LISC San Diego

What LISC San Diego does

LISC San Diego is the San Diego regional office of LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), a national nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 1979. LISC San Diego operates as one of 34 local field offices deployed across 35 US states, serving the Southern California market with on-the-ground staff who provide flexible financing and capacity-building support to under-resourced communities. Core products include lending products (pre-development, construction, acquisition, and permanent financing) for affordable housing, charter schools, community health centers, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and food/nutrition projects, alongside capacity-building grants, technical assistance, and training delivered through local offices.

The underlying technology is a CDFI platform aggregating public, private, and philanthropic capital—including $1.8 billion in grants, $7 billion in loans, and $29 billion in equity investments cumulatively since 1979, generating $102 billion in total development activity. LISC's business model is relationship-based lending underwritten through specialized expertise in stacked financing structures (NMTC, LIHTC, and conventional debt). Capital is raised through impact notes, foundation and corporate partnerships, government CDFI programs, and balance-sheet activity; the organization holds an S&P AA- credit rating, the first ever issued to a CDFI. LISC San Diego itself is a small 1-10 employee local-office presence, with no separate financial disclosure; it operates within the broader national LISC footprint led by CEO Michael Pugh and governed by a Board of Directors.

Customer segments are primarily nonprofit and mission-aligned for-profit developers of affordable housing, charter schools, community health centers, small businesses, and nonprofits serving low- and moderate-income communities. Three wholly-owned subsidiaries—LISC Fund Management, NEF, and Broadstreet—operate as integrated investment company affiliates that bridge institutional impact investors with community development projects. LISC has been named to the ImpactAssets 50 Emeritus list for 11 consecutive years (through 2026).

Name

LISC San Diego

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 San Diego is the local San Diego office of LISC, a national nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution providing flexible loans, grants, and technical assistance to affordable housing developers, charter schools, health centers, small businesses, and nonprofits in under-resourced Southern California communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Finance

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN), Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC), Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory (BPAJANAL)

Keywords

• Community development lending
• Affordable housing finance
• Small business loans
• CDFI financing
• Community development grants

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lending and Loan Financing: LISC provides flexible loan capital to community organizations, developers, and small businesses in under-resourced areas that may not have access to conventional financing. This includes pre-development loans, construction financing, permanent financing, and working capital lines of credit for affordable housing, charter schools, health centers, small businesses, nonprofits, and food/nutrition projects.
2. Capacity Building Grants: LISC provides organizational development grants, strategic planning grants, project grants, technical assistance, and training to community organizations to improve administrative structures, management, financial systems, and real estate development capacities.
3. Impact Notes Investment Products: LISC offers impact notes that allow investors to put capital into community development projects, generating both social impact and financial returns for investors seeking proven community development models.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LISC San Diego, as the local office of LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that provides flexible loan capital, grants, equity investments, and technical assistance to affordable housing developers, charter schools, community health centers, small businesses, nonprofits, and food access projects in under-resourced San Diego communities. Its offerings span pre-development, construction, acquisition, and permanent financing, complemented by capacity-building grants and the Impact Notes social bond program that channels investor capital to community development projects.

Product overview

LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) operates as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and services. The core offerings include Lending Products (housing, education, health centers, small business, nonprofit, and food/nutrition financing), Capacity Building (grants, technical assistance, and training), Equity Investments through affiliated companies (LISC Fund Management, NEF, Broadstreet), and Impact Notes (social bonds). LISC also provides an Online Resource Library and the LISC Institute for Community Power for training. The organization serves under-resourced communities across 34 local offices nationwide, including San Diego, with flexible capital deployment and specialized underwriting expertise. The company holds an S&P 'AA-' credit rating and has been recognized on the ImpactAssets 50 list for over 10 consecutive years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lending Products Flexible loan capital for affordable housing, charter schools, community spaces, small businesses, and community facilities in under-resourced areas, including pre-development, construction, acquisition, and permanent financing.
• Capacity Building Grants, technical assistance, and training delivered through local offices, including organizational development grants, strategic planning grants, project grants, and online resources to strengthen community organizations.
• Equity Investments Equity investments made through affiliates LISC Fund Management, NEF, and Broadstreet into housing, retail, commercial centers, opportunity zones, small businesses, and cultural districts in under-resourced communities.
• Impact Notes Social bond framework allowing impact investors to support community development projects with measurable social outcomes aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Housing Loans Financing for construction or preservation of multifamily rental housing, affordable for-sale housing, and mixed-use developments serving low- and moderate-income communities.
• Small Business Loans Financing for small businesses in low- and moderate-income communities and businesses owned by individuals who have struggled to access traditional capital, including working capital and equipment financing.
• Online Resource Library Digital library of publications, webinars, case studies, and project profiles searchable by location (including San Diego), topic area, year, and audience.
• LISC Institute for Community Power National program providing training and expertise on community investment components including housing, economic development, safety, education, and sports.

Quantifiable outcome

• Created more than 552,000 affordable homes and apartments
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UbercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Uber and LISC jointly manage the Health Access Fund, which provides up to $750,000 in new grants to help nonprofit healthcare providers connect economically vulnerable people to transportation for vital health services. The Fund supports free rides through Uber Health, Uber's HIPAA-enabled dashboard and API solution. Since the program's launch in 2021, Uber has contributed more than $9 million to help tens of thousands of patients access care.
• Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. & Northern VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC provided a $5.15 million construction loan to Habitat DC-NOVA for the Deanwood Townhomes project in Washington DC, financing the first phase of 12 affordable homeownership units in a historic African American neighborhood.
• Blue Line Corridor CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC DC partnered with The Capital Market and Blue Line Corridor Coalition to advance community-led transformation in Prince George's County, Maryland, uniting partners, leveraging local assets, and advancing fair access for sustainable economic growth.
• LISC Fund ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of LISC's investment company affiliates that helps bridge the gap between investors and projects in under-resourced communities.
• NEF (Nonprofit Finance Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC affiliate organization providing community development financial services.
• BroadstreetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC affiliate (Broadstreet Impact Services) that administered New Market Tax Credits allocation for projects like Hazel Hardware in Washington DC.
• The Coalition (formerly CNHED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC DC partners with The Coalition (formerly Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development) on the 3C initiative supporting small apartment buildings and community capacity building in Washington DC.
• The Capital MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization in Prince George's County championed by LISC DC for food access and community development priorities, with roots going back six generations. Partners on Blue Line Corridor Coalition initiative.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Calvert Impact Capital: Issue of Community Investment Notes and a major impact capital intermediary; directly comparable to LISC's Impact Notes product and impact-investor fundraising model.
• Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF): National CDFI and advisory firm providing loans, asset management, and consulting to nonprofits — strongly comparable to LISC's nonprofit-financing and capacity-building practices (and currently a LISC subsidiary).
• National Development Council: National nonprofit CDFI focused on small business lending and economic development in low-income communities — closely overlaps LISC's small business and economic development programs.
• RSF Social Finance: Impact-focused CDFI offering Social Investment Notes and lending to food, land, and social enterprise — comparable impact-note fundraising and community-development lending to LISC.
• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing loans and technical assistance to community-serving projects in housing, health, and small business — closely overlapping LISC's lending and capacity-building offerings.
• Enterprise Community Partners: One of the largest national CDFIs and affordable housing intermediaries, providing loans, equity, and grantmaking for affordable housing and community development — directly comparable to LISC's mission, geographic spread, and product mix.

Broad incumbents

• Opportunity Finance Network: The national trade association and capital intermediary for 400+ CDFIs; it channels investment capital into the same community development ecosystem that LISC operates in and represents aggregated sector scale.
• Habitat for Humanity International: The largest nonprofit affordable housing builder globally, with affiliated CDFIs (HFHI Mortgage Solutions) that provide acquisition/construction lending — comparable end-customer base and project types to LISC's housing loans.
• Self-Help Credit Union / Self-Help Ventures Fund: One of the largest community development lenders in the US, originating mortgages and small-business loans to underserved borrowers — comparable CDFI-style lending model with broader retail deposit funding.

Regional players

• Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based CDFI financing small business and community development projects; comparable product mix to LISC but geographically focused on the Northeast US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 San Diego