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
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
References
- “Transforming the Coalfields of West Virginia and Expanding Economic Opportunity.” Stand Together. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://standtogether.org/stories/the-economy/coalfield-development-is-transforming-coalfields-of-west-va.
- “Coalfield Development Corporation Audit.” ProPublica. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_audit/2023-12-GSAFAC-0000057693.
- “Rebuilding the Appalachian Economy Coalfield Development Corporation Founder to Share Unique Approach to Community Development.” Register Herald, September 17, 2017. https://www.register-herald.com/news/money/rebuilding-the-appalachian-economy-coalfield-development-corporation-founder-to-share-unique-approach-to-community-development/article_5eb1c1c3-6072-595f-a787-65d53af82fdd.html.
- “Training Offered for Environmental Jobs.” West Virginia Public Broadcasting, October 20, 2015. https://wvpublic.org/training-offered-for-environmental-jobs/.
- Pace, Fred. “Wayne Business Gets $1M in Challenge.” Herald Dispatch, December 5, 2018. https://www.herald-dispatch.com/business/wayne-business-gets-m-in-challenge/article_d1c5b1f4-1a0f-5468-ba48-2c89125688ce.html.
- “Appalachian Climate Technologies Coalition (Act Now).” U.S. Economic Development Administration. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/american-rescue-plan/build-back-better/finalists/coalfield-development.
- McElhinny, Brad. “Coalfield Communities Get about $100 Million for Development, Officials Announce.” WV MetroNews, September 2, 2022. https://wvmetronews.com/2022/09/02/coalfield-communities-get-about-100-million-for-development-officials-announce/.
- “EPA Presents Coalfield Development Corporation $200K in Brownfields Job Training Grants to Build a Skilled Environmental Workforce.” EPA, March 18, 2022. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-presents-coalfield-development-corporation-200k-brownfields-job-training-grants.
- “Bio: Brandon Dennison.” Coalfield Development. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://coalfield-development.org/bio-brandon-dennison/.
- “Bio: Jacob Israel Hannah.” Coalfield Development. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://coalfield-development.org/bio-jacob-israel-hannah/.
- “Coalfield Development Corporation, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/263836207/202343189349307834/full.
- “Coalfield Development.” DRK Foundation. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://www.drkfoundation.org/organization/coalfield-development/.
- “Coalfield Development.” REDF, October 18, 2024. https://redf.org/ese/coalfield-development/.
- “Coalfield Development Corporation.” Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://www.shepherdstownpresbyterian.org/minstries/serving-world/coalfield-development-corporation.