What is LISC?
LISC Indianapolis is the local office of a national organization that helps resident-led, community-based development organizations transform distressed communities and neighborhoods into healthy ones.
By mobilizing corporate, government, and philanthropic support, LISC provides financing, technical advice, management and program consulting, training, and policy support to neighborhoods. We work to restore housing, stimulate economic development, champion education, create avenues out of poverty, and support healthy environments and lifestyles. Our efforts are based on the proven principle that sustainable revitalization works best when it is driven by community residents and stakeholders, not imposed from the outside.
Featured Stories
MacKenzie Scott Donates $65 Million to LISC
MacKenzie Scott, the prolific philanthropist, announced that she is donating $65 million to LISC, the largest contribution in our organization’s 45-year history. This is Scott’s second grant to LISC, which builds on a $40 million gift in 2020 that was used to seed programs that narrow gaps in health, wealth and opportunity, particularly for communities of color.
Our Programs
Equitable Food Access Initiative
The EFAI is a community-based planning and implementation process that convenes residents, community leaders, subject matter experts and civic organizations to develop a vision of equitable food access that will be translated into achievable strategies. [...]
Place-based Community Development
LISC prioritizes investments to organizations and institutions that have created a collective vision for their neighborhood. [...]
Economic Development Programs
Our work creates accessible opportunities for people to find jobs that increase their income and assets, and at the same time, it grows businesses and rebuilds neighborhood economies through integrated strategies that develop talent, businesses, and districts. [...]
Bridges to Career Opportunities
Bridges is a LISC model that helps adults who are unemployed and underemployed train for, land, and advance in jobs in local growth industries by helping them overcome the roadblocks to success. [...]
FAQs
How do I partner with LISC?
In any given year, LISC partners with more than 200 distinct organizational partners including more than 30 community-based organizations. Bringing together local leaders from financial institutions, government, funders, nonprofits, and neighborhoods is important to lasting change. Interested in getting involved? Please see our staff listing to match your area of interest with the correct contact. [...]
How do I get a grant from LISC?
LISC makes a variety of grant investments to support the implementation of our Programs and place-based strategies. As an intermediary, our ability to make grants is dependent on support from our funders which varies from year to year in terms of availability and priorities. If you believe your work is in alignment with one of our program or place-based strategies, please reach out. [...]
How do I get a loan or equity investment from LISC?
LISC is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that offers loans and equity products (link to page) to support a variety of real estate developments, including housing, retail projects, industrial projects, and community facilities. We offer flexible financing during all stages of projects — predevelopment, property acquisition, construction, and permanent. [...]
LISC invests in underserved urban and rural communities nationwide — helping bridge racial health, wealth, and opportunity gaps + building more affordable and resilient places to live, work and play.
$40.5M
$87.9M
$190.6M
$319M
total investment
$1.1B
in total development