Tenants, local residents, project supporters, and the Center team celebrate the opening of the Gehring House in Bethel, Maine.
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Invest

Help Build the New Forest Future

Your investment revitalizes communities, creates housing, and drives sustainable economic opportunity across the region. Investing with us means diversifying your portfolio while growing the communities you love. 

Why Invest 

Transform Communities. Create Lasting Impact. 

Your investment powers:

  • Quality, year-round, middle market housing for people who live and work locally 
  • Holistic green building principles for redevelopment of vacant or underutilized in-town properties 
  • A new future for the Northern Forest’s rural communities 

Impact Investments in Action

Current Opportunity: Northern Forest Fund II

Continuing our role as a catalytic investor and building on the success of our first regional fund, the Northern Forest Fund II, when capitalized, will deploy $20M in targeted communities across the region. We’ll continue to deliver right-sized housing solutions in rural communities, and focus on new, wood-first construction and market transformation, while attracting additional investment in community assets and vitality. 

Ways to Invest

  • Direct Investment – Inquire about an investment in the Northern Forest Fund. $50,000 minimum investment; open to accredited investors.  
  • Gifts and Grants – Contribute directly to projects as a donor. Make a gift today. 

See our Northern Forest Fund II Summary

Inquire about investment opportunities

A Proven Investment Model

Since 2017, the Northern Forest Center has successfully capitalized and managed three impact-first, community-driven funds focused on community revitalization and housing redevelopment: 

Millinocket Housing Fund

Stabilizing neighborhood housing and catalyzing economic redevelopment in a former mill town in Maine.

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Lancaster Main Street Fund

Restoring a historic building and attracting additional investment in downtown housing and commercial redevelopment in a North County town.

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Northern Forest Fund

Creating middle-market housing and investing in community assets in 10 focal communities across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

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Impact

Regional Impact Through Strategic Investment
Together, our Funds are driving transformational change across the region.  

  • $21.6 million deployed  
  • 83 new homes built or in development 
  • 5 commercial units and community spaces created  
  • 14 in-town properties revitalized or under development across 7 focus communities 

Map highlighting 10 communities in the Northern Forest

Returns With Impact

Our community-driven, impact-first investment funds offer fixed-income returns through promissory notes backed by a diverse portfolio and blended capital strategies that reduce risk and grow impact.  

  • Innovative Model –We use a blend of philanthropy, private capital, tax credits and local insight to unlock projects traditional developers can’t.  
  • Proven Results – We have raised, deployed, and delivered three successful investment funds, creating housing for communities and financial returns for investors. 
  • Regional Expertise – We have deep knowledge and relationships across the Northern Forest region to identify communities and projects ready for investment. 
  • Direct Relationship with Your Investment – We own and develop the projects your investment is advancing; there is no intermediary. This means you can see projects through their transformations. 
  • Community-Driven – Our projects are prioritized by local advisors to ensure the highest impact.  

Why We Invest

Meet Center supporters who use mission-driven investments to increase their impact.

Bill Berman and Liz Baum

The impact investment model gave Liz and Bill an ideal way to support housing solutions in rural communities.

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Peter Bergh and Janet Prince

Impact investments enable Peter and Janet to stretch their support further than with cash alone.

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Lisa Cashdan and Peter Stein

Lisa and Peter make impact investments through their Donor Advised Fund to increase support for key projects.

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Investment Reports

Read our past investment reports to see the impact of combining impact capital and philanthropic funding in communities:

Cover of a report with photo of people in front of a building, and text.

2025 Integrated Capital Report: Northern Forest Fund / Lancaster Main Street Fund / Millinocket Housing Initiative

Integrated Capital Report 2024: Northern Forest Fund / Lancaster Main Street Fund / Millinocket Housing Initiative

Integrated Capital Report 2023: Northern Forest Fund / Lancaster Main Street Fund / Millinocket Housing Initiative

Integrated Capital Report 2022: Northern Forest Fund / Lancaster Main Street Fund / Millinocket Housing Initiative

2021 Combined Investment Report: Northern Forest Fund / Lancaster Main Street Fund / Millinocket Housing Initiative

Staff Contact

photo of Kristen Sharpless

Kristen Sharpless

Director of Development
Cell: 603-568-0347