https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/en-usThu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/workforce-financial-coaching-helps-high-school-grad-kickstart-career/Achieving your dreams alone can be hard, but with the support from Financial and Career Coaches at a local Financial Opportunity Center® program community members have access to success. Find out how Chicago high school graduate, Anahi Lopez, was able to start her career in healthcare, open her first savings account, and save for a new car and her retirement.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/workforce-financial-coaching-helps-high-school-grad-kickstart-career/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/communities-reclaim-space-for-play-possibility-with-support-from-lisc-and-dicks-sporting-goods-foundation/Communities thrive when we invest in the athletic spaces. That’s why the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation has deployed nearly $4 million to build or renovate 46 sports facilities in 32 cities. Grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 are helping communities meet a wide range of renovation needs in multi-use sports facilities while LISC provides hands-on technical assistance to help projects move from vision to reality. See how the program is making real impact in neighborhoods across the country.Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/communities-reclaim-space-for-play-possibility-with-support-from-lisc-and-dicks-sporting-goods-foundation/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-ceo-featured-pix11s-monica-makes-it-happen/LISC CEO, Michael Pugh, recently sat down with PIX11's Monica Morales for a discussion on his unique and purposeful journey to a career in community development and on the ways that LISC is helping communities in New York City and across the country thrive.Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-ceo-featured-pix11s-monica-makes-it-happen/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/liscs-faith-based-housing-efforts-featured-in-the-guardian/A recent article in The Guardian reports on the growing “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement, in which churches across the U.S. are turning underutilized land into affordable housing to help address the housing crisis. The article highlights how LISC is working with faith-based institutions that can lower development costs by contributing land, a point emphasized by LISC’s head of housing, Valerie White. “Affordable housing project financing is very complex and extremely expensive. If you already have the space and are simply building a structure on top of it, it changes the cost dramatically,” White noted.Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/liscs-faith-based-housing-efforts-featured-in-the-guardian/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/kevin-harts-gran-coramino-and-lisc-launch-new-round-of-grants-for-small-businesses-in-5-cities/The Coramino Fund returns for a fourth round! LISC is now accepting applications through April 6, 2026 for our small business grant program with Gran Coramino® Tequila, co-founded by comedian and entrepreneur Kevin Hart and 11th-generation tequila maker Juan Domingo Beckmann. Eligible entrepreneurs in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, and Los Angeles can apply $10,000 grants to fuel small business growth.Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/kevin-harts-gran-coramino-and-lisc-launch-new-round-of-grants-for-small-businesses-in-5-cities/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/2025-year-review/This is what impact looks like. In LISC’s second‑largest investment year to date, the power and necessity of community development have never been clearer. These results underscore a critical point: our integrated approach—combining national scale, local expertise, and coordinated investment—delivers measurable impact. Our 2025 Annual Report showcases how LISC turns strategic vision into lasting change. Dive in to learn more and join us in building what comes next.Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/2025-year-review/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-deploy-52-billion-advance-housing-affordability-nationwide/As rising prices and ongoing economic headwinds continue to strain families, LISC is committed to deploying $5.2 billion by 2028 to expand access to affordable housing in rural and urban communities across the country.Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-deploy-52-billion-advance-housing-affordability-nationwide/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-closes-5m-solar-energy-investment-address-affordability-crisis-dc-families-seniors/LISC is investing $5.4 million in solar energy systems across five affordable housing developments and a legacy church in Washington, D.C., lowering utility costs for more than 630 residents and strengthening long‑term housing stability. The project, developed with Community Sustainability Partners and Mission First Housing Group, is expected to generate $55,000 in annual savings—over $1.1 million in two decades—while advancing sustainability and supporting community-based organizations.Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-closes-5m-solar-energy-investment-address-affordability-crisis-dc-families-seniors/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/joint-statement-need-housing-preservation/Last week, the New York State Legislature voted on their respective One-House budgets. While we recognize and appreciate the important investments in housing development included in their proposals, we are deeply disappointed that both the Senate and Assembly failed to add significant funding for housing preservation and stabilization.Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/joint-statement-need-housing-preservation/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/10-questions-sumair-sheikh/As Duluth communities continue to recover from recent disruption, LISC Duluth’s Sumair Sheikh shares how staying close to partners, coordinating resources, and investing in long-term systems is helping move communities from crisis response to lasting resilience.Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/10-questions-sumair-sheikh/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-recognized-impactassets-50-emeritus-impact-manager-2026/LISC has been named to a who’s-who of fund managers dedicated to generating positive global impact. It reflects LISC’s work to build communities of opportunity, as well as the important role CDFIs play more broadly to advance local economies.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-recognized-impactassets-50-emeritus-impact-manager-2026/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-and-the-dicks-sporting-goods-foundation-award-1-million-to-upgrade-under-resourced-athletic-spaces-in-nine-cities-and-towns/LISC and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation announced grant recipients from the third round of the Game On-Community Places to Play Initiative. Nine communities across the country will use $1 million in grants to fund renovation of facilities for organized youth sports including basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, squash, golf, volleyball, track, and wrestling.Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-and-the-dicks-sporting-goods-foundation-award-1-million-to-upgrade-under-resourced-athletic-spaces-in-nine-cities-and-towns/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/building-opportunity-and-strengthening-communities/With strategic lending, targeted philanthropy and a shared people‑first approach, Regions and LISC are turning community plans into progress across urban neighborhoods and rural towns.Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/building-opportunity-and-strengthening-communities/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/strong-lending-strong-impact/At LISC, as our impact across our markets continues to grow, we need to find ways to leverage our unique model and strong lending portfolio and practices to create lasting change in the communities we serve. Michael Pugh, president and CEO of LISC and Bryan Kieler, senior vice president and chief lending officer, share the impact of our lending in 2025 and the ways we will continue to work with local stakeholders in 2026 to help them achieve their goals.Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/strong-lending-strong-impact/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/repairing-homes-restoring-wealth-inside-liscs-groundbreaking-home-repair-loan-model/Detroit homeowners were hit early and hard by the foreclosure crisis of the mid-2000s. Limited access to credit and depressed property values left many residents without safe, affordable options to repair their homes. In 2015, the City of Detroit and LISC Detroit—with support from Bank of America, Rocket Community Fund, and Flagstar Bank—responded with a bold public-private solution: the 0% Interest Home Repair Loan Program. To date, the initiative has helped over 800 Detroit homeowners complete critical home repairs, investing nearly $17 million into neighborhoods, and the model is now being replicated in other cities by LISC. Read more about how this approach is preserving homes, building equity, and strengthening communities.Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/repairing-homes-restoring-wealth-inside-liscs-groundbreaking-home-repair-loan-model/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/centering-youth-how-foot-locker-and-lisc-are-backing-next-generation/Communities thrive when we invest in the next generation. That's why the Foot Locker Foundation and LISC are investing in youth and the communities that raised them. Through the Community Empowerment Program, local organizations are expanding opportunity for youth by supporting programs that provide health, education, and workforce pathways in low- to moderate-income communities. Five years in, see how the program is making a real impact across the country.Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/centering-youth-how-foot-locker-and-lisc-are-backing-next-generation/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/foot-locker-and-lisc-mark-fifth-year-partnership-new-investments-empowering-youth-and-strengthening-community-nonprofits-across-11-cities/Now in the fifth year of the Community Empowerment Program, LISC and the Foot Locker Foundation are deploying $1.26 million in grants to 20 community organizations across 11 cities.  These local partners are strengthening health outcomes, expanding educational opportunities, and improving the economic outlook for youth every day. Learn about the new grantees and the brighter futures they're helping build.Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/foot-locker-and-lisc-mark-fifth-year-partnership-new-investments-empowering-youth-and-strengthening-community-nonprofits-across-11-cities/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-in-impactalpha-whats-ahead-for-sustainable-financing/In an opinion piece for ImpactAlpha, LISC’s John Moon discusses the future of sustainable financing in community development, outlining a significant demand for low-cost capital that improves energy-efficiency and makes housing more affordable. "If we don’t invest for the long-term in sustainability, housing will be more expensive to own, rent and operate, which is not what we want to see during a national affordable housing crisis,” he writes. LISC recently committed $100 million to sustainable investments.Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-in-impactalpha-whats-ahead-for-sustainable-financing/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/a-year-of-impact-celebrating-liscs-second-largest-investment-year/In 2025, LISC invested $3.1 billion, our second largest investment year on record. In a new blog Michael Pugh, president and CEO of LISC, reflects on the past year and ways that our investments have impacted the communities that we serve.Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/a-year-of-impact-celebrating-liscs-second-largest-investment-year/https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/daily-spark-lisc-ceo-shares-vision-transformative-community-impact/Our CEO and president Michael Pugh sat down for a podcast interview with The Daily Spark for a conversation that explored financial equity, generational wealth, and how lived experience can shape a vision for transformative community impact.Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/daily-spark-lisc-ceo-shares-vision-transformative-community-impact/