Strategies We Pursue

Equip talent in underinvested communities with the skills and credentials to compete successfully for quality income and wealth opportunities.

Invest in businesses, housing and other community infrastructure to catalyze economic, health, safety and educational mobility for individuals and communities.

Drive local, regional, and national policy and system changes that foster broadly shared prosperity and well-being.

Kalamazoo LISC invests in these elements:

Expanding investment in housing and other real estate

Increasing family income and wealth

Stimulating economic development

Providing technical assistance

Supporting healthy and safe environments and lifestyles, and

Placing AmeriCorps Members with our partners.

Together, with residents and partners, LISC Kalamazoo forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across our community; making the greater Kalamazoo area a great place to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.

LISC National Headquarters

28 Liberty Street, Floor 34
New York, NY 10005

Phone: (212) 455-9800
Fax: (212) 682-5929

Kalamazoo Office

Congratulations to Gregory Shelton of Grand Unique Laundry for receiving his first loan through Northern Initiatives. With help from his SCORE mentor, Cheri Bales, Gregory did a fantastic job on developing his business plan and showing real entrepreneurial spirit. We wish you much success, and look forward to your upward movement. You are a wonderful role model.

—Gregory Shelton of Grand Unique Laundry

I appreciate your ears for listening, your eyes that see my vision and your heart that makes you who you are. I thank you for your time. You are making a difference.

—Shawntel Lindsey, Director, The Artbor Community Connections Center

The WMed Innovation Center is a perfect environment for innovation to grow and become a successful commercial enterprise.

—Client

Whether you are seeking a research partner or want to enlist the help of student groups in developing business plans, or just looking for ways to engage with WMU, the Business Connection office can find the resource to help move your business forward.

—Mentor

A loan (from Local Initiatives Support Corporation) helped expand our cafe to triple our seating, add a kids space, increase much needed staff work areas, and make other improvements to the space.

—Krystal

The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) is the State of Michigan’s digital library. It has excellent resources available to Michigan residents at no cost.

—Owner

Western Michigan University’s Starting Gate helped me take an idea and transform it into a much more attainable reality. Whether providing talks with investors and business owners or accountability, the ultimate goal is helping your business succeed.

—Peter Shutt

The Kalamazoo Land Bank did robust community engagement around the vision and gave us something to work with that was solidly desired by people in the neighborhood. Having a vision meant we had to protect it. That’s something I thank the Land Bank for. It was difficult. It didn’t make anything faster or easier, but we got a better project in the end as a result of it.

—Matt Hollander

Buy Local Greater Kalamazoo is a hard working grassroots group focused on the greater Kalamazoo community and its small businesses. Their events and networking opportunities are the best!

—Cheri Bales

Michigan SBDC is a great company providing top notch service to local businesses all over Michigan. The consultants are professional and the student workers contribute with excellent work!

South Haven Region Business Hub

Helping small businesses grow.

Resources

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)