Local Initiatives Support Corporation
LISC is a U.S. nonprofit CDFI founded in 1979 that deploys grants, loans, equity, and technical assistance to affordable-housing developers, small businesses, and community organizations across 49 states and Puerto Rico via 37 local offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Local Initiatives Support Corporation does
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a U.S. nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 1979 and headquartered at 28 Liberty Street in New York City. LISC deploys grants, loans, equity investments, and technical assistance to under-resourced communities across all 49 states and Puerto Rico, operating through 37 local offices and a network of partnerships spanning 2,400 rural counties. Its primary beneficiaries are low- and moderate-income communities, nonprofit affordable-housing developers, small businesses, healthcare anchors, and youth-serving organizations, with a foundational focus on affordable housing that expands into economic development, child care, health, sustainability, and small-business support.
LISC's core product set is financial rather than technological: flexible lending products (construction, predevelopment, acquisition, and New Markets Tax Credit loans), the Impact Notes impact-investment instrument, capacity-building technical assistance, and affiliated investment vehicles (LISC Fund Management, National Equity Fund, Broadstreet, LISC Strategic Investments). Its technology stack is not publicly disclosed and is not a core differentiator — the organization operates a CDFI capital-deployment platform rather than a software product. Programmatic services include Financial Opportunity Centers, the DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation's Game On initiative, the Uber Health Access Fund, the Black Economic Development Fund, the Workday Foundation / Anthropic Solopreneurship Accelerator, and the California Housing Development Training Institute.
LISC's revenue model is hybrid: contributed support from federal, state, and local government grants (including CDFI Fund awards), corporate and foundation grants, net interest income from a $475M+ loan portfolio with under-2% delinquency, equity-investment returns, and fees from managed investment vehicles. Since 1979 LISC has invested roughly $38 billion ($1.8B grants, $7B loans, $29B equity), catalyzing $102 billion in total development activity and producing 506,000+ affordable homes and 82.5 million square feet of community space. Annual investment volume reached $3.1 billion in 2025, the second-largest year on record.
Local Initiatives Support Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation
- Legal name
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation
- Website
- https://lisc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- LISC is a U.S. nonprofit CDFI founded in 1979 that deploys grants, loans, equity, and technical assistance to affordable-housing developers, small businesses, and community organizations across 49 states and Puerto Rico via 37 local offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local Initiatives Support Corporation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Financial Services
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)
Keywords
Where Local Initiatives Support Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Local Initiatives Support Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Grants and Government Funding: LISC receives federal, state, and local government grants and CDFI Fund awards to support community development projects in underserved areas including housing, food access, and economic development.
- Loan and Equity Investments: LISC provides loans and equity investments to community development projects, generating returns through interest and investment income while supporting affordable housing, small business, and community facilities.
- Partnership and Funder Contributions: Corporate and foundation partners contribute funding to LISC-managed funds and initiatives such as the Black Economic Development Fund, Game On initiative, and Health Access Fund.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Local Initiatives Support Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides flexible lending products (construction loans, predevelopment financing, acquisition loans, NMTC financing), capacity building technical assistance, and impact investment vehicles to under-resourced communities. The organization supports affordable housing, small businesses, community facilities, and youth development across 49 states and Puerto Rico through its network of 37 local offices and wholly-owned investment affiliates.
Product overview
LISC is a community development financial institution (CDFI) offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and services rather than a traditional software product platform. Core offerings include flexible lending products (construction loans, predevelopment financing, acquisition loans, NMTC financing), capacity building technical assistance, Impact Notes investment instruments, and affiliate investment companies (LISC Fund Management, National Equity Fund, Broadstreet). These are complemented by program services including Financial Opportunity Centers, the Game On sports facility initiative, Health Access Fund, Solopreneurship Accelerator Program, Coramino Fund grants, and the California Housing Development Training Institute. LISC also manages the Black Economic Development Fund and provides access to the LISC Resource Library of research and educational materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rural LISC: LISC's rural-focused initiative supporting community development in rural areas across 2,400 counties
- LISC Fund Management
- Black Economic Development Fund
- Game On - Community Places to Play Initiative
Products and services
- Lending
- Capacity Building
- Impact Notes
- Investment Companies
- Financial Opportunity Centers
- Black Economic Development Fund
- LISC AmeriCorps
Quantifiable outcome
- $3.1 billion invested in 2025, second largest investment year on record
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Local Initiatives Support Corporation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Local Initiatives Support Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- UbercoreUber and LISC opened new grant applications through the Health Access Fund with up to $750,000 in new grants to help nonprofit healthcare providers connect low-income patients to transportation for medical appointments. Grants averaging $50,000 per awardee across nine U.S. markets during 2026-2027. Since the fund's launch in 2021, Uber has contributed more than $9 million.
- AnthropiccoreAnthropic partnered with CDFIs including Accion Opportunity Fund, Community Reinvestment Fund USA, Pacific Community Ventures, and LISC to expand AI access to underserved small business owners through the Solopreneurship Accelerator Program. LISC provides coaching through its network of Business Development Organizations.
- Merritt Community Capital CorporationcoreLISC launched the 2026 California Affordable Housing Development Training Institute (HDTI) in partnership with Merritt Community Capital Corporation to train nonprofit developers in affordable housing development. The program has trained over 600 practitioners since 1988.
- Abode CommunitiescoreLISC provided $2.16 million in predevelopment financing to Abode Communities for Western Landing, an 80-unit residence for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, through the Modular Housing Fund.
- Yoke Management PartnerscoreLISC invested $2.4 million as a capital partner in Yoke Management Partners' redevelopment project in Prince George's County, Maryland. The project transformed a neglected property into high-quality affordable housing using a layered capital approach combining private developer equity with nonprofit capital and public-sector preservation funding.
- VerizoncoreVerizon partnered with LISC to operate the Small Business Digital Ready Grant program, a competitive national program supporting high-potential small businesses demonstrating operational excellence and growth readiness with digital systems and operational innovation.
- Enterprise Community PartnerscoreLISC partnered with Enterprise Community Partners and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to publish 'What's Possible: Investing NOW for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods,' a guidebook for equitable green investing and community development funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Local Initiatives Support Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit CDFI delivering loans, grants, and policy advocacy for affordable housing and community development. Direct peer to LISC — they even co-publish research on equitable green investing and frequently co-invest in affordable housing deals.
- The Reinvestment Fund: Philadelphia-based CDFI providing flexible capital for housing, education, health, and economic development in disinvested communities. Closely comparable to LISC in product mix (NMTC, lending, equity) and target markets.
- Self-Help / Center for Community Self-Help: North Carolina-based CDFI network offering home loans, small business lending, and community development financing. Comparable scale and mission to LISC, with strong federal CDFI Fund track record and similar rural/multi-state reach.
- Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF): San Francisco-based CDFI focused on housing, child care, education, and community facilities for low-income communities. Closely comparable to LISC's program areas and CDFI Fund-certified capital deployment model.
- Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI delivering capital and capacity building in housing, health, education, and economic development. Highly comparable to LISC in product suite (NMTC, lending, technical assistance) and ImpactAssets 50 peer status.
- Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing small business loans and community development financing. Comparable as a CDFI Fund-certified lender serving under-resourced markets, though more regionally concentrated than LISC.
Broad incumbents
- Opportunity Finance Network: National CDFI intermediary and trade association that finances and represents 1,000+ CDFIs. Comparable to LISC as the broader CDFI ecosystem backbone, though it operates more as a network/investor than a direct lender.
- Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit building and financing affordable homeownership. Overlapping mission and beneficiary base with LISC, but focused on direct homeownership construction rather than multi-product community development finance.
- National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): National coalition advocating for fair lending and community reinvestment. Adjacent to LISC's policy and advocacy work in CRA-related financing, with overlapping corporate and foundation partners.
Emerging players
- Grameen America: Microfinance nonprofit providing small business loans to low-income women entrepreneurs. Overlaps with LISC's small business lending and Financial Opportunity Center programs but focuses narrowly on microenterprise.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Local Initiatives Support Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceLocal Initiatives Support Corporation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Local Initiatives Support Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local Initiatives Support Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Local Initiatives Support Corporation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Local Initiatives Support Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds15 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local Initiatives Support Corporation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments13 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Local Initiatives Support Corporation
What does Local Initiatives Support Corporation do?
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides flexible lending products (construction loans, predevelopment financing, acquisition loans, NMTC financing), capacity building technical assistance, and impact investment vehicles to under-resourced communities. The organization supports affordable housing, small businesses, community facilities, and youth development across 49 states and Puerto Rico through its network of 37 local offices and wholly-owned investment affiliates.
Is Local Initiatives Support Corporation a public or private company?
Local Initiatives Support Corporation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Local Initiatives Support Corporation founded?
Local Initiatives Support Corporation was founded in 1979. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Local Initiatives Support Corporation based?
Local Initiatives Support Corporation is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Local Initiatives Support Corporation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grants and Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are loan and Equity Investments and partnership and Funder Contributions.
Who are Local Initiatives Support Corporation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Enterprise Community Partners, The Reinvestment Fund, Self-Help / Center for Community Self-Help, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Capital Impact Partners and Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI). Broad incumbents are Opportunity Finance Network, Habitat for Humanity International and National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). Grameen America is listed as an emerging player.
Does Local Initiatives Support Corporation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
What industry is Local Initiatives Support Corporation in?
Local Initiatives Support Corporation's product category is Community Development Financial Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts), with a secondary code of BPAGALAA, Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance). Its NAICS code is 8133.