Our Work
Louisville is a city with an incredible heritage and an exciting future. There is a great deal of excitement around many new initiatives in Louisville. However, work remains for Louisville to reach its full potential as an equitable place for all of its residents, especially for communities of color. Many historically disinvested neighborhoods struggle with blight, vacancies and high levels of poverty. That's where LISC Louisville steps in.
Investments
LISC is a national organization with a local focus, rooted in the belief that neighborhood leaders and organizations best understand the assets and needs of their communities. In order to create a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable Louisville, LISC provides financial and human capital to build the capacity of our partners and improve neighborhoods. We use our resources to invest in affordable housing and neighborhood assets to improve social, economic, and physical health. We amplify the voices of historically disenfranchised communities and advocate with them for policy solutions and resources.
LISC has invested over $25 million in Louisville since launching our local office in 2020:
- $10.6 million in New Markets Tax Credits in the Goodwill West End Opportunity Campus and the Urban League Sports Complex
- $1.55 million in grants for local nonprofit capacity building and Business Development Organizations (BDOs), plus technical assistance and training
- $250,000 towards an artificial turf sports field in the Russell neighborhood in partnership with the Cincinnati Bengals
*LISC invested $13.5 million in over 200 units of affordable housing through our affiliate the National Equity Fund in 2009 and 2010.
Business Development Support
LISC supports economic development in underserved communities by helping equip local businesses with the resources they need to thrive. We provide direct financing while also building out larger networks of coordinated assistance for small enterprises often overlooked by conventional financing channels. LISC Louisville provides support to business development organizations and nonprofits serving the West End’s BIPOC businesses and residents.
Since 2020, LISC Louisville and the Business Development Organizations that we partner with have supported over 750 small business owners and entrepreneurs in West Louisville. This support incorporates a broad range of technical assistance, including financing, business planning & strategy, marketing & sales, cash flow analysis, money management, customer identification, business cycle adaptability, employee recruitment/retention, and general business resources.
Affordable Housing Strategies
A cornerstone of LISC’s mission is to preserve and create housing that is affordable to low and middle income families. We have heard the need loud and clear: Louisville needs more quality affordable housing. LISC is experienced at financing and managing affordable housing funds, as well as providing guidance and technical assistance to housing organizations.
We are looking forward to collaborating with organizations, mission-oriented developers, the City of Louisville and other stakeholders to improve the affordable housing landscape through a variety of strategies, programs and funds.