LISC is teaming up with Lowe’s to help small businesses in Western North Carolina recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. We will make $20,000 grants to 100 small businesses to address urgent needs and jumpstart recovery. Small businesses in disaster-declared communities may apply for grants from Nov. 18 to Nov. 22.

LISC announced today that the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund (EOCF) has surpassed its $500 million goal for small business lending across the country—more than two years ahead of schedule. LISC is now expanding the program to double its impact, aiming to support $1 billion in financing for underserved businesses and communities. “We are working to level the playing field—to connect promising but overlooked businesses to affordable financing so that whole communities can benefit from economic development and growth,” said Steve Hall, LISC vice president of Small Business Lending.

The CDFI Fund announced New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) awards to 104 organizations today, including a $65 million allocation for LISC, the largest amount allocated to recipient groups. It brings LISC’s total NMTC awards to nearly $1.3 billion, which we have leveraged to fuel the development of retail, manufacturing, health care, childcare, and education facilities in under-resourced communities. LISC’s NMTC work is managed by its affiliate, Broadstreet Impact Services, a community investor and fund services firm focused social and economic impact across the country.

With our partners Gran Coramino® Tequila and Kevin Hart, LISC has awarded $1M in grants to more than 100 Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, helping close wealth and opportunity gaps that limit their ability to grow. Meet our latest group of grantees.

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.

Being a successful entrepreneur is hard if you can’t dream big. That’s why LISC, Gran Coramino and Kevin Hart are teaming up again to offer $10,000 grants to help fuel small business growth for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs who face systemic obstacles to accessing capital.