Coalfield Development Corporation
Coalfield Development Corporation is a Huntington, West Virginia-based economic development group which seeks to replace the traditional coal mining-dominated economy of the Appalachian region with a new economy based on weather-dependent energy through workforce and business development. 1
Contents
As of 2023, the group receives a large portion of its revenue from grants awarded by the state and federal government. 2
Background
Brandon Dennison founded the Coalfield Development Corporation in 2010 after the Great Recession of 2008-2009 devastated the coal industry which the Appalachian region traditionally relied on for economic development and their livelihoods. The decline of the coal industry created an identity crisis in West Virginia and many working age men turned to opioids and other drugs to try and medicate their way out of the situation. By 2017, West Virginia had by far the highest drug overdose death rate in the country. 1
The group makes its employees work through the 33-6-3 program: 33 hours of paid work, six hours of either college coursework or earning a professional certificate, and three hours of personal development and life skills. 1
The group has five enterprises: Reclaim Appalachia, Rediscover Appalachia, Refresh Appalachia, Revitalize Appalachia, and Rewire Appalachia and each one is a separate business. 3
Activities
Environmental Job Training
In October 2015, the Coalfield Development Corporation and Marshall University teamed up to offer job training in environmental remediation, which the Environmental Protection Agency funded with a grant. 4
Communities Thrive Challenge
In December 2018, the Coalfield Development Corporation and its partner Unlimited Future, Inc. received $1 million from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as a part of their Communities Thrive Challenge. The groups used the money to expand their workforce development model. 5
ACT Now Coalition
In 2022, the Coalfield Development Corporation led a coalition of groups called the Appalachian Climate Technology coalition (ACT Now) which sought to create an economy based on weather-dependent energy sources in southern West Virginia. ACT Now received a $62.8 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to transition the region from an economy based on the mining and production of reliable energy sources such as coal and replace it with an economy based on the installation and production of weather-dependent solar energy. The other coalition members are Capital Area Development Corporation of West Virginia, the City of Huntington, Generation West Virginia, the West Virginia Community Development Hub, West Virginia University, Appalachian Voices, and Marshall University. As of September 2024, ACT Now has raised another $19 million from the private sector and received $627 million from nonprofits and governments. 6
The group, along with its partners Solar Holler, Generation WV, and Marshall University, developed a curriculum to train workers in the installation of weather-dependent solar energy. 6
The ACT Now coalition received around $30 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the Just Transition Foundation and other nonprofits. The state of West Virginia contributed another $2 million. 7
Brownfields Grant
In March 2022, the Coalfield Development Corporation received a nearly $200,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to train workers to clean up so-called “brownfields” in West Virginia. The grant presentation was made at the Black Diamond property owned by the group. The group acquired the property in 2019 and applied to the EPA for cleanup assistance and grants. 8
Leadership
The Coalfield Development Corporation’s founder and executive president is Brandon Dennison. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Shepherd University and a master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University. 9
The group’s CEO is Jacob Hannah who has been with the group since 2018 and was previously the chief conservation officer. 10
Financials
According to the Coalfield Development Corporation’s 2022 tax return, the group had $14,692,090 in revenue, $7,254,683 in expenses, and $24,532,193 in assets. 11
The group gave a $300,000 grant to Solar Holler. 11
According to a 2023 audit, the group received much of its funding from the federal and state governments. 2
Among the financial supporters of the group are the Charles Koch’s Stand Together Foundation, 1 Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation,12 REDF, 13 and Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. 14
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $35,301,312 | $23,383,753 | $16,197,276 | View |
| 2023 | $25,191,570 | $11,631,513 | $13,129,703 | View |
| 2022 | $24,532,193 | $14,692,090 | $7,254,683 | View |
| 2021 | $14,261,514 | $7,130,153 | $5,379,122 | View |
| 2020 | $11,386,447 | $6,316,554 | $4,068,527 | View |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 184
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob I Hannah | CEO | $104,732 |
| Sam Sarcone | CFO | $96,204 |
| Marilyn Wrenn | CHIEF DEVELO | $94,854 |
| Brandon M Dennison | EXECUTIVE DI | $89,008 |
| Ryan C Stoner | CHIEF OPERAT | $80,238 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $45,234,032
- Number of Grants: 157
- Number of Funders: 64
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $4,011,815
- Number of Grants: 72
- Number of Recipients: 42
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years: