Invest Appalachia

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“We’re just trying to level the playing field, so every community has a fair shot at prosperity and economic opportunity.“ – Andrew Crosson, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Appalachia. Operating in the Appalachian counties of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and Tennessee, Invest Appalachia leverages relationships and investments from philanthropic, community finance, and community development partners for funds and technical assistance. As a collaborative initiative, Invest Appalachia blends different forms of capital to support economic development in underserved communities of Central Appalachia. Read on to explore how Invest Appalachia’s recent work with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Rural Investment Collaborative is turning investment-worthy ideas into investment-ready ones. #Rural #Investment #CommunityBuilding https://lnkd.in/e-yG-rZH

Local news and community-based journalism is critical to the civic health and social fabric of a community, region, and country. It is also an industry that drives a virtuous economic cycle of informed consumers, local business development, and entrepreneurship. Yet, 78% of Central Appalachians live in so-called "news deserts" without consistent access to quality local journalism. That's why Invest Appalachia is proud to partner with the Appalachia Funders Network on a first-of-its-kind regional Press Forward Chapter, serving the Appalachian counties of KY, OH, WV, VA, TN, & NC. This chapter is part of the national Press Forward initiative supported by national funders including MacArthur Foundation RWJF Knight Foundation McKnight Foundation Ford Foundation and many others. Stay tuned for more exciting news on this front, including the launch of a Rural News Fund that will provide flexible investment capital to help support local newsrooms and community journalism organizations across Appalachia. #ruralnews #newsdeserts #civichealth #journalism #community #democracy #investment Media Growth Partners Eli Flournoy Athens County Independent Black By God THE WEST VIRGINIAN

Local news and community-based journalism is critical to the civic health and social fabric of a community, region, and country. It is also an industry that drives a virtuous economic cycle of informed consumers, local business development, and entrepreneurship. Yet, 78% of Central Appalachians live in so-called "news deserts" without consistent access to quality local journalism. That's why Invest Appalachia is proud to partner with the Appalachia Funders Network on a first-of-its-kind regional Press Forward Chapter, serving the Appalachian counties of KY, OH, WV, VA, TN, & NC. This chapter is part of the national Press Forward initiative supported by national funders including MacArthur Foundation RWJF Knight Foundation McKnight Foundation Ford Foundation and many others. Stay tuned for more exciting news on this front, including the launch of a Rural News Fund that will provide flexible investment capital to help support local newsrooms and community journalism organizations across Appalachia. #ruralnews #newsdeserts #civichealth #journalism #community #democracy #investment Media Growth Partners Eli Flournoy Athens County Independent Black By God THE WEST VIRGINIAN

Many rural communities and small towns lack access to capital that will help their community thrive and grow. Capital is about more than dollars and cents. In addition to money, capital requires goods, services, and knowledge. Organizations like Invest Appalachia can play an important role in making connections to help prepare community development projects for execution. Invest Appalachia leverages relationships and investments from philanthropic, community finance, and community development partners for funds and technical assistance. As a collaborative initiative, Invest Appalachia blends different forms of capital to support economic development in underserved communities of Central Appalachia. Read on to explore how Invest Appalachia’s recent work with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Rural Investment Collaborative is turning investment-worthy ideas into investment-ready ones. #Rural #Investment #CommunityBuilding https://lnkd.in/e-yG-rZH

The Rural Investment Collaborative will begin accepting applications for the 2025 Community Investment Training this summer. The diverse cohort will kick off in January 2025 and will be made up of approximately 20 leaders representing different communities and organization types from SC, NC, VA, WV and MD. These leaders will engage in 12 weeks of experiential curriculum focused on developing an investment ready community project. The training will include sessions taught by subject matter experts and regional organizations with a record of success and will culminate in pitch sessions for participants to practice effectively communicating the project value to capital providers. If you are interested in applying and want to learn more, please register using the link below to attend one of the two virtual Q&A sessions.

We are proud to be a part of community power building in Central Appalachia. In 2023, 71% of our IA Fund loans and 95% of IA Catalytic Capital went to communities that are some combination of Economically Distressed, Coal-Impacted, and Rural. Additionally, 69% of IA Catalytic Capital projects were women-led, 28% were BIPOC-led, and 20% of our IA Fund investments supported BIPOC-led projects. Across our efforts, our work positively impacted over 50,000 people in 115 Central Appalachian counties. Find more in our 2023 Impact Report. 🌱 Read the Full 2023 Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/eUeEU8zQ #SustainableGrowth #ImpactInvesting #InvestAppalachia

89% of our Catalytic Capital committed in 2023 is set to be repaid, ensuring continuous support for future projects in Central Appalachia. This sustainable approach allows us to keep investing in communities that need it the most, building long-term growth and resilience. Find more in our 2023 Impact Report. 🌱 Read the Full 2023 Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/eUeEU8zQ #SustainableGrowth #ImpactInvesting #InvestAppalachia

America’s future starts in local communities! Invest Appalachia is excited that the Trust for Civic Life is focusing its first investments on the amazing work being done within the Appalachian region. And we can now share that our organization is receiving one of the Trust’s first 20 grants! This award will help us expand our portfolio of investments and fuel our work to support BIPOC-led enterprise, renewable energy, and more. Learn more at www.trustforciviclife.org Congrats to our friends and partners at West Virginia Community Development Hub, The Industrial Commons and the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky who are fellow recipients of the Trust’s support. These investments are a testament to the good work happening in Appalachia today as well as the critical role the region must play in preserving and sustaining our democracy and economy in the decades to come. Onwards!

Our investment model focuses on underserved communities, ensuring capital flows where it's needed most. In 2023, 75% of the IA Fund loans were deployed in collaboration with other investors, closing critical gaps in capital flow to Appalachian communities. 78% of the IA Fund loans were “but-for” investments, where IA took a subordinate position to lending partners, provided unconventionally flexible terms, or offered credit enhancements critical to unlocking deals. Our approach supports economic resilience and equity. Learn how we're bridging gaps in capital flow. 🌐 Read the Full 2023 Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/eUeEU8zQ