Fund serves as PFCA's pooled fund, moving resources to local news organizations and supporting the systems they need to sustain their work.
Together, Press Forward Central Appalachia and our Rural News Fund coordinate and drive investment to align critical resources, inform decisions by the field, and ensure news funding reaches the communities that need it most.
Who We Are
Our Partners
Launched in 2025, Press Forward Central Appalachia is a coalition of funders and partners dedicated to ensuring Central Appalachian communities have access to local news. We are anchored by a partnership between the Appalachia Funders Network, fund manager Invest Appalachia, and news technology and business model consultancy Media Growth Partners. Our work, including the Rural News Fund, is powered by support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Rural News Fund Coordinating Committee
Baylen Campbell
Invest Appalachia
Betsy Whaley
Mountain Association
Garrett Blaize
Appalachian Community Fund
Nina Clark
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
Stephanie Randolph
Purple Tiger Impact & Cassiopeia
Stephanie Hyre
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
Kristin Walker Collins
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
Our Financials
Press Forward Central Appalachia's grantmaking funds are managed by Invest Appalachia, which provides portfolio-level oversight and reporting across its initiatives. While PFCA does not publish standalone financial statements, you can learn more about grant distribution and broader impact through Invest Appalachia's reporting tools.