NCN works to strengthen the Native CDFI industry by increasing the voice of Native CDFIs in national policy dialogues and sharing resources that grow the knowledge and skills of our members. One of the ways we do this is by offering skill-building workshops and in-depth trainings on leadership and practice topics of importance to Native CDFIs.

The NCN Institute Training Series is an interactive collection of workshops for Native CDFI leaders and team members who wish to sharpen their skills and strategies. The 2024 series of skill-building workshops was developed based on feedback from our Annual Members Survey that let us know what skill sets Native CDFI Leaders need and want.

Registrations are now open for the 2024 NCN Institute Training Series! See the training calendar below for a list of workshop topics that will be offered. Each workshop will be held via Zoom from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Participation in these trainings requires an NCN Membership. All memberships are now based on the calendar year beginning on January 1. If you have not renewed your membership for 2024, please log into your membership portal to renew your account. If you need assistance with your username or renewing your membership, please email Shauntel Hogan, NCN’s Communications Director, at [email protected].

February 27, 2024

Lisa Wagner
Bluestem Consulting

Understanding the new Native CDFI Certification Requirements

This workshop is designed for aspiring and emerging (not-yet certified) Native CDFIs. Learn about the new Native CDFI Certification requirements, what they are, and related reporting requirements.

February 28, 2024

Lisa Wagner
Bluestem Consulting

Understanding and Complying with the new Native CDFI Re-Certification Requirements

This training is designed for Native CDFIs that are already certified. Learn about the new Native CDFI Re-Certification requirements, what they are, when existing CDFIs must be in compliance and how the changes impact reporting requirements.

April 3, 2024

Jack Northrup
New England Market Research

Building a Balance Sheet: Capitalization and Cash Flow

Native CDFIs generally build their balance sheets in order to show that they have the capacity, capabilities, and equity base to perform their mission. Yet, mission-directed assets can often be levered at the expense of the balance sheet but to the benefit of our communities.

This webinar will look at common strategies that CDFIs use to build their balance sheets, their impacts, and possible drawbacks of a too-focused approach. Capitalization is the starting block but accurate cash flow analyses, particularly with loan repayments is key to improving efficiency and accelerating scale. The webinar will prepare you for the second class on secondary markets.

May 1, 2024

Jack Northrup
New England Market Research

Portfolio Analysis for Loan Sales and the Secondary Market

Native CDFIs are often approached by investors and foundations looking to invest in a CDFI by purchasing all or part of their performing portfolio. How does management assess the value of their loan portfolio? What are the benefits and drawbacks of selling loans on the secondary market? There will always be a tradeoff between a relatively predictable cash flow (loan repayments) and a lump sum received when a loan is sold on the market.  

This webinar will examine what your Native CDFI needs to do in order to accurately evaluate your loan portfolio. We will look at discounted cash flows, opportunity costs and capitalization, all with the intent of building strong balance sheets.

Meet Our Trainers

Lisa Wagner
Bluestem Consulting

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Jack Northrup
New England Market Research

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Kristen Wagner
Native CDFI Network

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Examples of Previous NCN Institute Programs include:

Increasing Your Visibility through Storytelling. In 2021, NCN worked with Harvard Professor, Marshall Ganz, an expert in labor organizing and leadership, to offer 23 hours of training to 15 NCN members. In this training series, Native CDFI leaders gathered each weekend for one month to learn how they could create meaningful change by telling their stories.

NCN Summer Institute 2022. This Summer Series included three training sessions from June – August 2022 covering the topics of small business underwriting, advanced cash flow analysis, loan product pricing and market choice. Jack Northrup, of New England Market Research, a long-time partner with NCN, provide energizing, skill-building sessions for 22 NCN members followed by one-on-one technical assistance to support their implementation of these new skills and knowledge.

NCN Summer Institute 2023. This series included six training sessions covering capitalization planning, loan pipeline development, financial systems useful for CDFIs, and preparing for the audit.

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Jack Northrup

New England Market Research

Jack Northrup of New England Market Research, Inc. has worked with companies performing qualitative and quantitative research on issues related to market access. Since, 1997 he has worked with over 250 companies conducting primary and secondary research. The main focus is quantitative analysis around issues of marketing, branding and consumer perception and financial management. Additionally, he conducts customer surveys and focus groups for clients on issues of demographics, pricing and attitudes/behaviors.

Jack developed and taught online small business training for the US Dept. of Treasury CDFI Fund and has taught business development at the University of Vermont and Southern New Hampshire University, in class and online.  He has developed and taught dozens of webinars and client trainings. He has a BS and MSc from New Hampshire College and an MBA from Dartmouth College.

Blaine Rasmuson

Bluestem Consulting

As a consultant, Blaine Rasmuson serves as a Loan Officer for the intermediary lending arm of NCN. Mr. Rasmuson helps our members through the loan process and ensures that NCN’s lending standards are of the highest caliber.

Rasmuson graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Finance. Before entering the CDFI industry, Mr. Rasmuson worked as a Registered Investment Advisor and as a Finance Manager. His experience in the finance industry will serve NCN as its lending capacity grows.

Caleb Selby

Selby Consulting

Caleb entered the Native CDFI industry in 2015 at Oweesta Corporation. He then became a consultant as he returned to school for a B.S. in General Mathematics. Currently, Mr. Selby is the owner of Selby Consulting, a consulting firm offering grant writing, financial analysis, capitalization planning, programmatic analysis, and other technical assistance to over 20 Native CDFIs each year. Mr. Selby is passionate about assisting and enjoys working with Native CDFIs. In his free time, Caleb enjoys being outdoors.

Kristen Wagner

Native CDFI Network

Kristen Wagner serves as the Native CDFI Network’s National Program Director. In this role, Wagner manages NCN grant funded programs, Membership Programs, and oversees the design and delivery of capacity-building supports to NCN members. Dr. Wagner built her 25-year career with a commitment to building more equitable economies in Native communities across the country and Indigenous communities globally.

In addition, she spent the past 15 years in classroom settings, individual mentoring relationships, and as a consultant providing organizational management support and training to asset-building practitioners and advocates to support economic equity in their workplaces, community decision-making processes, and broader institutional systems. Through these experiences, Dr. Wagner understands the day-to-day experiences and challenges organizations face delivering asset-building programs in Indian Country.

Wagner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of North Dakota and a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Her work has taken the form of research, program design and implementation, policy advocacy, and leadership training.

Lisa Wagner

Bluestem Consulting

Lisa Wagner is the owner of Bluestem Consulting, Inc. She is a community development consultant and trainer based in Buffalo, Wyoming.  Lisa has worked in small business and economic development for 26 years and in the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry for 22 years. Over the last 14 years, Lisa has worked with CDFIs across the nation as a consultant and trainer. Her work has focused on providing capacity building services including CDFI certification and application support, board development, financial projections and analysis, sustainability and strategic planning, business planning, and capitalization planning. She has served as a trainer and facilitator for national, regional and local events in the CDFI arena. Lisa has taught lending courses for NeighborWorks America at their quarterly National Training Institutes. She has also served as facilitator for several CDFI Fund collaborative training initiatives through First Nations Oweesta and Opportunity Finance Network. She was the founding Executive Director of the Wind River Development Fund, a successful Native CDFI on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, from 2001 until 2009. During her tenure as Executive Director, WRDF received several national and regional awards. In 2009, Lisa was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the Wyoming Financial Services Champion of the year.  Lisa has served on the board of directors of both non-profit and for-profit organizations, including sitting on the loan committee of a state-wide loan fund. She has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas.