Connecting communities with resources
In 1979, when the Ford Foundation first conceived of LISC, it envisioned an “intermediary”—a nimble non-profit with strong community partnerships that would connect hard-to-tap public and private resources with underinvested places and people working to access opportunities everyone of us deserves.

The premise is still just as it was then: government, foundations and for-profit companies have the capital; residents and local institutions understand the need; and LISC bridges the gap by offering the relationships and expertise to help community organizations attract the kinds of resources that allow them do their best work. While the components of our programming and our role continue to evolve and expand, for 40 years, our mission has remained the same.
 

• We are on the ground
  LISC is in more places than any other community development organization. We have staff, expertise and relationships in 38 local offices.
• We listen
  LISC engages local leaders and neighbors to plan, set goals and measure progress. We bring local issues to state and national policy leaders.
• We innovate
  LISC tests ground-breaking ideas locally and adapts them nationally for places as diverse as the Mississippi Delta and San Francisco Bay.
• We leverage
  LISC invests in distressed neighborhoods for maximum impact. Every dollar we invest attracts another $3 in private capital.
• We see the big picture
  LISC’s approach is comprehensive. We work on housing, businesses, jobs, education, health and safety in the same place at the same time.
• We persevere
  Markets go up and down, political winds shift, fads come and go. But LISC stays the course.
• WE HAVE AN IMPACT
  Our communities are better places to live, more people have jobs and incomes rise.

Mission

Together with residents and partners, we forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America–great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.

Who we are

People who work at LISC are passionate about what they do. We believe in community action, local solutions and being an integral part of the change we hope to make in the places where we live and serve. More than 350 people work for LISC and our affiliates, the National Equity Fund and the New Markets Support Company and we are located in cities around the nation. We come from a spectrum of academic and professional backgrounds: finance, program development, social work, engineering, legal, research and many others.

We are dedicated to promoting racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity. It’s reflected in the work we do, in the neighborhoods we serve, in the organizations we partner with, and within our own company.

Working for LISC
If you’re looking for an exciting and rewarding career in community development, LISC may be right for you. We have jobs across the country in finance, program development, administration and other areas, all with the goal of helping disadvantaged communities flourish. We offer a very competitive benefits package, opportunities to develop your career, tuition reimbursement, and a rich, collaborative, mission-driven environment.

LISC is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.