Fahe collects, analyzes, and shares high-quality data to evaluate our Members’ impact and strengthen efforts to build thriving Appalachian communities.
The Research Team increases our ability to act on information in several ways:
Collaboration
Appalachia, rural regions, and persistent poverty areas have historically been difficult places to collect data, due to the sampling techniques national agencies use. Fahe’s Research Team collaborates with Members, internal staff, and external partners to collect, analyze, and share reliable, accurate qualitative and quantitative data. We use this information to help shape funding opportunities and policies that can bring about positive change in Appalachia.
Case Building
By creating infographics, fact sheets, and other resources, our Research Team illustrates the significance of our Members’ work throughout Appalachia. This supports Fahe in explaining our evidence-based approaches.
Education
Fahe’s Research Team holds bi-weekly office hours for Members and staff, providing opportunities for brainstorming and answers to data-related questions. The team also hosts regular “lunch and learn” sessions with national experts, who share information about rural communities, housing, and data topics.
The REED Committee
Our Research, Evidence, Evaluation & Data (REED) Committee meets monthly to support increased use of impact data across our Network of Members. The REED Committee is spearheaded by representatives from our Member organizations and staffed by our Research Team. Our Member organizations are led by people who live and work in the communities they serve, providing making them a wealth of place-based expertise. The REED Committee relies on our Members’ unique perspectives to guide Fahe’s ongoing research and data collection efforts.
Research Corner
Fahe Members have exclusive access to our Research Corner. Maintained by our Research Team, this online resource provides a curated collection of annotated news articles, peer-reviewed literature, webinar summaries, and research opportunities. Members can also access Fahe’s Data Finder, a curated list of data tools maintained by our Research Team. The Data Finder is updated every quarter to ensure that these tools offer the most up-to-date data available.
Fahe Members, please click here to access these Member-only resources and tools.
Partnering with Fahe Research
Collaboration is at the heart of our mission. We are proud to have partnered with other thought leaders such as the Aspen Institute, the Urban Institute, The University of Kentucky, and the Virginia Tech Center for Housing Research. If you are interested in partnering with Fahe, please contact us at REED@fahe.org.
Hiring Fahe for Research Services
Fahe’s Research Team can help your organization as a community research partner or through fee-for-service projects such as needs assessments, GIS analysis, or program evaluation services. Contact REED@fahe.org for more information.
Selected Work Supported by Fahe’s Research Team
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“Weaving Appalachian Leadership in Letcher County” (2020)
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“Housing Needs and Trends in Central Appalachia and Appalachian Alabama”
Blog Post (2018)
Full Report (2023)
Webinar Recording (2023)
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Kentucky Access to Recovery Program
“Kentucky Access to Recovery: What we learned in eastern Kentucky” (2022): Independent Review, Blog, Webinar
“Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on a Rural Opioid Support Services Program” (2022)
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Eastern Scholar House
Case Study: “Weaving Appalachia: Eastern Scholar House”
Blog Post: “Cultivating a Research Culture in Central Appalachia”
Dissertation: “From Single Mom to Super Mom: A Transformative Journey to Heroine.”
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Additional Research & Presentations
Survey of Fahe borrowers during COVID-19 pandemic (Blog Post, 2020)
“Summary of Issues Facing Rural Housing” (Report, 2019)
“Mapping the Way: Rural Homeownership” (Panel Presentation, 2022)
“Moving the Needle with CDFI Research and Evaluation” (Panel Presentation, 2023)