Invest Appalachia (IA) has announced commitments totaling $16.6 million from six new investors in support of the Invest Appalachia Fund (IA Fund).

The IA Fund is designed to provide flexible community-first impact investment that reaches persistently under-resourced populations and geographies across central Appalachia. New investors include Truist Bank, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Chordata Capital, as well as regional funders including the Dogwood Health Trust, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and Greater Clark Foundation. Launched in 2022, the fund has already deployed over $6 million in blended capital investment, in projects and businesses that advance climate resilience, equity, and community wealth-building, with the expectation of tripling that number in 2024.

At close of its final round of commitments, the fund totals $35.5 million, with 80 percent of commitments coming from investors outside the region.

“We have closely followed and admired the design and development of Invest Appalachia, and see it as true leadership in the field of place-based investing, which is critical for an equitable economy,” said MacArthur Foundation associate director, impact investing Allison Clark. “We are excited to join other national impact investing leaders as an investor in this innovative and community-driven approach.”

“Thanks to commitments from investors who understand the region’s potential, central Appalachian communities are not just dreaming of a just and resilient future—we’re actively building it,” said Invest Appalachia CEO Andrew Crosson. “The $35 million in this fund is more than just a financial resource for the region, it’s another important step in the national movement to show that every community deserves the opportunity to thrive. Invest Appalachia will continue to build on this momentum, channeling flexible and creative capital into high-impact projects that empower underserved communities, boost local economies, and dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Eden Bloom)