Invest Appalachia’s Post

WNC businesses and partners, please share this resource for fast, flexible loans to bridge short term recovery needs. More recovery and rebuilding resources to come, but this effort hosted by our close partners at Mountain BizWorks is an important start.

Hurricane Helene has left a lasting impact on many Appalachian communities, and we are committed to partnering with these communities for the long road ahead. Our hearts are with those affected, and we stand in solidarity with mutual aid networks and response teams working tirelessly to meet immediate needs. Our focus remains on delivering place-based investments that will strengthen housing, small businesses, and locally-led economic drivers critical to long-term recovery. Central to our mission is the dignity and self-determination of Appalachian communities, and we believe in the power of community-led solutions. We’re coordinating with our network and regional partners to ensure our efforts are responsive to the needs of the people. As we adapt to the realities of extreme weather in the region, it’s clear that integrating climate adaptation into our economic development efforts is crucial. We invite funders to join us in investing in a future where Appalachian communities are equipped to address the now-persistent challenges of climate change. See our Climate Analysis report for actionable strategies: https://lnkd.in/g67t8k-q Now is the time to invest in sustainable growth and recovery. *For partners ready to take immediate action in supporting direct recovery efforts, we encourage you to connect with Appalachia Funders Network and/or contribute to the Appalachian Helene Response Fund at https://lnkd.in/e_3jeJ79

Thank you Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group for convening this important conversation about climate change and climate-driven migration, with reflections from IA and others on how we proactively prepare our communities to be resilient, equitable, and welcoming in the face of this new future. "Invest Appalachia is using capital in innovative ways to support regional enterprise development, housing, and micropolitan downtown development. They aim to get ahead of the curve to develop downtowns so that local communities retain ownership and control of regional and local assets, another of the Thrive Rural Framework’s building blocks. To take advantage of a potential development boom, local people and organizations must have a stake in ownership of land, businesses, and assets." https://lnkd.in/epSw4htH

We are thrilled to welcome Makala Gray to the Invest Appalachia team! Makala joins us as a Tadler Fellow from the University of Virginia's University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. This fellowship supports students working with rural community leaders to revitalize local economies in Appalachia, with a focus on impact investing and applying innovative finance to policy work. During the 2024-2025 academic year, Makala will serve as our Project Intake Specialist, acting as the first point of contact for entrepreneurs and organizations seeking capital. She will play a pivotal role in developing our investment pipeline. This summer, Makala also contributed to IA as a graduate research intern, examining FEMA flood buyouts and their effects on disaster recovery and economic development in Central Appalachia. You can read more about her background in her bio below. Please join us in welcoming her to the team! #SquadGoals #ImpactInvesting #CentralAppalachia #SocialFinance #PublicPolicy

Thanks to Anne Field and Forbes for this write-up! "It took many years of analysis, community collaboration, and research, but in 2019, they formed Invest Appalachia to launch a fund, which recently had its final close with $35.5 million in commitments. Its multiple goals: transforming the region by increasing racial and socioeconomic equity, building community wealth, local ownership, and quality jobs, and advancing climate resilience and long-term sustainability. “We were created to address gaps and barriers to investment in the region,” says Andrew Crosson, CEO of Invest Appalachia, which is based in Ashville, NC. “But it was important to take it slow and do it right." "The fund, which targets Appalachian counties across Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and Tennessee, focuses on a handful of areas: clean energy; community health; food and agriculture; and place-oriented development like downtown redevelopment and the reuse of historical and industrial buildings. Funding targets everything from working capital for private businesses to commercial real estate, health-care facilities, and solar projects. “These are all things that present an investment opportunity and drive inclusive development,” says Crosson. The secret sauce is a blended capital model that mixes loans with credit enhancements and other philanthropic money... But it also taps the region’s ecosystem of existing capital providers, such as Community Development Financial Institutions." https://lnkd.in/e4B34GAf