Financial Opportunity
LISC knows that healthy, sustainable communities are made up of people who have living wage jobs and feel confident about their economic futures.
To get there, residents need the skills to advance along the path to employment and manage their money well. That’s why we invest in helping people tackle all the facets of financial life—earning a steady paycheck, budgeting, building good credit and saving for education and retirement—and in providing specialized support to fast-track people for occupational skills-training programs that can lead to quality jobs in high-demand industries.
Our model has two primary components:
Our Financial Opportunity Centers (FOCs) address economic instability by providing families with integrated services to boost earnings, build credit, reduce expenses, and make sound financial decisions that increase assets. We have a network of more than 95 centers embedded in community-based organizations across the country. FOCs offer comprehensive, wrap around services, including:
- Job Training & Placement Services: These enable workers to secure new and higher-paying employment—jobs that meet monthly living expenses and open the door to advancement.
- Financial Coaching & Education: Through our community-based partners we offer one-on-one financial counseling, and low-cost financial products that help build credit, savings and assets. Clients also take budgeting and money management classes.
- Income Supports: FOCs also connect people with income supports such as food stamps, utilities assistance, affordable health insur-ance and vouchers for transportation and work apparel.
Our Bridges to Career Opportunity (BCO) program connects clients to “middle skills” jobs with a career pathway and helps local employers staff up with employees who can get the job done. We connect employers who are in need of workers with a specific skill set to job seekers trained in those skills. Offered on a weekly basis, BCO services last between 4 and 52 weeks.
We are proud to partner with District 1199c Training & Upgrading Fund and Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM) to offer FOC services in Philadelphia.
Philanthropic Supporters:
Our Financial Opportunity Centers are made possible through the generosity of:
Ally Financial, "At Ally, we firmly believe it’s our responsibility as corporate citizens to make a positive social impact on the world around us. This belief is embedded in the very fabric of our business and culture."
Brook J. Lenfest Foundation, "The Brook J. Lenfest Foundation is a charitable foundation established by Brook J. Lenfest in 2000. It is dedicated to making people aware of positive life choices and providing support and opportunities for those motivated to pursue them. Its grants focus mainly on education, job training and mentoring programs."
Citi Group, "The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world."
Citizens Bank, "Citizenship is at the heart of who we are, rooted in the belief that when people and communities reach their potential, we all thrive."
Pew Charitable Trusts,"The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems."
State Farm, "State Farm and the State Farm Companies Foundation focus charitable grants on non-profit initiatives that build safer, stronger, and better educated communities."
Wells Fargo, "We work with non-profits throughout the country to address complex societal issues, including housing affordability, financial health, and small business growth."
