The UnitedHealth Group has announced a $10 million commitment to the Invest Appalachia Fund (IA) as part of a larger investment led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) totaling $19 million to support regional economic development.

Launched to accelerate development across Appalachian counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, the fund will bolster economic equity initiatives addressing food insecurity and access to housing and health care and invest in clean energy and community revitalization projects across the underserved rural region. Other funding partners include the Cassiopeia Foundation, Laughing Gull Foundation and Sugarbush Valley Impact Investments.

According to ARC, the Appalachian region experiences poverty rates more than 1.5 times the national average, hindering investment in reliable transportation, housing, access to health care, education, and employment, as well as a disproportionally high level of substance use disorders.

“Invest Appalachia is a deeply collaborative investment model, rooted in place and designed to meet the needs of Appalachia’s underserved communities while providing a large-scale opportunity for national impact investors,” said Invest Appalachia CEO Andrew Crosson. “While our investment dollars are important, I believe that IA’s values-based focus on inclusive economic development and ecosystem capacity is what will help create a more equitable and resilient future for the region.”

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