INVEST APPALACHIA

Community Investment by and for the people of Central Appalachia

"Resourcing Appalachian Resilience After Helene": An IA + AFN Co-Authored Feature, Now in the Stanford Social Innovation Review

Investment is how we build the Appalachian future we need and deserve.

Investment is a powerful tool for creating equitable outcomes and systemic change.

Invest Appalachia works to improve how communities can connect to funding in a region that has long been overlooked. By combining different types of funding to meet project needs, we help investment-worthy projects become investment-ready – unlocking opportunities for equitable prosperity in underserved communities.

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True prosperity must be equitable, inclusive, and resilient.

Central Appalachia’s cultural, environmental, and human assets can be the foundation for sustainable economies that create broadly shared local wealth. Locally-rooted leaders, community organizations, and entrepreneurs are leading the way. Mission-oriented investors, Funders, and public agencies must work together to resource community priorities. We all have a role to play in a brighter future of lasting and inclusive economic opportunity … and partnership is the pathway to get there.

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We’re working to build healthier communities, build wealthier communities, and in doing so, build the power of folks in Central Appalachia not only to write their own next chapter, but also to tell it.

We need an economy where everyone can see a place for themselves, and Invest Appalachia will help move the region in that direction. IA is rooted in place and designed to meet the needs of Appalachia’s underserved communities. This deeply collaborative model puts impact and community interests first, while also providing a large-scale opportunity for national impact investors. IA’s investment dollars are important, but I believe the focus on values, ecosystem capacity, and partnerships is the real key to creating a more equitable and resilient future for the region.

It was important for Invest Appalachia to build on what works, and help existing community finance actors go further with their capital. We are stronger when we work together, and that mindset is what drives IA.

Invest Appalachia is an example of what’s possible when partners come together to think beyond their usual boundaries and create community-centered, regional-scale solutions.

Appalachia is a region known for its creativity, hard work, and long-standing tradition of people helping people. At the Appalachian Regional Commission, the key to creating transformational growth throughout our region lies in drawing upon Appalachia’s history of collaboration. As such, we are pleased to support organizations like Invest Appalachia, which works across county and state borders to build capacity and bring new investment and vision into Central Appalachia.