Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) launched its Rapid Relief and Resiliency Fund to provide immediate and longer-term resources in three critical areas:

  1. Small business support: Entrepreneurs and small businesses are at a high level of risk and need fast access to grants and patient, flexible loan capital—in addition to help connecting with government assistance—in order to remain viable, help their local economies remain intact and reconstruct following these challenging times.
  2. Organizational support for community-based partners: In times of adversity such as these, neighbors turn to their local community organizations—CDCs, CBOs, financial empowerment entities, etc. These groups are the delivery systems for resources and services to residents, especially those most vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19.

    By providing LISC partners with grants, working capital and other assistance, LISC can help them stay functioning, stay strong, outlast this pandemic and enable their communities to weather this crisis with emergency rental assistance, help applying for unemployment aid and a gamut of other supports.

  3. Access to technology: Never has this been more critical, both for local partners who must serve clients remotely, and for residents who need to work, attend school and connect with the outside world online. LISC support will ramp up technological infrastructure, improve broadband access and cybersecurity, provide technical assistance for groups using meeting and other communications platforms and much more.

LISC aims to raise up to $100 million in grants, loans and other investments for the Fund. Donate here.