The Local Initiatives Support Corporation, commonly called LISC, was founded by the Ford Foundation in 1979 to support community development in urban neighborhoods.
LISC works with local organizations on projects such as affordable housing, commercial development, education, health, safety, and workforce initiatives. Its model is based on helping community groups obtain financing, technical assistance, and partnerships.
The organization emerged during a period when many urban neighborhoods faced disinvestment and declining access to capital. Rather than acting as a conventional retail lender, LISC has generally supported local nonprofits and community-development corporations that understand neighborhood needs.
LISC is sometimes confused with Enterprise Community Partners or NeighborWorks America, which are also major U.S. housing and community-development organizations. They are separate organizations with different histories and structures.