No images? Click here LISC Recommends: LISC National Voices and IdeasThis week we wanted to share some columns by our national colleagues at LISC that you might have missed. A Place for Caregiving: LISC Strengthens Housing Stability for Home-Based Child Care ProvidersHome-based child care providers are a lifeline for working families, yet they often face challenges with housing and financial stability. A new Q&A with LISC experts dives into their struggles, critical needs, and a pilot program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help them thrive. Power to the Changemakers: LISC’s Tatia Ash on Capacity Building with RespectAs capacity builders, we hope to help strengthen grassroots organizations so they can effectively—and independently—drive progress in their communities. To do that, argues LISC senior program officer Tatia Ash, we must not only guide but also listen deeply, show respect, and share power. Living Resiliently: In the Wake of Hurricane Helene, LISC’s Sam Ruark ReflectsLISC’s new director of green initiatives is helping lead a groundbreaking effort to decarbonize the nation’s affordable housing and help low-income communities build resiliency in the face of the harmful impacts of climate change. Here, after personally weathering Hurricane Helene in the intentional “ecovillage” where he lives in North Carolina, Ruark paints a picture of what’s at stake, and how the planet and people can heal together. Moving Toward $1 Billion: What’s Next for the LISC Entrepreneurs of Color FundIn a new blog, Steve Hall, EOCF National Director and LISC Vice President of Small Business, explores what’s next for the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund as it hits its $500 million goal—ahead of schedule. Hall describes a borrower-informed strategy for the next three years that will build on and leverage climate resiliency and artificial intelligence efforts to expand loan products and get more capital into the hands of entrepreneurs who need it. Bloomberg Spotlights MacKenzie Scott’s $65 Million Donation to LISCAn article in Bloomberg highlights MacKenzie Scott’s recent unrestricted grant-making to nonprofits, including a $65 million gift to LISC. Unrestricted gifts like this, in addition to Scott’s 2020 donation of $40 million, allow LISC to intensify and build upon its work with a more flexible and innovative approach. As our CEO Michael Pugh noted to Bloomberg, “the ability to have unrestricted giving like this frankly allows us to unlock and tap into the American Dream for everyday Americans across our country.” Tiffany Durr Named President of LISC Fund ManagementDurr has served as interim president of LFM since May and in that time has ushered in a series of new investors and project closings. "She understands how to connect with investors on questions of risk, return and impact as well as how to make connections with developers, community organizations and city leaders to generate the best possible outcomes,” said Michael Pugh, LISC president and CEO. John Moon Named President of LISC Green LLC to Lead Deployment of GGRF FundsLISC announced today that John Moon is joining the organization to lead LISC Green LLC, a new affiliate that will spearhead LISC's Green House Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) activities and investments and help deepen LISC’s impact in sustainable community development. “These resources will help expand affordable housing to address our national housing crisis, expand income and wealth-building to offset local economic challenges, and make our communities healthier and more resilient,” Moon said. |