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.

NCN Clean Energy Finance Institute:

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. We are pleased to launch our Clean Energy Finance Certificate Program – an expansion of the NCN Leadership Institute. NCN’s certificate program will position Native CDFIs as the go-to lenders in clean energy financing across the country and in Indian country. This robust program will build knowledge and credibility within the industry as lenders navigate this exciting expansion of their portfolios.

The program features 9 interactive, virtual sessions as well as additional supplemental sessions designed to help lenders build their clean energy lending programs and enhance their knowledge of best practices for managing such programs. To earn the Certificate, you must attend at least 7 of the 9 webinars. We highly encourage you to attend all webinars, but we acknowledge the existing levels of expertise and how valuable your time is.
 
We invite you to register now for the 2025 NCN Clean Energy Finance Institute Certificate program. Each interactive webinar will take place via Zoom from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. You will need to register for each session individually using the links below and on our events page. Reserve your spot before registration closed on February 4th.
 
Join us in shaping a cleaner, brighter future. Register today to save your spot in these FREE webinars!

*This training is open to NCN members only.

February 6, 2025

GRID Alternatives

Session 1:  Exploring Clean Energy Opportunities for Your Community

Kick off the journey by learning how clean energy finance aligns with your community’s energy goals. This session will focus on using CCIA resources to evaluate clean energy project feasibility and alignment with CCIA funding, with practical insights into funding opportunities, community needs, and the potential for lasting economic and environmental benefits.

February 20, 2025

Brian Edwards
Tribal Business News

Session 2: Understanding Your Market: Marketing Clean Energy Finance Solutions to Native Communities

Explore how effective marketing and communication strategies can help identify local community demand for clean energy finance. This session will guide you in conducting market research to understand the needs of your community while crafting compelling messages that highlight the benefits of clean energy financing. Learn how to promote your products and services to build awareness, drive interest, and foster adoption in Native economies.

March 6, 2025

TBA

Session 3: Empowering Consumers with Clean Energy Loan Products

Discover how consumer lending can drive household savings while promoting clean energy adoption. This session will focus on designing loan products for energy-efficient appliances, rooftop solar installations, and other clean energy upgrades. Learn how to design accessible financial solutions that reduce energy costs, enhance home value, and support long-term sustainability for Native communities.

March 20, 2025

TBA

Session 4: Financing Larger Community-Level Projects: Collaboration and Loan Participation

Scaling up to finance larger projects requires strong partnerships. This session will teach you how to initiate and nurture collaborative lending relationships and structure loan participation to support community-scale clean energy initiatives.

April 3, 2025

TBA

Session 5: Updating Loan Policies for Clean Energy Success

Adapting your loan policies is key to integrating clean energy finance. Explore policy enhancements that facilitate clean energy lending while managing risk effectively.

April 17, 2025

TBA

Session 6: Mastering Underwriting for Clean Energy Loans

Understand the nuances of underwriting clean energy projects. Gain confidence in underwriting clean energy projects. Learn how to assess creditworthiness, incorporate capital provider requirements, and develop products tailored to your borrowers’ needs.

May 1, 2025

TBA

Session 7: Managing Risk and Strengthening Your Loan Portfolio

Strengthen your portfolio by managing risks associated with clean energy lending. This session offers strategies for creating financial products that balance market demands with portfolio health.

May 15, 2025

TBA

Session 8: Structuring Capital: Debt, Equity, and Creative Financing

Explore innovative ways to structure financing for clean energy projects. Understand how to blend debt and equity to meet borrower needs and maximize financial returns.

May 29, 2025

TBA

Session 9: Launching and Sustaining Your Clean Energy Loan Fund

Bring it all together in this capstone session. Reflect on key takeaways and develop a sustainable model for launching and maintaining a Clean Energy Loan Fund that drives enduring opportunities for clean energy development in Native communities.

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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