Organization Overview

LISC San Antonio’s mission, says executive director Leilah Powell, is “to build health, wealth, and power for individuals who’ve been excluded or disadvantaged.” In this five-minute overview, the local office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation and its partners explain how they go about it.

LISC tends to think of its work as concentric circles with a person at the center: someone who cares about a cause, their neighbors or their city. It assists organizations in housing, economic development and community revitalization. “We are not the direct service provider,” Leilah explains, but LISC lets community-based nonprofits “do what they do best.”

Kristin Davila, president and executive director of Merced Housing Texas, gives one example: LISC trained her team to run a homeowner maintenance class for people served through the city’s home repair program. Mark Carmona, chief housing officer for the City of San Antonio, says the city’s rehab clients are now required to take the class. “I think what we’ve learned over time is we shouldn’t assume that people know how to take care of their home.” Fewer people come back now, Mark says.

LISC understands San Antonio’s issues and how to pull people together, Mark says, and all of that makes it “a strong ally or partner.” For Leilah, the mission also means believing people already have the knowledge and drive they need. “If we can connect them to a network and to resources, they can do even more,” she says.