Friends of Southwest Virginia receives a $127,000 grant from theVirginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commissionto support a regional initiative focused on creative economy development and outdoor recreation business recruitment.
This funding provides critical matching support that allows Friends of Southwest Virginia to leverage nearly $1.1 million in federal investment from theAppalachian Regional Commission, enabling a comprehensive regional effort to strengthen Southwest Virginia’s creative economy and outdoor recreation industries.
Together, these investments support several major initiatives designed to guide long-term economic growth across the region. This work includes conducting a comprehensive asset inventory and economic impact study of Southwest Virginia’s creative economy, which will measure the full contribution of outdoor recreation, the arts, music, cultural heritageand related creative industries to the regional economy.
The project also supports the development of a 10-yearCreative Economy Master Planthat identify priority growth areas and establish a coordinated strategy for long-term investment, business recruitmentand regional collaboration.
As part of this initiative, Friends of Southwest Virginia create a regionalCreative Economy Dashboarddesigned to provide real-time data on visitation trends, spending, job creationand private investment across Southwest Virginia. The dashboardserves as a decision-making tool for local governments, economic developersand community partners by generating stakeholder reports and supporting data-driven planning.
In addition, the initiative lays the groundwork for a regionalOutdoor Recreation Manufacturing Initiativeaimed at attracting and supporting outdoor recreation-related businesses across Southwest Virginia. The project also includes organizational business planning for Friends of Southwest Virginia to ensure the long-term capacity and structure needed to lead regional creative economy development.
Together, these efforts position Southwest Virginia as a nationally competitive region where culture, outdoor recreationand heritage assets drive job creation, entrepreneurshipand community vitality.
“Friends of Southwest Virginia is deeply grateful to the Virginia Tobacco Commission for its continued investment in the future of our region,” said Kim Davis, executive director of Friends of Southwest Virginia. “By providing critical matching support, the commission is helping us leverage significant federal funding and build the strategy, data infrastructureand partnerships needed to strengthen Southwest Virginia’s creative economy and outdoor recreation sectors.”
The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission promotes economic growth and opportunity in tobacco-dependent communities across the Commonwealth. Through strategic investment, the commission accelerates regional transformation by supporting education, workforce developmentand economic diversification initiatives.
Additional details are announced in the coming weeks as the initiative moves forward. For the most up-to-date information, visitFriendsofSWVA.org.
