MESSAGE FROM LISC HOUSTON
IN 2023, we dedicated ourselves to strengthening capacities both within our partner organizations and internally. Throughout the year, we expanded our team to better support our comprehensive range of programs. Get to know our team here!
Additionally, we committed over $4 million to bolstering our partners, initiating new projects, and fostering growth. Our small grants program, which encompassed 14 projects across six GO Neighborhoods, exemplifies our commitment to community development. Moreover, in collaboration with Collaborative for Children, we provided crucial support to women-owned, home-based childcare providers, empowering them with resources for business development and specialized expertise.
As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and intermediary, LISC Houston remains steadfast in accessing and delivering vital resources to the communities and partners we serve. This ensures the efficacy of our direct service programs while bolstering the pool of available community development resources. We take great pride in our achievements throughout 2023, building hope through capacity, and eagerly anticipate the work that lies ahead. We extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering commitment to the communities of Houston.
LISC Houston launched several new programs in 2023, expanding our impact and reach across the city and advancing our mission of forging resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity”
-Laura Jaramillo LISC Houston Executive Director
OUR IMPACT STORIES
LISC HOUSTON'S APPROACH IS BOTH COMPREHENSIVE AND IMPACTFUL, with a primary focus on fulfilling the aspirations of residents for themselves, their families, and their communities. Through strategic investments in businesses, housing, and essential community infrastructure, we strive to ignite economic growth, enhance health and safety standards, and foster educational advancement. Equally vital is our commitment to nurturing the leadership and capabilities of our partners, empowering collective efforts to drive meaningful change collaboratively. In 2023, our work included:
Community Development
Our work to build stronger, more sustainable communities is guided by a larger vision of community development. Our GO Neighborhoods initiative is a place-based comprehensive community development approach led by residents and stakeholders to revitalize targeted neighborhoods. LISC supports this effort by providing a framework, investments, and strategy support.
2023 Win:
In June, LISC Houston embarked on a six-month learning journey to inform how we enhance our community development work to meet the dynamic and unique needs of the communities we serve. The journey, called Envision Houston, followed a three-phased approach to community engagement: 1) a broad community survey, 2) virtual focus group conversations, and 3) multi-stakeholder community meetings. A summary of our learnings can be found here.
- 138 projects and events were completed in GO Neighborhoods partner communities.
- 14 impact projects and initiatives were completed in all GO Neighborhoods partner communities.
- $525,920 was invested by LISC directly into partner communities.
- $388,000 was leveraged by partners.
- 34,000 active participants implementing Quality of Life Agreement projects, programs, and policies.
Economic Development
LISC Houston supports a network of four Financial Opportunity Centers (FOCs) and six Business Development Organizations (BDOs). These organizations create accessible opportunities for residents to find jobs that can increase their income and financial health. Consequently, businesses grow, and neighborhood economies strengthen through integrated strategies that develop people, places, and businesses.
2023 Win: Change Machine is a national organization focused on building financial security for low-income communities by developing a platform to educate and assist nonprofit coaches. Serving as the local partner, LISC Houston recruited eight financial stability organizations to participate in Change Machine’s new platform. This technology enables coaches to convey the benefits of FinTech to their clients while using the system to build awareness of risks such as privacy breach and misleading information in FinTech market. Read more here. This is just one of many pilot initiatives LISC Houston’s FOC network engaged in during 2023. Others included partnering with financial planners to help clients reach their long-term savings goals and implementing customized matched saving programs for clients.
unduplicated clients served through four FOCs:
- 2,662 people received employment coaching, resulting in 408 people accessing jobs.
- 1,495 families received income support coaching.
- 3,621 people received one-on-one financial coaching resulting in: 1,072 clients increasing their credit scores. 903 clients increasing net income.
small businesses registered and accessed the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform
in capital deployed through loans for small businesses in the Houston region.
Housing Development
LISC Houston supports community development organizations in advancing projects crucial to community revitalization through our real estate lending and housing capacity-building programs. We offer loans, grants, and tax credit equity to aid in the development of affordable housing and neighborhood improvements. Additionally, we provide technical assistance and capacity building to ensure these organizations are well-equipped and fortified with resources to effectively execute their projects and programs.
2023 Win: LISC Houston collaborated with JPMorgan Chase and Grow America to introduce the Supporting Empowered Emerging Developers (SEED) Academy in Houston. This initiative aims to spur opportunities for emerging real estate developers while simultaneously bolstering affordable and workforce housing across the Greater Houston Area. SEED Academy is a pioneering program in Houston, spanning 18 months and offering free professional development acceleration. It includes comprehensive training, mentorship, coaching, and access to grants and capital. Read more here.
- 25 emerging developers participated in the Supporting Empowered Emerging Developers (SEED) Academy to expand their capacity and project access and support the development of more affordable housing in the region.
- Provided capacity building grants to eight nonprofit organizations.
- 14 organizations participated in a Preservation Learning Collaborative to advance best practices and learnings around preserving naturally occurring affordable housing.
- Convened the Harris County Homeownership Collaborative who helped advance homeownership opportunities in Harris County for 1,807 families of color, who have traditionally faced tremendous barriers.
Communications
Effective connection points with our partners, funders, and other stakeholders are critical to the success of our programming. LISC Houston continually looks for ways to show the impact our investments have on communities and to highlight LISC Houston as a knowledge leader building strategic partnerships and collaborations.
2023 Win: In 2023, our strategic and targeted approach to social media and communications brought remarkable stories to the forefront, driving increased engagement across our platforms. Through compelling storytelling and tailored content, we highlighted the impactful work done locally and nationally, as well as with our community partners. These efforts not only amplified our mission but also fostered a stronger, more connected community. As a result, our social media metrics saw significant growth, reflecting the heightened engagement and enthusiasm of our followers. These stories had the most impact:
2023 BY THE NUMBERS
Since 1989, the collaboration of LISC Houston and its affiliates has resulted in:
$592M
invested
2M
square feet of commercial space
$1.5B
leveraged
11,222
affordable homes & apartments
OUR 2023 FUNDERS
2023 Private Sector Support
Allegiance Bank
The Allstate Foundation
Amegy Bank of Texas
Keiji Asakura
AT&T
Bank of America
Bank of Texas
Peter Beard
Cadence Bank Foundation
Capital One
CenterPoint Energy Foundation
Tonyel Edwards
Episcopal Health Foundation
Financial Health Network
Foundation for Financial Planning
Frost Bank
Dagon & Pat Garris
C.J. Eisenbarth Hager
Joseph M. Horiye
Houston Endowment Inc.
Journey Charitable Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
The Kroger Co. Foundation
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Lowe's Foundation
Rosie Valadez McStay
MERIT Foundation
MetLife Foundation
Ralph Miller
Ray Miller
Northern Trust
The P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
PNC Foundation
Cassandra Silvernail
State Farm
Truist Charitable Fund
Truist Financial Corporation
United Way of Greater Houston
Saul Valentin
Verizon
Walmart Foundation
Wells Fargo
Robert Weylandt
Woodforest National Bank
The work LISC is doing in Houston is vital to the community, and I am thankful to have been a part of it” –Kate Frucht, MERIT Foundation
2023 Public Sector Support
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
OUR TEAM
LISC Houston Staff
Carolyn Andrews Program Officer
Clare Boulet Deputy Director
Rickie Bradshaw III Senior Program Officer
Yvonne Dotie Program Officer
Jason Grant Program Officer
Laura Jaramillo Executive Director
Michael Johnston Program Assistant
Ellary Makuch Program Officer
Rushka Tcholakova Director of Community Programs
Local Advisory Committee
C.J. Eisenbarth Hager (Chair) Episcopal Health Foundation
Cassandra Silvernail (Vice Chair) Bank of America
Keiji Asakura Asakura Robinson
Peter Beard Greater Houston Partnership
Tonyel Edwards The Bridgespan Group, National
Ross Folkenroth Woodforest National Bank
Luis Guajardo Harris County Precinct 4
Rosie Valadez McStay RVM Strategies, LLC
Shahara Wright Menchan The Wright Firm, PLLC
Ralph Miller PNC
Ray Miller Amegy Bank
Lora Routt
Michelle Taylor U.S. Airforce
Saul Valentin Collaborate
Robert Weylandt J. P. Morgan Private Bank
Contact LISC Houston
LISC Houston 602 Sawyer Street, Suite 205 Houston, TX 77007
Learn more at www.lisc.org/houston
