Today, the Native CDFI Network (NCN) and 66 Native CDFIs and other key partners delivered a powerful message to Capitol Hill, calling on Congress to reject the proposed defunding of the Native American CDFI Assistance (NACA) Program in President Trump’s FY 2026 Discretionary Budget Request.
Their joint letter was sent this morning to Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. Also receiving the letter were all 29 members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, all 28 members of the Senate Community Development Finance Caucus, and all 63 members of the House Appropriations Committee.
This action builds on NCN’s advocacy campaign launched earlier this week, following President Trump’s release of his FY 2026 budget proposal that calls for near-total elimination of the CDFI Fund – a move that would devastate Native-led economic development. The letter stresses the NACA Program’s unique role in supporting Native CDFIs, which deliver homeownership, small business financing, clean energy investments, and essential community development in some of the most underserved areas of the country. It also calls for continued, increased funding for the NACA Program to meet the demonstrated needs of Native CDFIs.
📢 Take action and stand with NCN to ensure Native CDFIs and the Native communities we serve are heard in the federal budget process.
Together, we’re defending Native communities’ right to economic self-determination and ensuring that federal investments reflect our need, priorities, and potential for transformative growth.