As we head toward Small Business Saturday, we are highlighting some of the inspiring entrepreneurs we’ve met this year. For them, it’s not just a business: it’s who they are and what they dream of.
Every year, right after Thanksgiving, and in between shopping big on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we “shop small” for Small Business Saturday. This year, shopping small has taken on special significance and greater consequence, because small businesses have been hit extraordinarily hard by the economic fallout of Covid-19. They need our support more than ever.
And we need them. They are the lifeblood of communities, providing essential goods and services, and jobs for local residents. By patronizing local businesses, communities benefit: 67% of every dollar stays in the local economy, spurring more spending and purchasing.
Since March, LISC has been supporting eateries, barbershops and salons, contractors, farmers and a wide range of other entrepreneurs to weather these difficult times. We’ve granted $51 million in relief funds to nearly 3,300 small businesses in urban and rural communities, coast to coast. The lion’s share of these funds went to enterprises most adversely affected by the shutdowns, with 90% supporting minority-owned businesses and 67% supporting women-owned businesses.
As we head toward Small Business Saturday, we are highlighting some of the inspiring entrepreneurs we’ve met on this journey. For them, it’s not just a business: it’s who they are and what they dream of.
So Shop Small this holiday season, and support your local small business and your community at the same time. That’s what we at LISC are doing – we hope you will too!
 Read Christine's Story |  Read Johnny's Story |
 Hear Jamila's Story |
Many thanks to the funders who made LISC’s small business relief grants program possible:
- Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
- Verizon
- Synchrony and Synchrony Foundation
- Sam’s Club
- Truist Charitable Fund
- Wells Fargo
- P&G Disaster Relief Fund
- Secret
- U.S. Bank Foundation
- Macquarie Group Foundation
- eBay Foundation/Silicon Valley Community Foundation
- Nielsen Foundation
- Lockheed Martin