Economic Development
LISC Greater Kansas City is committed to connecting people, businesses and places to grow inclusive local economies and drive equitable access to opportunity. Leveraging our unique blend of national perspective and local partnerships, our model integrates three core strategies:
- building and supporting pathways to quality jobs and financial security,
- fostering local environments where diverse businesses thrive through increased capacity and access to capital, and
- transforming underinvested commercial corridors into generators of inclusive economic opportunity.
Our Economic Development Initiatives
Bridges to Career Opportunities is a supported bridge training program that helps fill the gaps in academic readiness that can prevent adults from being hired and succeeding in careers that offer livable wages. Learn more here.
Building Innovation for Equitable Childcare is a national LISC initiative that will fund predevelopment costs for community partners pursuing a “co-location” approach, incorporating high-quality, affordable child care facilities in an assortment of development projects.
LISC Greater Kansas City is excited to bring together a range of new partners, programs and financial tools to help expand the universe of affordable child care. Our local partner in this initiative is the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). Learn more about the national initiative here.
Business Development Organization (BDO) Network
LISC’s national Business Development Organization (BDO) Network provides one-on-one technical assistance and capital access support to small businesses in our target neighborhoods.
The BDO Network provides culturally-competent local business support services, specifically tailored to the needs of women- and minority-owned business enterprises. Our local partners include:
As part of the BDO national initiative, LISC has also provided over $4.8 million in assistance to some 130 business development organizations (BDOs) across the country that provide a range of services, from help accessing affordable capital to free guidance in the nitty-gritty of business planning, cash-flow management, marketing, and staffing.
KC Catalytic Urban Redevelopment Initiative
LISC Greater Kansas City is working in partnership with the City of Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO), Urban Neighborhood Initiative (UNI), Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), and the Kansas City District Council of the Urban Land Institute to redevelop Kansas City’s urban core east of Troost Avenue.
Four Priority Areas are best positioned to receive targeted attention and investment from public, private and philanthropic partners in order to have the greatest positive impact for the community.
KC-CUR Small Business Opportunity Survey
In 2019, LISC Greater Kansas City launched a Small Business Opportunity Survey to identify specific barriers for women- and minority-owned business enterprises (W/MBEs) within the Urban Neighborhood Initiative service area, and to devise strategies that could be implemented to help local W/MBEs reach their fullest economic potential.
