Member Spotlight: Kristin Walker Collins

Kristin Walker Collins, Chief Executive Officer of Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky

Brief Bio:  Kristin Walker Collins is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky (Foundation) in Hazard, Kentucky, the only nationally accredited community foundation in southeastern Kentucky. Before starting her career in philanthropy, Kristin worked as an attorney specializing in Family Law and Municipal Law with the law firm of Hollon & Collins. 

Kristin is active in many community activities, including serving as Vice-President of the Hazard-Perry County Chamber of Commerce and serving as Board Chair of the Appalachian Early Childhood Network. She is the founder and President of the Hazard Rotary Club Foundation, Inc., which operates the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Perry County, Kentucky, a program providing one free book each month to children under the age of five. In addition to serving on the Appalachia Funders Network Steering Committee, she is a member of the Appalachian Cradle to Career Coalition, Chair of the Endow Kentucky Commission, and a Trustee for Philanthropy Southeast. 

In her (little) free time, she enjoys traveling the world, quilting, visiting with family and friends, and reading. Kristin resides in Hazard, Kentucky with her husband, Jonathan, a local attorney, and their daughters, Palmer and Piper.

How long have you been part of AFN? I joined AFN when I joined the staff at the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky in 2015, and I really became involved in 2016, attending the annual gathering and participating in the Place-Based and Downtown Revitalization Groups. I joined the Steering Committee this year and am excited to be a part of such an amazing network that is moving Appalachia forward.

What is the mission of your organization and why is this pursuit important to you? The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky’s mission is Empowering Appalachian Kentucky communities to thrive through collaboration, asset building, and leadership development.

My full belief is in this work, and it is important to me because I live in Central Appalachia, the giant red dot on the ARC map, and I raise my children here, and I drink the water, and my kids go to school here, and I want it to be better than any of us could ever imagine. I want our people and our communities to stop thinking medium (“oh, well, it’s good enough”) and I want them to learn to think BIG and IMAGINE it better for EVERYONE! And with the work of the Foundation and our partners in the Appalachia Funders Network, we will get there! 

What is a project you are working on that you’re passionate about? What is the hoped for impact of this project? How will you demonstrate that impact? Childcare: A large portion of my work is around advocating and getting investments into quality, affordable childcare in Appalachian Kentucky. This is an important part of the work of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, but also is important to me because I am a working mother. I am able to work because I have access to quality, affordable child care. Through this work and several early childhood initiatives, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky was able to help seed, start, and serve as the Fiscal Sponsor of the Appalachian Early Childhood Network (AECN). AECN was created to help fill the gap of quality, affordable childcare in Appalachian Kentucky by supporting Family Child Care homes, providing start up support, quality coaching, and professional development. But just as important, AECN serves as the policy and advocacy voice of Appalachian Kentucky in state-wide policy discussions. I am proud to be a small part of this important work and have seen improvements not just in the accessibility of childcare in our region, but also in legislation that is becoming more supportive of childcare in our state. 

What do you see as the greatest strength of Central Appalachian communities? I believe our greatest strength is our people and their commitment to place and community. I was witness to this in the aftermath of the devastating flooding that hit eastern Kentucky in July 2022. When thinking of that time, I often reference the quote “These people are my family, these mountains are my home.” 

People and communities joined together to clean up and support their neighbors, and the pride that people have in their place was on full display. The continued work to build back and to prepare ourselves for future events is inspiring to watch. People are tired but they keep going, because they love our place and our people.

What is one thing you’d like to see improved in how funders work together in Central Appalachia? I would love to see more funders getting engaged with the work and those working “on the ground” in Appalachia. Forming true partnerships will move this region forward.

What do you see as the primary hurdle in the pursuit of equitable Appalachian transition? How would you approach this challenge? The pursuit of an equitable Appalachian transition faces a complex, primary hurdle: systemic economic and social inequity rooted in the region's historical reliance on extractive industries. As we look around our region, we see this in our limited equitable access to capital, persistent barriers to opportunity, lack of investment in human capital, and negative stereotypes. 

A single approach will not address the complexities of our region, so we must develop a comprehensive regional strategy that looks at how we increase equitable capital access, remove systemic barriers, invest in human capital, and reframe the Appalachian narrative. Using approaches that highlight Appalachian innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, cultural richness, and natural beauty to showcase the region’s potential for a thriving, inclusive future. 

What questions do you think funders in Appalachia should be asking regularly about improving their grantmaking processes? How can we make accessing our funding easier? There is very little need to make impactful, hard-working, understaffed, underresourced organizations jump through all of the hoops for funding. So, let’s just stop.

What is the one experience from your past, personal or professional, that most influences the work you do today? The July 2022 flooding in Eastern Kentucky. The overwhelming impact of that flood and the devastation to our region has had and will have lasting influence not only on my work, but the work of many and our region as a whole. 48 people lost their lives and thousands more were displaced; it completely changed the focus of work in Eastern Kentucky. It exacerbated the need for quality housing, it impacted infrastructure, and it changed peoples lives. The work of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky immediately pivoted to emergency disaster relief, then into recovery, and now into resiliency and preparedness work. We are still focusong on housing as a priority through our “Housing Can’t Wait” campaign in partnership with FAHE, Housing Development Alliance, HOMES, Inc, Appalachia Service Project, and Samaritan’s Purse. We are showing that philanthropy is an integral part of the rebuilding and planning for the future in Appalachia.