LATEST NCN NEWS

NCN Endorses Senator Warren’s New Bill Guaranteeing Housing Funds for Rural Tribal Communities

On March 12, 2024, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced new legislation to expand...

NCN CEO Attends the 2024 National Interagency Community Reinvestment Conference

Last week, the Native CDFI Network (NCN) CEO Pete Upton participated in a discussion on opportunities...

Updated Administration and Congress Multi-Partner Economic Policy Briefs

In the fall of 2023, the Native CDFI Network and 11 other Native organizations joined...

Clean Energy for Native communities

Every day, we see dramatic examples of how climate change is affecting the world around us, threatening the livelihoods and economies of Native peoples across the country. Chronic underinvestment in Native communities has exacerbated the challenges of extreme weather and prevented most from being able to make the transition to self-governed, clean energy sources.
 
The energy transition can’t create climate justice without including, mobilizing, and providing tools to act to those most affected by climate change. The biggest challenge for the energy transition is providing affordable energy while reducing carbon emissions. 

NCN will soon be offering resources to support Native CDFIs during this transition. More information to come!

DIFFERENCE MAKERS INTERVIEW SERIES

The Native CDFI Network (NCN) developed this series to cast a much-needed spotlight on the benefits that Native community development financial institutions create for tribal communities and the leaders who help make Native CDFIs the transformational success stories they are.

Interview #39: Alicia Burns | Westwater Financial, Inc.

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Alicia Burns, who serves as Executive Director of Westwater Financial, Inc.

Interview #38: Pamela Boivin | NiiJii Capital Partners, Inc.

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Pamela Boivin, who serves as Executive Director of NiiJii Capital Partners, Inc. (NiiCaP).

Interview #37: Nancy Jordan | Lummi CDFI

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Nancy Jordan, who serves as Interim Executive Director of Lummi CDFI (LCDFI), a certified Native CDFI based in Bellingham, Washington.

Interview #36: Jeff Gilbreath | Hawai’i Community Lending

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Jeff Gilbreath, who serves as Executive Director of Hawai’i Community Lending (HCL), a federally certified Native CDFI headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Interview #35: Kim Pate | NDN Fund

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Kim Pate, who serves as Managing Director of NDN Fund, the investing and lending arm of NDN Collective.

Interview #34: Chris James | National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Chris James, who serves as President and CEO of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED), which recently launched...

Interview #33: Jacqueline Pata | Haa Yakaawu Financial Corporation

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Jacqueline Pata, who is President & CEO of the Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority, which oversees Haa Yakaawu Financial Corporation, a federally...

Interview #32: Leonard Smith | Native American Development Corporation

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Leonard Smith, who serves as Chief Executive Officer and founder of the Native American Development Corporation (NADC), a federally certified Native...

Interview #31: Charlene Virgilio | Four Directions Development Corporation

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Charlene Virgilio, who serves as Executive Director of Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC), a federally certified Native CDFI based in Orono,...

Interview #30: Chrystel Cornelius | Oweesta Corporation

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Chrystel Cornelius, who serves as President & CEO of Oweesta Corporation, a federally certified national Native CDFI intermediary predominantly serving Native...

Interview #29: Tamra Marlowe | Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Tamra Marlowe, who serves as Executive Director of Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund (CTLF), a federally certified Native CDFI based in Oakville,...

Interview #28: Colleen Steele | Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Colleen Steele, who serves as Executive Director of Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial, a federally certified Native CDFI located on the Pine...

Interview #27: Robert Aitken | Leech Lake Financial Services

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Robert Aitken, who serves as Executive Director of Leech Lake Financial Services (LLFS), a federally certified Native CDFI based in Bemidji,...

Interview #26: Jonathan Zurek | Seneca Nation of Indians Economic Development Company

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Jonathan Zurek, who serves as Executive Director of the Seneca Nation of Indians Economic Development Company (SNIEDC), a federally certified Native...

Interview #25: Cindy Logsdon | Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Cindy Logsdon, who serves as CEO and Executive Director of the Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation (CPCDC), a federally certified Native...

Interview #24: Alissa Charley | Hopi Credit Association

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Alissa Charley, who serves as Executive Director of the Hopi Credit Association (HCA), a federally certified Native CDFI that serves enrolled...

Interview #23: Rollin Wood | Native Partnership for Housing

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Rollin Wood, who serves as Executive Director of the Native Partnership for Housing, Inc. (NPH), a federally certified Native CDFI in...

Interview #22: Rjay Brunkow | Indian Land Capital Company

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Rjay Brunkow, who serves as CEO of Indian Land Capital Company (ILCC), which is based in Little Canada, Minnesota. A federally...

Interview #21: Mary Miner | Alaska Growth Capital

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Mary Miner, who serves as Vice President of Community Development for Alaska Growth Capital BIDCO, Inc., in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska Growth...

Interview #20: Jeff Tickle | Cook Inlet Lending Center

In this latest edition of “Difference Makers,” NCN sits down with Jeff Tickle, who serves as General Manager of Cook Inlet Lending Center, Inc. (CILC) in Anchorage, Alaska. Formerly known as NaQenq’a,...

WHAT WE DO

Since we formed in 2009, the Native CDFI Network has been creating opportunities for Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to share our stories, identify our collective priorities, and strengthen our industry. Our aim is ensure that Native peoples are represented in the national policy dialogue and to spread the innovative solutions created by CDFIs throughout our Native communities.

WHAT ARE NATIVE CDFIs?

Native CDFIs help Native American communities overcome systemic barriers to entrepreneurial success, such as a lack of physical, legal, and telecommunications infrastructure, access to affordable financial products and services, and limited workforce development strategies. The majority of Native communities, 86 percent, lack a single financial institution within their borders to access affordable financial products and services.

Over the last decade, Native CDFIs have proven themselves key in developing healthy, vibrant Native economies and communities. Entering markets normally considered “high-risk,” they help place communities on a path to success – creating businesses, jobs, homeowners, and serving as the catalyst for developing local economies. Their unique programs and services are designed to build financial assets in the low-income populations they serve and provide access to economic opportunities.

Learn More About native CDFIS

OUR POLICY PRIORITIES

As the only national member coalition Native CDFIs in the country, the Native CDFI Network seeks to grow and strengthen Native CDFIs through policy advocacy, capacity building and access to capital that supports the economic prosperity of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities. Our nine-member National Board of Directors voted at our NCN Policy Summit to approve two key policy priorities:

  1. Adequate Capital Access by NCDFIs to Serve Native Peoples
  2. Industry Partnerships & Capacity to Serve Native Peoples & Areas

Read more about the policy goals we’ve established and our plans for carrying them out!

Learn More

Senator Elizabeth Warren Addresses NCDFIs and her work on Broken Promises.

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