Financial Opportunities

Building financial opportunities for Chicago families may begin with a job, but it doesn’t end there. LISC's 10 Financial Opportunity Centers (FOCs) each year connect 12,000 residents to career development, financial coaching, digital-skills training, credit building, and income supports.

Download a 2016 data summary for Chicago's FOC network.

For more information about FOCs, contact Jennifer McClain.

1–25 of 31 items | Next »

From Client to Facilitator: Paolo Cisneros, Jul 20, 2017; How one Chicago woman built on her past to prepare job seekers for the digital age.
Bridges to Career Opportunities Graduates Start a New Chapter in Life: Jun 5, 2017; Financial Opportunity Center clients find paths to success through the Bridges to Career Opportunities program.
‘Meeting Halfway’ Builds Partnerships between Community Organizations and Banks: Paolo Cisneros, Oct 25, 2016; Through Meeting Halfway, community organizations and banks are working together to bring mainstream financial services to people who desperately need them.
This IS Englewood: Gordon Walek, Oct 7, 2016; New Whole Foods grocery a welcome tipping point for Englewood.
Financial Opportunity Centers: Connecting People to the Local Economy: Rachel Lieberman, Jul 21, 2016; For the last decade, LISC’s network of Financial Opportunity Centers have helped residents of underserved neighborhoods establish good credit, find jobs, and increase their incomes.
Affordable Divvy For Everyone Enters Second Year: Annie Grossinger, Apr 7, 2016; Subsidized bike share program continues through five Financial Opportunity Centers.
AmeriCorps MLK Day of Service: Annie Grossinger, Jan 29, 2016; Braving frigid temperatures, eight LISC AmeriCorps volunteers spent Martin Luther King, Jr. Day teaching digital literacy at the Kroc Center in West Pullman.
New Grant for Financial Opportunity Centers: Annie Grossinger, Jan 21, 2016; Seven Chicago FOCs receive Social Innovation Fund grants to implement new programs.
New Class of LISC AmeriCorps Service Begins: Annie Grossinger, Nov 17, 2015; The 21st class of LISC AmeriCorps members has begun working with Financial Opportunity Centers (FOC) across Chicago.
Financial Opportunity Centers – Video Series Wrap: Paolo Cisneros, Jul 21, 2015; Through multiple installments, a recently-completed LISC Chicago video series offered an inside an inside look at LISC’s network of Financial Opportunity Centers (FOCs).
93% off! LISC Hopes Deep Divvy Discount Leads to Much More: John McCarron, Jul 16, 2015; Through Chicago’s new Divvy for Everyone (D4E) program, eligible riders can join Divvy for just $5 by signing up at one of five neighborhood Financial Opportunity Centers.
Building Financial Opportunities for Chicagoans: Paolo Cisneros, Apr 15, 2015; Videos will spotlight LISC Chicago's Centers for Working Families.
AmeriCorps Provides Pipeline of Talent, Energy: Gordon Walek, Jan 6, 2015; Members learn about community development while working with middle-school students, teaching digital skills or playing sports.
Want to Get People Back to Work? Fill the Basic Skills Gap: Lee Chilcote, Oct 27, 2014; Bridge programs help prepare workers for good jobs.
As Deadline Looms, ACA Enrollments Pick Up: Patrick Barry, Mar 24, 2014; Neighborhood “navigators” are out in force this week as many Americans face a March 31 deadline for enrollment in new health insurance programs under the Affordable Care Act.
How Twin Accounts™ Builds Credit, Saves Money: Jan 31, 2014; A good credit history can pave the way to better jobs, easier apartment-hunting and lower interest rates. LISC's Twin Accounts™ program helps individuals raise their credit score or establish a…
LISC Expands Toolbox for Digital Learning: Patrick Barry, Jan 31, 2014; More than $1.1 million invested by LISC for expanded trainings and digital resources, helping neighborhoods connect to portals, EveryBlock, open data and more.
AmeriCorps and Social Innovation Fund Are 'Impact' Players: John McCarron, Aug 8, 2013; AmeriCorps and the Social Innovation Fund - making a difference in people's lives.
Up the Financial Ladder, One Step at a Time: Gordon Walek, Jul 24, 2013; See how LISC Chicago's network of Centers for Working Families help people navigate the worlds of work, public benefits, finances and employment counseling.
Fired Up, Ready to Go: LISC Chicago’s Neighborhood Network: John McCarron, Mar 20, 2013; In the complex business of urban community development, no vehicle matches the leverage and impact of every dollar invested quite like LISC Chicago.
Manufacturing Skills Go Regional ... and Personal: John McCarron, Jan 14, 2013; Jane Addams Resource Corp. trains Chicago’s unemployed for careers in the region’s promising “advanced” factory sector
A Growthful Enterprise on Perry Street: Ed Finkel, Oct 12, 2012; The Perry Street farm in Washington Park will result in locally grown fresh produce and jobs for residents.
Pipeline to Paychecks: John McCarron, Aug 22, 2012; A LISC Center for Working Families bridges gap from college-to-career at Kennedy-King College.
Inside the i-cluster: John McCarron, Jan 25, 2012; Manufacturers profit from proximity … especially when they’re trading valuable information
CWF Model a National Winner: John McCarron, Nov 8, 2011; Program to help families “earn it, keep it, grow it” wins federal grant competition … and a new branch at Kennedy-King College