ICS Receives Implementation Grant Funding to Advance Harpers Ferry, WV Community Development Project

Implementation grant funds community development, preservation planning, and interpretive signage at Weaver-Gillison House on the Affrilachian Trail.

HARPERS FERRY, WV, UNITED STATES, June 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Jamila Jones, Executive Director of Innovative Community Solutions has been selected to receive a $50,000 implementation grant to further advance work on the Affrilachian Trail initiative which to further advance work on the Affrilachian Trail initiative, which will support community-led heritage tourism and regenerative economic development beginning at the inaugural site, the Weaver-Gillison House in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Jones became eligible to receive the grant through her participation in the Community Investment Training program, a 12-week training initiative offered through the Rural Investment Collaborative. The program aims to help community leaders across Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia produce viable, investment-ready community and economic development projects in their local communities.
The $50,000 implementation grant will be used to The $50,000 implementation grant will fund in-depth historical research and preservation planning for the Weaver-Gillison House, as well as the development of new interpretive signage.

Jones was a member of the 2024 cohort of 18 leaders from community development, government and non-profit organizations completing the program. Program participants received strategic guidance and training on how to meet requirements for project funding, including how to cultivate productive partnerships and develop strong funding pitches as well as assistance with creating the necessary infrastructure to sustain their projects.

Those completing the program received a mini-grant funded through the Rural Investment Collaborative’s national and regional philanthropic partner organizations to be used to further develop their proposals and to support community activation of their projects.
“This grant empowers us to build on our Historic Structure Report findings, mobilizing community-driven research to uncover hidden stories and shape a robust preservation plan,” said Jamila Jones, Executive Director of Innovative Community Solutions.

The Community Investment Training program is a signature project of the Rural Investment Collaborative, an alliance of community leaders and the Richmond Fed’s Community Development team focused on helping rural communities and smaller towns become more economically sound by improving their access to capital. Invest Appalachia provided the curriculum for the program.

“The Community Investment Training equips community leaders with the knowledge and skills to activate projects that will support the economic development of their communities,” said Carrie Cook, Richmond Fed vice president of community development and community affairs officer. “We’re pleased that, during this second year of the program, more small town and rural leaders have participated in this valuable training program, and we’re excited to see the impact that they will have on their communities.”

Jamila Jones
INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS
+ +1 703-945-8265
info@ics-wv.com
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