Capacity Building

What we do

It takes local partners on the ground to make any real, lasting change in a community. Local organizations know their neighborhoods the best and any solution must come from the ground up. LISC was founded on that belief with the mission to help these local organizations become strong and stable neighborhood institutions characterized by effective and responsible fiscal management and capable of carrying out a range of community revitalization activities.

Today, our local partners are tasked with addressing a staggering range of community needs and demands. Organizations that formed to tackle a deficit of affordable housing (and whom we started out supporting with loan capital and technical assistance) may now take on everything from workforce development, small business development, community safety and disaster relief.

Our job is to make this happen through grants, technical assistance and training delivered through our on-the-ground staff in 33 local offices and experts in our national programs who focus on important components of community revitalization such as housing, economic development, safety, education and sports and recreation. This capacity building support is designed and provided consistent with local community development needs.

While the bulk of our financial support is in lending and equity investments for projects, much of it could not be done without also supporting the neighborhood groups that have the vision and ideas to get things done.

What we offer

• organizational development grants that assist community organizations to improve its administrative structures, management and financial systems, and real estate development and management capacities;
• strategic planning grants or seed capital to cover costs associated with the creation of new programs that are important to an organization's overall mission and needs of the community's residents;
• project grants to help cover costs associated with real estate development that further neighborhood revitalization goals;
• technical assistance and guidance from local office staff and national experts; and
• training opportunities and online resources delivered in person or through LISC’s Institute