What LISC Milwaukee does

LISC Milwaukee is the Milwaukee local office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) founded in 1979 and headquartered in New York. The organization deploys flexible capital — grants, loans, and equity investments — alongside technical assistance to under-resourced communities across the United States, with a foundation in affordable housing that extends into economic development, small business, education, health, income and wealth building, safety and justice, child care, sustainability, and sports and youth development. LISC Milwaukee operates as one of 35+ local offices, providing place-based support to community-based organizations, affordable housing developers, small business owners, and residents in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, and benefiting from national programs such as the Financial Opportunity Center®, Bridges to Career Opportunities, and Bridges to Green Jobs.

LISC's core products are programs and capital deployment vehicles rather than software or hardware. The platform includes direct CDFI lending, equity investment, and grantmaking; investment management through wholly-owned affiliates LISC Fund Management, National Equity Fund, and Broadstreet Impact Services; impact investing products such as Impact Notes; and knowledge resources such as the LISC Resource Library, LISC Institute for Community Power, and Community Research & Impact. There is no proprietary software stack referenced; the underlying technology is the operational infrastructure of a national nonprofit CDFI — underwriting systems, fund management operations, and a research/policy publishing capability. Since 1979, LISC has invested $38 billion cumulatively ($1.8B grants, $7B loans, $29B equity) and catalyzed $102 billion in total development, resulting in 463,000+ affordable homes and apartments and 78.5 million square feet of retail, community, and educational space.

LISC's business model is that of a mission-driven nonprofit. Revenue is generated through grants from corporations, foundations, and government entities; returns on flexible below-market loans and equity investments to community development projects; and management and impact-investing fees earned through its investment affiliates. Distribution is direct and field-based — through the 35+ local offices and partnerships with banks, corporations, and foundations — rather than through retail or reseller channels. The organization is led by CEO Michael Pugh, is governed by an independent board of directors, holds CDFI Fund certification, and has been named to the ImpactAssets 50 list for ten consecutive years.

Name

LISC Milwaukee

Legal name

Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Website

https://lisc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LISC Milwaukee is the Milwaukee local office of LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), a 501(c)(3) community development financial institution that deploys grants, loans, and equity to affordable housing developers, small businesses, and under-resourced residents across the Milwaukee metropolitan area and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants: LISC receives grants from corporations, foundations, and government entities to fund community development programs across housing, economic development, education, health, and other program areas.
2. Lending Products: LISC provides flexible lending products including loans to under-resourced borrowers for affordable housing, small business, and community development projects.
3. Equity Investments: LISC makes equity investments in community development projects, particularly in affordable housing and economic development initiatives.
4. Fund Management: LISC Fund Management, one of LISC's investment companies, manages funds that bridge investors with projects in under-resourced communities, earning management fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LISC Milwaukee is a regional office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) that deploys capital and technical assistance to under-resourced communities in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It offers flexible lending products (grants, loans, equity investments), capacity-building support, and workforce development programs such as the Financial Opportunity Center® to affordable housing developers, small business owners, and community-based organizations.

Product overview

LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that operates as a comprehensive community development platform rather than a single product. The organization offers a multi-faceted portfolio including flexible CDFI lending products (grants, loans, equity), investment management through affiliates (LISC Fund Management, National Equity Fund, Broadstreet Impact Services), and workforce development programs (Financial Opportunity Center®, Bridges to Career Opportunities, Bridges to Green Jobs). The platform also includes knowledge resources such as the Heirs' Property Playbook, LISC Resource Library, and the LISC Institute for Community Power for research and policy guidance. Impact Notes provide investment opportunities for mission-aligned investors. These products work together to address systemic gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity for under-resourced communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Financial Opportunity Center®: Program helping people build solid pathways to financial stability
• LISC Institute for Community Power
• Bridges to Career Opportunities
• Bridges to Green Jobs

Products and services

• CDFI Lending Flexible lending products providing loans, grants, and equity investments to under-resourced borrowers — including affordable housing developers, small businesses, and community development organizations — to help uplift communities.
• LISC Fund Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Created or preserved 463,000+ affordable homes and apartments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Equity Fund (NEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Equity Fund is one of LISC's investment companies that helps bridge the gap between investors and projects in under-resourced communities. NEF focuses on affordable housing and community development financing.
• Broadstreet Impact ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadstreet is a LISC affiliate that helps bridge the gap between investors and projects in under-resourced communities, providing investment management and advisory services.
• LISC Fund ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC Fund Management is one of LISC's investment companies that manages funds bridging investors with community development projects in under-resourced communities.
• Next CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC partnered with Next City to produce the Equitable Pathways to Small Business Recovery playbook, a collaborative effort to document and share strategies for equitable small business recovery, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Allina HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in South Minneapolis with hospitals and corporations through the Phillips Partnership, supporting housing, safety, jobs, and infrastructure initiatives. Allina Health has continued to support community health programs including the Backyard Initiative.
• Uber, Walgreens, PayPalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC partnered with Uber, Walgreens, and PayPal for the Health Access Fund initiative to increase access to transportation for healthcare and social services by offering free rides as part of service delivery.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Enterprise Community Partners: One of the largest U.S. CDFIs and community development nonprofits, focused on affordable housing and community development with a national footprint. Highly comparable to LISC in mission, capital deployment model, and program breadth.
• NeighborWorks America: A national network of community development nonprofits supporting affordable housing and community revitalization through a local-affiliate model. Directly comparable to LISC's 35+ local office structure and capacity-building approach.
• Reinvestment Fund: A CDFI that finances affordable housing, education, healthcare, and community development projects. Closely mirrors LISC's mixed grant/loan/equity deployment and impact-investing orientation.
• Calvert Impact Capital: A nonprofit impact investing intermediary raising capital from individuals and institutions to fund community development. Comparable to LISC's fund management and Impact Notes strategies.
• Opportunity Finance Network: The national membership/financing intermediary for CDFIs. Comparable to LISC in serving the CDFI ecosystem, though OFN's role is intermediary-of-CDFIs rather than direct deployer.
• Self-Help Credit Union: A CDFI credit union providing responsible financial services and community development lending to under-resourced communities. Comparable in target market and CDFI lending model.
• Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF): A nonprofit CDFI supporting cooperatives, community businesses, and worker-owned enterprises in low-income areas. Comparable in community development lending to underserved borrowers.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: A large nonprofit focused on affordable homeownership with national reach. Comparable to LISC in affordable housing mission, but distinct in its volunteer-build model and homeownership-only focus.
• MacArthur Foundation (Community Development): A major foundation funder in housing and community development. Comparable as a capital provider to LISC's borrowers and an ecosystem participant rather than a direct operator.

Emerging players

• National Community Reinvestment Coalition: A national coalition advocating for fair lending and community reinvestment. Adjacent to LISC's mission with overlapping policy advocacy and capacity-building work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LISC_Milwaukee
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/localinitiatives
• Facebookfacebook.com/lisc.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/16917
• Instagraminstagram.com/lisc_hq

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LISC Milwaukee