Stories
Double Down on ‘Local’ to Empower Families and Communities
From pandemic relief to racial equity, success is as dependent on a strong social infrastructure in communities as it is on the dollars that flow through it, writes LISC President Denise Scott, in a new commentary. “To support just and resilient communities, we must invest in the capacity of place-based organizations to plan, execute, measure, adjust and sustain community development gains.”
In Praise of CDFIs, and Why We Need Them Now More Than Ever
LISC COO Annie Donovan knows her way around Community Development Financial Institutions. In the blog that follows, she offers an indispensable primer on how CDFIs work, the diverse ways and places they operate, and why they are imperative to building equitable and inclusive communities and helping close our country's racial wealth and opportunity gaps.
Congress Must Seize the Opportunity to Make Equitable Investments in People and Places
The Build Back Better Act is a sweeping package of investments to support underserved people and communities. LISC’s Matt Josephs takes a closer look at this historic opportunity for Congress to break down systemic barriers for people of color, while at the same time fueling an equitable economic recovery from the pandemic.
Setting the Stage for an Equitable Small Business Recovery
Since the onset of the pandemic, LISC has equipped 16,000 small business owners with relief and resilience grants. But to foster opportunity and long-term resiliency for all entrepreneurs who confront entrenched inequities, including people of color, women, immigrants and refugees, and people with lower incomes and wealth, we need a robust universe of small business “ecosystems”: the network of capital, services, and supports that every enterprise needs to get on its feet and grow.
Investing in Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
As part of an ongoing blog series, LISC’s Anna Smukowski looks at the way LISC is advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a range of activities supported by LISC Impact Notes, including investments that support Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
For an Inclusive Recovery, We Need Support for Small Business and the Groups that Help Them
LISC’s Michelle Harati reflects on the role of Business Development Organizations in supporting place-based economic recovery and calls for federal funding to support their vital missions.