Alena Klimas of West Virginia focuses on serving rural communities in and around the Appalachia region by connecting small-town nonprofits and community organizations to large national and regional funders and foundations. Her capstone project within the Master in Community Development (MCD) program maintains a similar focus.
“A lot of funders are scared about how to fund in rural areas, so my capstone project really looks at how rural foundations and nonprofits can reach out to national funders and be a bridge to where national foundations can also invest in rural areas,” describes Alena.
Prior to working in this field, Alena completed her Peace Corps service in Morocco. Upon returning home, she really sought a community development program with an emphasis on rural development and engagement, which brought her to the Carsey School.
You can learn more about Alena by visiting
https://carsey.unh.edu/spotlight/beautiful-scenery