Based on the focus of NCN’s comments and the priorities the organization shared for how the CRA regulations should be strengthened to better serve Indian Country, the Final Rule overall represents a marked improvement over the current regulations, yet some priorities were not included in the new regulations.
NCN’s CEO Pete Upton, participated in the 2023 Freedman’s Bank Forum, hosted at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The event underscored the urgency of addressing economic disparities and fostering inclusivity across the nation. The forum featured a dynamic array of sessions, comprising enlightening video messages and invigorating panel discussions.
NCN’s CEO Pete Upton met with Administrator Isabel Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Jackson Brossy, from the SBA Office of Native American Affairs, on October 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
Native CDFIs face the pending release of potentially disastrous certification updates from the U.S. Treasury this month. At the same time, the Native CDFI Network is working on an application to tap into a $6 billion pot of money through an accelerator program under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
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.