LISC has named Jorge Cruz as executive director of LISC Greater Newark, a decades-long community investment program that has delivered more than $169 million to New Jersey neighborhoods, businesses and community organizations to support economic opportunity and growth.

“A Gateway for Possibilities”: Resident Leadership and Community Ownership

LISC's Institute for Community Power has published a new Spotlight examining three leadership development programs designed and implemented by LISC and local partners for distinct communities in different parts of the country: Training the Trainers (T4T) in Houston; the Newark Resident Leadership Academy (NRLA); and Community Connectors in Philadelphia. Each group has leveraged the leadership program to inform and strengthen their work and, in turn, to serve their communities more effectively.

This holiday season, support LISC small business borrowers and find the perfect gift for everyone on your list! All of the businesses featured here have received LISC capital to acquire their location, hire new staff, or increase inventory to help their business grow.

By Destiny Allen & Michelle Harati

This Small Business Week, we are highlighting how the Community Navigator Pilot Program, administered by the Small Business Administration, is investing in local and national partnerships with trusted organizations to reduce the barriers entrepreneurs face in accessing critical support. Partners work with small business owners across the country, including veterans, women, people with disabilities, and those from rural places and communities of color.

LISC received a $1 million grant through the 2022 TD Ready Challenge to support Bridges to Green Jobs, a LISC initiative to build pathways to employment in the green energy and climate resiliency fields. “People from communities most impacted by climate change will have the opportunity to be a part of the solution, while gaining access to jobs with good pay and growth potential,” said LISC CEO Lisa Glover.

LISC has been running its Housing Development Training Institute programs for more than 30 years, helping emerging affordable housing professionals hone their skills and make connections. Now LISC Newark has launched its own HDTI to grow the pool of developers of color and reinvigorate industry networks that are imperative to accessing capital and creating the quality affordable housing that New Jersey communities desperately need.