Three Local Organizations Receive High Impact Investment Capital through Invest Louisville

The Community Foundation of Louisville announced today that three local organizations have received investment capital through Invest Louisville, a new impact investing program aimed at pooling capital and deploying resources for local projects in underinvested areas of Louisville.

Launched in July 2024, Invest Louisville provides loans, debt guarantees, and lines of credit to support affordable and accessible housing, job creation, and community development in under-resourced areas of Louisville. Over $3 million has been invested to date. “These early investments are a demonstration of the Community Foundation’s commitment to supporting underinvested parts of Louisville, by providing resources that enable people to practice self-determination,” said Ron Gallo, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Louisville.

Three local organizations – REBOUND, Inc., the Louisville Urban League, and Re:Land Group, LLC – were the recipients of these first Invest Louisville investments.

REBOUND, which stands for Rebuilding Our Urban Neighborhood Dwellings, is a nonprofit Community Housing Development Organization that promotes affordable housing, community development, expands opportunities, and improves stability for Louisville’s low-income and vulnerable families, primarily in West Louisville but throughout the entire city. Through Invest Louisville, REBOUND received a $750,000 loan to acquire property in Louisville’s West End to build a Justice Center, which will provide quality, affordable space for social justice and organizations with a focus on affordable housing, education, and advocacy.

“REBOUND is extremely honored to be one of the first recipients of a loan through Invest Louisville. This loan made it possible for us to secure this highly sought-after land, located on one of our city’s major thoroughfares, for this needed project. This project will create a permanent home and shared space/resources for organizations in our community that support affordable housing through education, training, and advocacy. Ultimately this creates a space that lends to stronger collaboration and alignment of efforts amongst the organizations,” says Kevin Dunlap, REBOUND President and CEO.

The Louisville Urban League (LUL) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community service organization dedicated to advancing equality for Black people and marginalized populations across our community. LUL received a $1 million loan from Invest Louisville to seed its Reparative Economics Fund. This new investment vehicle will provide flexible capital options to Black businesses and community organizations. The Reparative Economics Fund will help create 500 stable Black-owned companies by 2027, a goal identified in A Path Forward Strategic Plan: FY23 – FY33.

“The ability to access capital is one of the most critical components to any successful business, new or existing,” said LUL President and CEO Lyndon Pryor. “In a world where Black entrepreneurs still struggle to gain equitable access to opportunities, it is amazing to have a partner like CFL willing to help us create new pathways for new businesses in Louisville.”

Re:Land is an emerging urban planning, design, and development group that invests in neighborhoods by empowering communities. Re:Land Group received a $1.5 million loan from Invest Louisville to build 233 units of affordable multi-family housing on what was previously an abandoned industrial site in the Park Hill/Algonquin Acres neighborhood.

“The Justice Center, Park Hill/Algonquin redevelopment, and Reparative Economics Fund represent the types of transformative projects the Invest Louisville pool is seeking. Since the July launch, our team has received over 40 investment requests totaling approximately $25 million. Undoubtedly, there is a need for more non-traditional capital to invest in projects that improve the quality of life for all of Louisville’s residents,” said Ramona Dallum, Senior Vice President of community Leadership at the Community Foundation of Louisville.

Anne McKune, Vice President of Advancement at the Foundation, stated, “With support from our fundholders and other community investors, the Foundation has secured over $9 million to date for the Invest Louisville pool. And we hope to raise an additional $15 million by the end of 2025. Unlike a traditional investment, Invest Louisville investments have an intended social and financial return. And unlike a traditional grant, these dollars are designed to be returned to the Fund and recycled back into the community. They improve life outcomes while earning interest. People who join the Invest Louisville pool have the potential to recover their contribution to be used for future philanthropic purposes.”

Current fundholders at the Community Foundation are invited to allocate all or a portion of their charitable funds at the Foundation into Invest Louisville. New donors can participate by opening a fund or by making a direct contribution.

Individuals interested in investing can learn more by attending one of the upcoming Invest Louisville Information Sessions. Register today to attend on Thursday, February 27 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. or Tuesday, March 4 from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m at Eventbrite.com `

Visit investlouisville.com or contact the Foundation’s Community Leadership team at investlouisville@cflouisville.org for information on how to contribute to Invest Louisville, or to share information about a potential impact investment project.