Register for the June 16 NCN Webinar …

“Modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act:
The NPR’s Implications for Indian Country and Native CDFIs”

On Thursday, June 16 at 2:00 p.m. EDT, NCN will host a special two-hour webinar featuring representatives from the federal agencies tasked with regulating lending institutions’ compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). They will be on hand to provide an overview of the new Interagency CRA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR). They also will detail the section focused on Indian Country titled “Activities in Native Land Areas” (see pages 96-103) and the sections focused on Treasury Department-certified CDFIs, including Native CDFIs (see pages 88-93 and 112-119).

SESSION AGENDA:
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EDT – Comprehensive overview of the NPR (webinar participants are strongly encouraged to watch/listen to the CRA NPR explanatory video in advance of the webinar here – you must sign in to access).
3:00 to 3:15 p.m. EDT – Focused presentation on “Activities in Native Land Areas” section
3:15 to 3:30 p.m. EDT – Q&A with federal officials on “Native Land Areas” and CDFI sections as well as other parts of the NPR
3:30 to 4:00 p.m. EDT – Debrief among attendees; discussion of issues to raise and questions to pose in NCN’s formal comments on the CRA NPR

Native CDFIs, tribal governments, and other interested stakeholders have until August 5, 2022 to submit formal comments on the NPR. To review the NPR, the interagency press release, the NPR Fact Sheet, and related materials, please click here.

NCN “Difference Makers” Interview Series:
Sheila Herrera and Sara Barbour

Last week, the Native CDFI Network released its latest edition of “Native CDFIs: Difference Makers for Indian Country,” an interview with Executive Director Sheila Herrera of Tiwa Lending Services, Inc., a federally certified Native CDFI whose mission is to provide innovative products, education, and development services to improve the social and economic growth of Pueblo of Isleta and other Native people in surrounding communities in New Mexico. To read the interview, please click here.

Coming this Thursday: “Difference Makers” sits down with Sara Barbour, Interim Executive Director of Yurok Alliance CDFI, a federally certified Native CDFI located in northern California whose mission is to “promote economic and financial assistance, small business development, and build assets within the Tribe’s jurisdiction among tribal members, improving the quality of life for its peoples and communities.”

To read the other interviews in NCN’s “Difference Makers” series, please click here.

Article Casts Spotlight on the Need of Native CDFIs
Outweighing Available Federal Funding

A new Tribal Business News article released today highlights the fact that the Treasury Department will fail to meet the funding demand from Native community development financial institutions for the next fiscal year, even with a 30-percent increase in allocated funding.

The article features excerpts from an interview with NCN Interim Executive Director and Board Chair Pete Upton on the subject.