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Mountain Association

Building a New Economy, Together.

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    Building a new economy, together.

Home

Together,

we can build a new economy.

We’re a nonprofit investing in people and places in Eastern Kentucky.

Our Programs:

Business Support

Grow your business with one-on-one training & expertise.

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Lending

Expand your business or nonprofit’s impact with a flexible loan.

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Energy

Get free customized energy savings advice for your building.

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Communities

Start something in your community.

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Storytelling & Policy

Read stories of great things happening in EKY and of the policy work we contribute to.

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Grow

We want business financing to work for you.

We are a Community Development Financial Institution and a nonprofit—not a bank. This means we can offer greater flexibility and lend to folks who may not otherwise qualify. We can also pay for all or a portion of a consulting project to help your business or organization succeed.

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Sustain

We can help you save money.

The Mountain Association’s energy experts are tackling the problem of high energy bills in Eastern Kentucky. We help businesses, nonprofits, faith groups, local governments and homeowners find much-needed energy savings.

  • Isom IGA
    $68,000/year in savings
  • Leslie County Animal Shelter
    $9,300 / year in savings
  • Hemphill Community Center
    $8,900 / year in savings

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Succeed

Let’s grow your business.

Our Business Support program connects businesses and organizations with support and customized training, like:

  • Business Coaching
  • Financial Training & Planning
  • Strategic Marketing

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Revitalize

Bring your ideas to life.

Communities in Eastern Kentucky know best what the gaps are in their local economy. We help design place-based interventions in economic sectors that fill those gaps and demonstrate what’s possible in the region’s new economy. 

  • Downtown revitalization and economic development
  • Community resilience and disaster recovery
  • Narrative change and strong community networks

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Inspire

Learn how people are creating a new day in Eastern Kentucky, and how we can support your ideas.

nuclear in kentucky

Nuclear Energy in Kentucky: Upcoming Opportunities to Make Your Voice Heard

The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) is going on the road asking for community feedback on the future of nuclear energy across the state. On February 26 at 5:00 pm, the PSC…

Read Nuclear Energy in Kentucky: Upcoming Opportunities to Make Your Voice Heard

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Learn with an Expert: Social Media Marketing

In 2026, we launched a free monthly workshop series for small businesses based in Eastern Kentucky called Learn with an Expert. This series also includes blogs and podcasts from experts…

Read Learn with an Expert: Social Media Marketing

wildfire designs Storefront prestonsburg

More Than a Boutique: Wildfire Designs’ Mission to Lift Up Prestonsburg 

What started as a way for a stay‑at‑home mom in Prestonsburg to keep her hands busy has evolved into a downtown business anchor. Today, Wildfire Designs is a model for how small‑town entrepreneurs can build up community.  Owner Brittany Hale, born and raised…

Read More Than a Boutique: Wildfire Designs’ Mission to Lift Up Prestonsburg 

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kentucky fiber wool lanmark Farm

Kentucky Wool: How A Machine Invented in Sharpsburg has Changed the Textile Industry 

Designers in New York experiment with it; major American companies rely on it; fiber artists use it to turn their own wool into finished goods; and it’s made right here in Kentucky: the FeltLOOM. Lanette Freitag developed the now patented machine after starting a…

Read Kentucky Wool: How A Machine Invented in Sharpsburg has Changed the Textile Industry 

coal mine portal 31 kentucky tourism eastern ky

Portal 31 Underground Museum Gets Updated Online Presence 

Deep in the mountains of Harlan County, the entrance to “Portal 31” stands, a mine where generations of miners have worked. Shuttered in 1963, the old mine found new life in 2009 when it opened as an immersive tour and…

Read Portal 31 Underground Museum Gets Updated Online Presence 

ku lge rate hike bills kentucky

Kentucky Power Company Customers Can’t Get a Break on Rate Increases 

This is an op-ed published in several Eastern Kentucky newspapers in December 2025. Kentucky Power Company customers can’t seem to get a break. With base rate increases about every two years, and…

Read Kentucky Power Company Customers Can’t Get a Break on Rate Increases 

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Established in 1976. Prior to 2020, we were known as the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED).

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BEREA
(859) 986-2373
433 Chestnut Street
Berea, KY 40403

Meetings by appointment only

info@mtassociation.org

We are happy to make any accommodation
to better serve you. We have an on-staff
Spanish interpreter, and provide
additional free language/
interpretation services as needed.

If hearing or speech impaired,
please dial 7-1-1 for relay
services prior to calling.

HAZARD
(606) 439-0170
420 Main St
Hazard, KY 41701

PRESTONSBURG
(606) 264-5910
268 E Friend St, Ste 101
Prestonsburg, KY 41653

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