LISC Rhode Island

What LISC Rhode Island does

LISC Rhode Island is the Providence-based local office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) founded in 1979 and headquartered in New York City. As part of a network of 37 LISC offices operating across the country, LISC Rhode Island channels flexible capital, technical assistance, and capacity-building services to locally rooted organizations working in affordable housing, economic development, small business support, education, health, sports and youth development, safety and justice, sustainability, and income and wealth building. The Rhode Island office serves as a regional deployment node for LISC's national platform, with a local advisory committee chaired by Joseph Silva providing governance input at the state level.

The underlying platform is built on a four-pillar model of lending, capacity building, Impact Notes (an impact-investment product for institutional and individual investors), and a network of affiliate investment companies—LISC Fund Management, the National Equity Fund (NEF), and Broadstreet Impact Services—that act as intermediaries between investors and projects in under-resourced communities. There is no proprietary technology stack, software product, or AI component referenced in available materials; LISC's "platform" is operational and financial rather than technological, consisting of underwriting capability, fund administration, and a 37-office service-delivery footprint. Certifications include CDFI Fund certification, ImpactAssets 50 Emeritus status (10 consecutive years), Guidestar Platinum Seal, and Charity Navigator recognition.

The business model is non-commercial: as a CDFI, LISC deploys grants, loans, equity, and program-related investments sourced from public, private, and philanthropic capital rather than selling products at market prices. Revenue mechanics consist of contributed capital from corporations (e.g., State Farm, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, NFL Foundation), foundations (e.g., Wells Fargo, Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation), federal allocations via the CDFI Fund and HUD, and returns from Impact Notes and fund management activities. Customer segments are horizontally organized across use cases (affordable housing developers, small businesses, community-based nonprofits, education institutions) rather than by industry vertical, and delivery occurs through direct field-based relationships with community partners and borrowers.

Name

LISC Rhode Island

Legal name

Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Website

https://lisc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LISC Rhode Island is a local office of the national nonprofit CDFI LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), providing flexible loans, grants, equity investments, and technical assistance to community organizations developing affordable housing, supporting small businesses, and strengthening under-resourced neighborhoods across Rhode Island.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Financial Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Project Preparation Facilities & Technical Assistance Windows (BPADAOAI)

Keywords

• Community development finance
• Affordable housing lending
• Small business capital
• CDFI financial services
• Capacity building support

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LISC Rhode Island is the local office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). It deploys flexible loans, grants, and equity investments to community-based developers, small businesses, and nonprofits, and pairs capital with technical assistance and capacity-building services to support affordable housing, economic development, small business growth, and other community revitalization outcomes in Rhode Island and beyond.

Product overview

LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) is a national community development organization offering a comprehensive platform of lending, investment, and capacity building products alongside multiple program areas addressing housing, economic development, education, health, and sustainability. The organization connects residents and partners with capital and technical expertise through programs including flexible lending products, Impact Notes for impact investors, affiliate investment companies (LISC Fund Management, NEF, Broadstreet), and direct service program areas covering affordable housing, small business support, sports and youth development, and environmental sustainability. LISC operates as a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) with 37 local offices across the country, providing both financial products (loans, equity, grants) and technical assistance to locally rooted community organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rural LISC: A specialized initiative focused on rural community development across 2,400 rural counties in 49 states and Puerto Rico.

Products and services

• Lending Flexible lending products deployed to under-resourced borrowers to support affordable housing development, small business financing, and economic development projects through CDFI-certified financing.
• Capacity Building Technical assistance and advisory services that help local community organizations build the skills, systems, and operational capacity needed to carry out community development work effectively.
• Impact Notes Impact investment notes that allow investors to fund affordable housing and community development projects while earning financial returns on their principal.
• Investment Companies Affiliate investment management entities including LISC Fund Management, National Equity Fund (NEF), and Broadstreet that manage investment vehicles connecting institutional capital with community development projects in under-resourced areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• $38 billion invested since 1979, leading to $102 billion in total development
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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 flagship and core.

• DICK'S Sporting Goods FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation has partnered with LISC on the Game On–Community Places to Play Initiative, deploying nearly $4 million to build or renovate 46 sports facilities in 32 cities. Grants of $50,000 to $100,000 help communities meet renovation needs in multi-use sports facilities while LISC provides technical assistance. DICK'S also invested $12.5 million in the Black Economic Development Fund managed by LISC.
• Foot Locker FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foot Locker Foundation partnered with LISC on the Community Empowerment Program, deploying $1.26 million in grants to 20 community organizations across 11 cities in 2026. The program has deployed nearly $5.2 million over five years to improve health outcomes, educational opportunities, and economic outlook for youth in low-income communities.
• Enterprise Community PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC and Enterprise Community Partners co-published 'What's Possible: Investing NOW for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods' with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The publication, funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation, serves as a guidebook for equitable green investing and community development.
• Federal Reserve Bank of New YorkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Federal Reserve Bank of New York co-published 'What's Possible: Investing NOW for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods' with LISC and Enterprise Community Partners, offering insights on equitable development, community resilience, and sustainability.
• NFL FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 25 years, LISC has teamed up with the NFL Foundation to award nearly $65 million in grants through the Grassroots Field Grant Program to create or refurbish more than 435 community football fields where youth can play and stay active.
• LISC Fund ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC's investment company that helps bridge the gap between investors and projects in under-resourced communities. One of several affiliates including NEF and Broadstreet.
• National Equity Fund (NEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC affiliate organization focused on community development investments.
• BroadstreetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISC affiliate organization (Broadstreet Impact Services) focused on community development and impact investing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: Larger and more established nonprofit focused on affordable homeownership and housing development, with local affiliates across the country. While its volunteer-driven construction model differs from LISC's capital-deployment approach, both target the same underserved housing market and developer partners.
• Bank of America Community Development Banking: For-profit large-bank community development lending and tax credit equity platform that competes with LISC in affordable housing finance and LIHTC syndications. Brings significantly larger capital base but is mission-aligned rather than purely profit-maximizing on these products.

Direct peers

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit CDFI focused on affordable housing and community development, co-publisher with LISC of the 'What's Possible' report. Operates a comparable model of lending, equity investment, grants, and technical assistance through local offices serving similar developer and community-organization clients.
• NeighborWorks America: National network of community development nonprofits funded by Congress to support affordable housing and community revitalization. Provides grants, training, and capital to a network of local NeighborWorks organizations, mirroring LISC's model of resourcing locally rooted partners.
• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing loans, equity, and capacity-building support for community development projects including affordable housing, health centers, and education facilities. Serves overlapping borrower segments with LISC and has similar federal CDFI Fund relationships.
• Opportunity Finance Network: National network and trade association for CDFIs, of which LISC is a flagship member. Provides capital, training, and policy advocacy to hundreds of CDFIs across the country and serves as the primary industry intermediary, sitting adjacent to LISC's role.
• The Reinvestment Fund: CDFI providing flexible financing for housing, community facilities, and economic development in distressed communities. Uses similar tools of loans, grants, and policy analysis, and serves comparable nonprofit and municipal borrowers in mid-Atlantic and select national markets.
• Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF): National CDFI financing affordable housing, early care and education, and community facilities for low-income communities. Competes directly with LISC for similar borrowers and deploys a comparable mix of debt, equity, and capacity-building capital.

Regional players

• Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: Regional Federal Reserve Bank whose Working Cities initiative and community development research overlap with LISC's Rhode Island programming. A federal policy and research counterpart rather than a competitor, but operates in the same New England community development ecosystem.
• Rhode Island Housing: State housing finance agency serving the same Rhode Island market as LISC Rhode Island, providing affordable mortgages, multifamily financing, and development capital. A complementary rather than directly competing public-sector counterparty in the same regional ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LISCRhodeIsland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/localinitiatives
• Facebookfacebook.com/liscrhodeisland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-initiatives-support-corporation-lisc-rhode-island
• Instagraminstagram.com/lisc_hq

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Rhode Island