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Cleveland LISC Celebrates 20th Anniversary


Cleveland OH - Cleveland Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) celebrated 20 years of helping community groups improve the city’s struggling neighborhoods by honoring several neighborhood partners.

Nonprofit LISC is the nation’s leading community development support organization, providing financing and advice to community groups trying to improve hard-pressed neighborhoods through new, affordable housing, economic development and critical services. In addition to its 20 years in Cleveland, LISC is now beginning its second year supporting nonprofit developers across the region, including Akron, Canton, Massilon, Lorain, Oberlin, Elyria, Campbell, Warren, and Youngstown.

Award winners include:

• Cleveland Foundation was one of the first organizations to fund Cleveland LISC, and helped raise money from other organizations to bring LISC to town.

• Gund Foundation was instrumental in helping LISC get started, and has provided funds throughout LISC’s time in Cleveland.

• Neighborhood Progress, Inc. is a major partner in several initiatives with LISC, including Cleveland Neighborhood Partnership Program, Cleveland’s Neighborhood Main Street effort to revitalize commercial areas, and others.

• Sisters of Charity Foundation funded a study to determine what the needs of elderly neighborhood residents were. After the study, the group provided grants through LISC to three community development groups to address these critical needs.

• Wean Foundation was the first foundation in Youngstown and Warren to offer a challenge grant to attract funds for LISC to work in Northeast Ohio, and it has provided operating support.

• Cleveland Neighborhood Development Corporation is a trade organization for community development groups, and a partner with LISC on the Main Street commercial development efforts, community development awards ceremonies, the Ohio Community Development Policy Group, and a communications and marketing task force.

• Parkworks received $160,000 in grants from LISC and the National Football League Charities to create playing fields for children at Patrick Henry Field and Luke Easter Park.

• Boys & Girls Club also received $100,000 from LISC and the NFL to create a playing field that will be part of the group’s new 27,000-square-foot headquarters.

• The Cleveland Browns are working with LISC to develop community fields in three neighborhoods.

• Paul Feinberg, formerly Assistant General Counsel of The Ford Foundation Cleveland, attracted LISC’s interest in working with Cleveland neighborhood groups.

• Bob Broadbent is LISC’s representative on NPI board and served on LISC national board. He was a pioneer in LISC’s start in Cleveland.

• Rob Curry was Cleveland LISC’s first local program director. He was instrumental in approving more than $69 million in funding for community groups.

 

"In the past 20 years, Cleveland’s communities have been transformed, and LISC is honored to recognize the partners who have played a role in turning distressed neighborhoods into healthy ones," said LISC President and CEO Michael Rubinger. "These groups and individuals reflect the dedicated citizens who are working to make Cleveland a wonderful place to live and work."

Cleveland LISC has invested more than $20 million grants and loans and more than $168 million in equity through LISC's affiliate, the National Equity Fund, Inc., in 39 community development groups. These efforts have resulted in more than 4,000 rehabilitated and new homes and more than 1 million square feet of commercial and industrial space. In all, some of the poorest communities in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have seen $350 million in investments thanks to LISC and its partners.

"The City of Cleveland’s neighborhoods have benefited tremendously from LISC’s support and investments," said Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell. "In the 20 years LISC has had a presence in our city, evidence of its success abounds. In our region, new housing is accelerating at a much faster rate than the traditional housing market. With LISC’s help, Cleveland is building 300 new single-family homes per year. All I have to do is look around to see what a difference LISC has made. I look forward to continuing the City’s work with LISC and I thank LISC for its unwavering support of Cleveland’s neighborhoods."

In addition to providing money for bricks-and-mortar development, LISC also strengthens community development groups through training, and money for staff and equipment.

"LISC’s commitment is critical to helping and community development groups bring vitality to struggling neighborhoods," said India Pierce Lee, senior program director of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio LISC. "Ultimately, the return on funders’ investment is stronger communities."