Durr has served as interim president of LFM since May and in that time has ushered in a series of new investors and project closings. "She understands how to connect with investors on questions of risk, return and impact as well as how to make connections with developers, community organizations and city leaders to generate the best possible outcomes,” said Michael Pugh, LISC president and CEO.

An article in Bloomberg highlights MacKenzie Scott’s recent unrestricted grant-making to nonprofits, including a $65 million gift to LISC. Unrestricted gifts like this, in addition to Scott’s 2020 donation of $40 million, allow LISC to intensify and build upon its work with a more flexible and innovative approach. As our CEO Michael Pugh noted to Bloomberg, “the ability to have unrestricted giving like this frankly allows us to unlock and tap into the American Dream for everyday Americans across our country.”

LISC is one of five organizations leading Power Forward Communities, a new coalition investing in green housing and jobs to support economic opportunity and climate resilience. Today, the EPA awarded the coalition $2 billion to implement a decarbonization strategy that also lifts up under-resourced communities—making housing more affordable, mitigating climate impacts and improving local health.

The economic downturn of 2008 forced retired Fortune 100 executive, Artura Taylor, back into the workforce. Instead of working for someone else, she launched her own business, TDG Scientific, to supply lab equipment, chemicals, PPE, and more to the corporate and government sectors. Like many Black business owners, Taylor found it difficult to access capital to scale her business. Thanks to financing through the Abbott-LISC Initiative to Support Diverse Businesses in Health, Taylor’s business now has the resources to invest in its IT infrastructure and grow its bid department to pursue more contracts.

By Michelle Harati, LISC Senior Policy Officer

The Economic Mobility Corps program is investing in the capacity of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) while expanding inclusive access to workforce development opportunities within the field.

East Toledo’s Masonic Temple once held a stately presence on Fourth and Main. With support from LISC, a local developer is reclaiming its historic prominence in the neighborhood, converting it into 42 units of affordable senior housing.