November 24, 2019 Jonathan Tower, managing partner at Arctaris Impact Investors, wants to build a “social impact fund” of up to $50 million to address the needs of Northeast Ohio’s undercapitalized manufacturing companies. Tower last Monday, Nov. 18, told members of the council’s Development and Planning Committee that Arctaris, a Boston-based investment firm, has pioneered a capital structure that blends public capital from federal and state government agencies with private capital from institutional investors and foundations to provide funds for companies in low-income communities.

July 10, 2020 The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) has agreed in principle to provide up to $10 million in guarantees to Arctaris under its commercial loan insurance program to support Opportunity Zone investments in Maine. This agreement is expected to anchor $50 million of matching investments from Arctaris into economic and community development projects in Maine by providing additional security for opportunity zone qualified investments made by the Arctaris Principal-Protected Opportunity Zone Fund, LP. Click the linked title to read more about this exciting new partership.

June 12, 2019 Almost two years after the “opportunity zone” tax break became law, and almost two months after the Trump administration clarified how private equity firms, venture capitalists and other investors can qualify for the tax break, only a handful of people have started funds that focus on operating businesses. “The relative tax benefits are actually better for investing in operating businesses, particularly those with heavy capital assets,” said Jonathan Tower, managing partner at Arctaris, an impact investment fund manager based in Boston. Tower is planning to raise over $500 million for an opportunity zone fund and spend it on up to 25 primarily industrial and manufacturing companies, including some that he’ll shepherd through mergers and acquisitions with other companies.

Arctaris’ approach is somewhat unique, however. “Traditional private equity is not used to selecting companies based on their place,” Tower said, “and they probably don’t have as good deal-sourcing relationships in those areas.” The Arctaris opportunity zone fund also includes a $15 million guarantee — from the national Kresge Foundation, which focuses on cities — that will help protect investors if the fund loses money.

June 7, 2019 Joshua Pollard’s one on one Forbes interview with Kimberlee Cornett, Managing Director of the Kresge Foundation’s Social Investment Practice, about the challenge and opportunities of the investing in Opportunity Zones, as well as the intense vetting used in selecting Arctaris and CCM out of 100 funds to partner with and benefit from Kresge’s $22 Million guarantee.

May 8, 2019 The Kresge Foundation held this webinar on May 8, 2019 to detail how it has partnered with two impact investing firms — Arctaris Impact and Community Capital Management — to back their Opportunity Zones Funds that are build on a model of transparency, reporting and community impact. The firm representatives Jonathan Tower from Arctaris and David Sand from CCM joined Kresge’s Social Investment Practice Managing Director Kimberlee Cornett and Social Investment Officer Aaron Seybert to discuss why Kresge back these funds with $22M in guarantee protection.

May 6, 2019 Investing directly in 8,700 Opportunity Zones (or 1 in 8 U.S. Census tracts) for 10 years or more could eliminate any federal taxes due on those gains while alleviating poverty via job creation and income growth related to those investments. Arctaris has spearheaded investment in Opportunity Zones with $22 million in guarantees of principal protection in exchange focusing on high transparency, performance reporting and accountability to desired social goals — like affordable housing and living wage jobs.

March 17, 2019 Kresge guarantees help Arctaris participate in funding $800 Million into Opportunity Zone projects like solar farm development in Flint, Michigan. In exchange for guarantees, Arctaris commits investing in projects that create living wage jobs, align with community advisory boards and minimize displacement of residents.

March 18, 2019 The Kresge Foundation announced Monday it will partner with two established impact fund managers and provide $22 million in investments to anchor their emerging Opportunity Zone Funds, after these managers have agreed to a level of transparency, accountability, and disclosure thus far unheard of in the Opportunity Zones space.