Ohio Funding & Opportunities

Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC): Grant Initiative for the Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions
Grants for projects in the Appalachian, Lower Mississippi Delta, and Northern Border regions that will provide career, training, and support services to eligible individuals in eligible counties and parishes. Grants will support workforce development activities that prepare dislocated workers, new entrants to the workforce, and incumbent workers for good jobs in high-demand occupations aligned with a regional or community economic development strategy. High demand industries include manufacturing, IT, healthcare, business, and energy.

Local Economy Lab: Funding to Support Coal Communities in Transition
Funding and technical assistance to help coal communities build community-led economic transition projects. Community-driven solutions will be across 3 strategy areas: workforce development, entrepreneurship/small business support, and place-based infrastructure.

Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program
Direct financial assistance for rural hospitals facing structural payment disadvantages with the goal of maintenance of healthcare providers, which will in turn maintain essential health services and prevent avoidable hospital closures.

Appalachia READY Local Governments Training
Training to help local government officials in the Appalachian region better identify, secure, manage, and implement federally funded economic development projects.

Delta Dental Foundation Community Mini-Grants Program
Funding for community-based oral health programs in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, with special consideration given to programs that promote and/or provide oral healthcare access.

Appalachian Region Healthcare Technical Assistance Center Assistance
Technical assistance for Appalachian healthcare providers and communities. Eligible organizations may receive guidance and funding to launch or enhance critical needed service lines.

Interact for Health Rural Changemaker Program
Funding to support grassroots work addressing community-identified challenges related to health in the rural regions served by Interact for Health in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

American Connection Corps
A 1-year fellowship program that trains and mobilizes leaders to work in rural and emerging communities to coordinate broadband development and digital inclusion.

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) J-1 Visa Waiver Program
Offers a J-1 Visa waiver to foreign physicians who commit to serving for 3 years in rural Appalachian areas, allowing them to remain in the United States.

Invest Appalachia Fund
Loans and technical assistance to support sectors and industries that are driving economic diversification, local ownership, and community wealth building in Central Appalachia.