In 1995, LISC launched Rural LISC to expand its reach beyond urban areas to include rural communities. Rural LISC’s mission is to build the capacity of resident-led rural CDCs, increase their production and impact, demonstrate the value of investing in and through rural CDCs and make the resource and policy environment more supportive of rural CDCs and their work.

Eight million rural Americans are poor — that’s the equivalent of the population of New Jersey. Rural communities lack quality, affordable housing and health care. They are losing jobs and land to suburban sprawl. They do not receive the necessary government funding and support to provide decent education and transportation services. They are often unable to keep up with technology and the mainstream economy.

Despite the image of rural America as a farm-driven economy, less than 9 percent of rural jobs are in the combined farming, agricultural services, forestry and fishing industries. Rural LISC, recognizing that rural communities’ needs are not focused on agriculture alone, provides a wide range of services to rural community developers. Currently, Rural LISC provides nearly 100 partner CDC's across the country with training, technical assistance, information and financial support to address the problems rural communities face.