
The Progress Fund: Financing and supporting businesses in the PA Wilds and beyond
Elk County | Elk Country of the Pennsylvania Wilds

The Progress Fund is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that is focused on providing flexible financing to new or expanding tourism-niche businesses.
Providing services across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland, The Progress Fund is headquartered in Greensburg, PA. Since 1997, it has financed accommodations, attractions, entertainment, farms, outdoor recreation, restaurants, retail, service business, wine and spirits makers and other small businesses. Through these investments and support, the organization also encourages job creation, historic preservation, diverse business ownership, local agriculture and trail-based development.
The organization lends money for the purchase of real estate, purchase of business equipment, building remodeling/restoration, working capital to cover operating expenses, and more.
As a CDFI, The Progress Fund is able to offer flexible financing that can be structured to meet each borrower’s unique needs, including flexible collateral requirements, competitive interest rates, seasonal interest only payments, etc. It can work with Local Development Districts, banks, chambers, Economic Development Corporations, Industrial Development Corporations, etc., or act as a sole lender in a project.
Learn more about The Progress Fund or leave a review/recommendation on the organization’s Wilds Cooperative of PA profile here.
RECENT WCO MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS
- Lumber Heritage Region: Uplifting the lumber industry’s history, impactsJust what is the Lumber Heritage Region? The Lumber Heritage Region, established in 2001, is one of twelve designated Heritage Areas in Pennsylvania. It spans a 15-county region in north west and north central Pennsylvania that encompasses the entire PA Wilds region.
- Endless Mountain Music Festival: Captivating sounds and sceneryThe Endless Mountain Music Festival is a premier cultural event taking place across multiple counties in northern Pennsylvania and southern New York.
- Artwork by Lynn Kibbe: Scratchboard artist intricately depicts animals, natureAfter painting for 20 years, Lynn found her art in an online forum. She’s since been doing scratchboard art for about five years.