Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) leaders recently came together for a meeting with the Consumer Protection Finance Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra and Chief Strategy Officer David Uejio.
The NCN team participated in the 2023 Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) Conference in Washington, D.C. from October 15-18. NCN CEO, Pete Upton, addressed the Native convening session, providing an update on policy advocacy wins of 2023 to date, submission of the only exclusively Native-serving application to the EPA’s Clean Communities Investment Accelerator program, and information about NCN’s upcoming Native clean energy finance market study.
NCN was recently awarded an SBA Program for Investment In Microentrepreneurs (PRIME) grant to build on the successful capacity-building programs and services to NCDFIs.
NCN is supporting an application to the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) program with Climate United, a consortium comprised of Calvert Impact, Community Preservation Corporation, and Self-Help. NCN’s CEO, Pete Upton, will serve on Climate United’s Advisory Council.
In a historic bid to catalyze clean energy infrastructure development in Native communities across the entire nation, today the Native CDFI Network (NCN) submitted a comprehensive Indian Country application to the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA), one of three award programs under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
On October 6, 2023, CEO, Pete Upton participated as a speaker in the Johnson Scholarship Foundation’s annual meeting held in Scottsdale, Arizona. The gathering brought together representatives from ten schools that actively participate in the foundation’s business scholarship programs.
On October 3-4, 2023, Pete Upton, the CEO and Chairman of the Native CDFI Network, made a keynote speech at the 2023 Northwest Native Economic Summit.
Upton’s participation in the panel discussion titled “Financing the Underfinanced: Lessons Learned Across Geographies” was a testament to the Native CDFI Network’s dedication to advancing financial inclusion for indigenous populations.
Under the theme “Native CDFIs | Funding Native Housing, Tribal Economies,” Upton passionately conveyed the pivotal role that Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are playing in supporting Native homeownership, empowering Indigenous small businesses, and fueling community development initiatives within Indian Country.
Upton was asked to participate at the Clinton Global Initiative to share the work Native CDFIs are doing to grow thriving economies across Indian Country.