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This summer, we're highlighting strategies for addressing and closing the digital divide. LISC's Digital Growth Accelerator is expanding to support childcare providers and a next offering of LISC-supported Digital Skills Training is launching at the Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment. Many are making promising progress, but there is much work ahead to reach digital equity at scale in Massachusetts, as described in MassINC's recently issued statewide action plan for digital access. We hope you're reading along with us and preparing to work together to scale and sustain digital equity in Massachusetts.
LISC's Digital Growth Accelerator
Empowering Family Childcare Providers of Color
to Reimagine Childcare Services
LISC is creating an Accelerator cohort dedicated to assist 30 family childcare providers -- specifically providers of color. Childcare providers played a major role in sustaining the economy during the pandemic by supporting other essential workers and industries. They continue to be essential to sustaining the economy. LISC is offering childcare providers a FREE personal consulting team, guidance, solutions, tools, and resources to strengthen services and gain access to capital.
Join our Digital Growth Accelerator for childcare entrepreneurs of color. Sign up and download the brochure [+]
Profiled in MassINC's Connecting Communities through Digital Equity report*, LISC's Digital Growth Accelerator is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to access consulting teams to help navigate business growth, utilize and provide cost effective digital tools that help them transform their businesses and significantly grow their revenue potential.
Potential Support to Expand Impact
On July 28th, the Senate Appropriations Committee released their FY 2023 spending measures and earmarks, known as Congressionally Directed Spending or Community Project Funding, which includes key highlights of particular importance to LISC. Among them is funding for LISC Boston's Digital Growth Accelerator Program for $1.26 million, sponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-MA), focusing on small businesses in Gateway Cities.
*Read more about the Accelerator in MassINC's Connecting Communities through Digital Equity report, featured in the announcements below.
DVM Consulting Corp Secures Key Financing
For First Development
DVM Consulting Corp recently closed with LISC on critical early stage financing to build affordable housing on five city-owned parcels near the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Fabyan Street in the Mattapan neighborhood in Boston. DVM Consulting Corp’s owner and resident of the neighborhood Dariela Villón-Maga was designated to develop the parcels in response to the first RFP issued through the City of Boston’s Blue Hill Avenue Action Plan. “I can’t tell you how important it’s been to have LISC in our corner, being able to be flexible, thinking differently about predevelopment financing,” says Villón-Maga. “I’m not sure if we would have had what we needed to bring this project across the finish line if it weren’t for LISC taking a chance on us.”
Villón-Maga has years of experience creating and preserving affordable housing working with and for other developers and nonprofit organizations. This is her first time developing on her own. The $750,000 predevelopment loan from LISC is to fund architectural plans and pay consultants needed to secure permits and financing for the construction of three buildings consisting of 30 units of affordable homes and commercial space.
Of the 30 homes, 18 will be homeownership units and 12 will be rentals. DVM Consulting Corp plans to lease the commercial space to local businesses.
Read more about Villón-Maga’s story and the developments [+]
* Pictured above: Dariela Villón-Maga.Photo Credit: the Boston Globe, provided by Villon-Maga.
For Your Calendar
Meeting the sense of urgency, LISC is leading, supporting, and partnering statewide on critical initiatives to address and close the digital divide.
Now is the Moment to Close the Digital Divide in Massachusetts
Connecting Communities Through Digital Equity, a new report prepared jointly by MassINC and Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, presents strategies to close the digital divide. Data in the report shows about half of Gateway City residents either don’t have internet at all, or they have it but their connection isn’t up to the task. The report advises and urges municipal and state leaders to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the Digital Equity Act passed by congress and the half a billion dollar federal subsidy program created by the federal infrastructure bill to craft community-based solutions.
The report profiles LISC's Digital Growth Accelerator as utilizing and providing digital empowerment tools to entrepreneurs that help them transform their businesses and significantly grow their revenue potential. Read the report. [+]
Free Digital Skills Training Courses in August
The Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment is offering FREE Digital Literacy Training, beginning August 15th with support from Citizens Charitable Foundation & LISC. SPACES ARE LIMITED. Training includes hands on Computer and Internet Basics; Intro to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Social Media; and Financial and Employment Coaching. Download the flyer [+].
Bridges to Green Jobs Prepares for the Next Cohort
LISC and community partners are providing industry-specific technical training to residents interested in weatherization careers. The skills gained through the training are in a field that is in high-demand as companies aim to meet the state’s climate goals.
Trainings with a new cohort will begin soon. For more information and the interest forms, visit our website [+]
Download a copy of the flyer. [+]
ICYMI: Learn more about the pilot program and first cohort of graduates as they trained and received their certificates. Read, too, about what made the pilot and what makes this program amazing: after the very short training program, graduates landed weatherization jobs very quickly. [+] Contact Silvana Bastante, sbastante@lisc.org for more.
Free Financial Skills Coaching
Zoning & Certifications Webinar and Recap of Summer Series
Is your organization currently developing a new construction housing project? Join Resonant Energy, LISC Boston and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) for the third installment of its summer webinar series exploring different topics relevant to installing solar for new construction affordable housing projects.
The series is useful for developers, architects and other key decision-makers in the construction process. The next one is on August 11th: Zoning & Certifications (including Passive House, BERDO, E+, and more) + a General Recap of past webinars. Great for Architects and Developers. Register [+]
Watch the recording of the session from June 9th - Solar 101, Financing and Contracting Choices, Video. Great for Developers. [+]
Watch the recording of the session from July 14 - Solar Design for New Construction Great for Architects and Developers. [+]
Calling all Storytellers!
LISC Boston is elevating community stories of change at our fourth annual Story Slam on October 6th. Our focus is on stories with a connection to community development and/or community empowerment that reflect on the theme “The Color of Impact.”
Do you have a personal story idea to share about how you contributed to “the color of impact” in a moment, a situation, or a challenge? Learn more about being a storyteller at our Story Slam, including the exact dates for the trainings, and share your idea by filling out this form [+].
Consult a Small Business Strong Advisor, Anytime
Small Business Strong is a private and public sector partnership set up to help women and minority-owned small businesses navigate the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
LISC is the Program Manager for Small Business Strong, a non-profit organization that provides expedited, pro-bono support for women and entrepreneurs of color navigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses.
Thank You, HarborOne for Supporting LISC AmeriCorps
Thank you, HarborOne Bank for supporting our LISC AmeriCorps program with a grant and thank you, Urban Edge, for hosting our AmeriCorps members meeting this month. With this grant, more nonprofits in Massachusetts will be able to build their community development capacity with the help of an AmeriCorps member.
DHCD Tax Credits for Donors Supports Community Development
Thank you, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for allocating Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC) to LISC! As Community Support Organization, your support offers us the opportunity to leverage $150,000 in tax credits, enabling us to raise nearly $300,000 from donors.
Potential donors interested in taking advantage of the Community Investment Tax Credit Program and furthering our work in and with communities across the Commonwealth can learn more at www.lisc.org/citc.
LISC Thanks Ryan Wong!
Ryan Wong joined LISC for the summer through the summer internship program at Boston College’s Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Ryan is a rising sophomore at Boston College concentrating in Finance and Accounting.
While at LISC, Ryan focused on an impact assessment of LISC investments made through the Equitable Transit Oriented Accelerator Fund (ETODAF) and Community Acquisition and Predevelopment Fund, created investor reports, collaborated on fund modeling and new financing products, and drafted deal profiles of transactions and developers. He also supported the small business team. We were thrilled to have Ryan on the team with us!
