On December 5, 2022, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) unveiled the Honoring Promises to Native Nations Act, historic legislation to address chronic underfunding and barriers to sovereignty faced by Indian Country as a result of the federal government’s failures to meet its trust and treaty responsibilities.
For years the Federal Reserve System has partnered with NCN to drive policy change by gathering reliable data to support the benefits of investing into Native CDFIs.
The Native CDFI Network (NCN) strongly encourages all Native CDFIs and other key Indian Country stakeholder organizations to submit comments on the CDFI Fund’s proposed pre-approved list of Target Market assessment methodologies (TMAMs) (which are a key feature of the Fund’s proposed new CDFI Certification regulations) by the comment deadline next Monday, December 19, 2022.
In opening remarks at the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a series of actions to support Tribally led conservation, education and economic development through a new Office of Strategic Partnerships. The Department also announced a new joint project between the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and Trust for Public Lands to create culturally informed outdoor educational spaces, the renewal of “The National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education,” and new partnerships with community organizations to catalyze economic opportunities across Indian Country.
Due to the overwhelming response and expected attendance, the sold out Annual Policy and Capacity Building Summit has been moved to the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, Regency B – Ballroom Level 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20001. This will provide a much more comfortable and accommodating experience for all attending. Registered…
In October, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) provided a preview of the revisions to the new CDFI Certification Application. The CDFI Fund published the preview in advance of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) releasing the updated application for a final round of public comment.
The Native CDFI Network (NCN) encourages all Native CDFI and tribal leaders to contact their U.S. Congressional representatives to gain their support as co-sponsors of the Native American Rural Homeownership Improvement Act of 2021 (S. 2092/H.R. 6331). This critical legislation is gaining momentum in both the House and Senate, and we need your help in securing additional co-sponsors to get it across the finish line and signed into law before the current Congressional term concludes in January.
NCN has partnered with BMO Harris Bank to launch BMO for Native-owned Businesses as part of its five-year, $5 billion BMO EMpower initiative aimed at supporting an inclusive economic recovery for minority businesses, communities and families through lending, investing, giving and engagement in local communities.
On October 3-4, 2022, Native communities and Native CDFIs were represented at two high-profile federal events in Washington, D.C.: a Working Session of the Biden Administration’s Economic Opportunity Coalition and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s annual Freedman’s Bank Forum.
The CDFI Fund announced that 218 organizations received $27.57 million in Technical Assistance awards to build their capacity to provide services to low-income and underserved people and communities across America. NCN has been awarded $150,000 from the NACA Program for Technical Assistance.