Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

Meet Dextrianna Magee (Dex), a rural Mississippi native who recently earned an MBA from William Carey University. She was working three jobs to make ends meet when she discovered RCLF in Gulfport, MS, a #CDFI that helps people become successful homeowners and entrepreneurs. Thanks to the LISC AmeriCorps – Economic Mobility program supported by Citi Foundation, Magee now works at RCLF as an outreach representative, who spends her time in the community promoting the organization’s services and resources. Last fall she attended the Opportunity Finance Network Conference in Los Angeles, where she got to network with people from CDFIs across the country. “They just opened my eyes to a lot of opportunity out there that I just was not aware of,” she said. Magee plans to continue working in the CDFI industry when her AmeriCorps term ends this April. Hear Magee talk about what inspired her to join AmeriCorps and the most important thing she’s learned from her time with RCLF. Rural LISC

#CDFI issuers of rated notes recently surpassed $1B in sales, translating into new pathways of investment in our communities. LISC’s Kathleen Keefe reflects on reaching this milestone and what it means for investment opportunities in 2025: https://lnkd.in/eCq4rrii    The purchase of LISC Impact Notes is subject to risks, which are described in our prospectus. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy our securities. Before investing you should read our prospectus available at www.lisc.org/invest

Jaizhon Reeder felt stuck, searching for the right career path in #Detroit when a friend told him about MiSide’s YouthBuild Academy, a skilled trades career training program for young adults supported by Lowe's Foundation through LISC. It proved to be a life-changing recommendation.    During the 24-week program, Reeder learned foundational carpentry skills in the classroom, earned key credentials for employment in the sector, and got hands-on experience building and rehabbing affordable housing in the community.    Along the way, MiSide’s coaches provided Reeder with invaluable support and encouragement, ultimately helping him secure a paid apprenticeship with the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights. Now, he's eager to build a lasting career in the #skilledtrades.

Thank you for the renewed grant support Lowe's Foundation, and congratulations to our fellow grantees! We’re proud to be part of such a talented group of organizations working to nurture the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

🏫 This Black History Month, we’re celebrating the impact of #HBCUs in shaping bold leaders and changemakers. Join LISC's Anikka King on February 27 at 1PM EST for a special panel featuring students from the LISC HBCU Internship Program as they discuss their journeys, contributions to the #CDFI industry, and the lasting legacy of HBCUs in Black history and beyond. Together, let’s honor the past, celebrate the present, and empower the future—see you there! https://lnkd.in/eAFiAw-U Ariel Carr, Malik R. Hudson, Camera Lemons, Matthew Caldwell

In collaboration with a coalition of partners, LISC provided a $14.8 million bridge loan to transform an abandoned public school building in San Juan into Puerto Rico’s first charter school! Read more: https://lnkd.in/d5duEMBv LISC Charter School Financing

Our very own Kandis Williams, executive director of LISC Cleveland, is featured in a Crain's Cleveland Business article exploring a new LISC heirs’ property initiative, which provides families with estate planning, legal support and financial counseling that can help clear up clouded property titles and preserve homes for future generations.   Many thanks to the U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund for supporting this important work in Cleveland and Cincinnati. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eDbCyJhS

Congratulations to our Executive Director Rob Lockett for being named one of 25 notable Black Non-Profit Leaders in Detroit by Real Times Media. Rob works tirelessly to ensure we deliver on our mission and promise to our clients, partners, and community stakeholders in Detroit. Thank you, Rob for your leadership and commitment to LISC!

It was an honor to be in NOLA during one of the nation’s biggest events, celebrating and elevating the power of community-driven work. This Super Bowl, I joined Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)’s longtime partner, Verizon, to champion small businesses and our shared commitment to strengthening local economies.     We were joined by three of our Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grantees —King Reese Trucking (South Milwaukee, WI), Nutripair (Fountain Valley, CA), and Hortiki Plants (Washington, D.C.). Each of the business owners exemplifies the resilience, determination, and impact of local entrepreneurs who drive economic growth and opportunity in their communities.     Here’s to many more years of partnership and impact. Photo Credit: Tiffany Sage / BFA.com 

Big news! LISC Atlanta is among five organizations receiving funding from JPMorganChase as it expands its commitments to increase housing supply and support greater housing affordability in Atlanta. A $75,000 grant to LISC Atlanta will support our heirs’ properties initiative, which helps families clear up clouded property titles and preserve homes and the equity they provide for future generations. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gkJkQy4Q