Invest Appalachia Fund
The Invest Appalachia Fund provides loans and technical assistance to support sectors and industries that are driving economic diversification, local ownership, and community wealth building in Central Appalachia.
Priority Sectors include:
- Energy - Renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean manufacturing, abandoned mine land reclamation, redevelopment, workforce development, community ownership
- Community Health - Workforce and affordable housing; community health facilities; healthcare provider access; addiction, treatment, and recovery; mental health; built environment; childcare; early childhood education
- Creative Placemaking - Downtown redevelopment, adaptive reuse of historic and industrial buildings, community-oriented real estate development, asset-based tourism, outdoor recreation, main street business development, community amenities, arts and culture enterprises
- Food and Agriculture - Family farms and livelihoods, local food retail, healthy food access, aggregation/distribution infrastructure, value-added processing, craft food and beverage, agroforestry and forest farming, working lands conservation
The Fund is designed to be used in conjunction with other forms of community investment. Most investments will be made in partnership with place-based lenders and funders such as CDFIs, loan funds, community foundations, and other community-based investors.
Eligible borrowers/projects must be:
- Located in or serving people in the Central Appalachian region (Appalachian counties of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio)
- Working to create positive social, environmental, and economic impacts for communities in the region
- Align with one of the priority sectors
- Be financially viable
Loan amounts and terms vary.
Types of capital include:
- Customized flexible and patient loans for projects and enterprises
- Loans to intermediaries and participation loans
- Credit enhancements such as loan guarantees, equity-like grants, technical assistance grants, and targeted coordination grants
Begin the process by submitting an online project intake form.
For complete information about funding programs, including your
application status, please contact funders directly. Summaries are provided
for your convenience only. RHIhub does not take part in application processes
or monitor application status.