NCN Leadership Program 2017 – 2018 Mini Grant Request for Proposals

The Native CDFI Network (NCN) invites NCN Native CDFI Members to apply for a limited number of mini grants to support the development of core Native CDFI skills that include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Financial Management
2. Fundraising
3. Marketing & Communications
4. Community Facilities
5. Federal, State and Tribal Policy

Program Description:

NCN Native CDFI Members may request up to $5,000 to cover costs associated with building core skills.  This could include hiring a consultant, attending a training, purchasing software, etc. Funds will also be used to cover grantee travel and lodging costs associated with attending the NCN Annual Member Meeting in 2018.  NCN does not provide overhead support or indirect costs to grantees.  Grantees will also receive training, mentoring and coaching from NCN staff, partners or their peers to accomplish their core skill building goals.  The NCN awards committee will review the proposals and make funding decisions with guidance from NCN partners.

Proposal Deadline: July 31, 2017

April 1, 2016

Native CDFIs have seen first-hand the positive impact increased financial literacy is creating for Native American individuals and families. Since April was officially proclaimed National Financial Literacy Month, it has been a time to share those stories and renew our commitment to empowering our Native American individuals, families, and communities through increased financial knowledge.

The Native CDFI Network has launched a public awareness and advocacy campaign for National Financial Literacy Month in order to….

raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy and call attention to the impact increased financial capability has on Native American individuals, families, and communities.

Throughout the month the Network will be working to capture the attention of the media, policymakers, and funders to share challenges and successful strategies for increasing financial capability in Native communities.

Read the full announcement.

January 25, 2016

The Native CDFI Network launched an intensive public awareness and advocacy campaign in conjunction with the Corporation for Enterprise Development’s (CFED’s) Assets & Opportunity National Week of Action. The goal of the campaign is to call attention to the issues of financial insecurity and inequality that Native American families across this country are facing, while highlighting successful solutions that create economic opportunity for all.

“Historically, there has been very little investment in Native communities, and that has left us behind in the ways of infrastructure, economic development, and asset creation. The good news is that there are many organizations out there working overtime to level the playing field,” says Tanya Fiddler, Executive Director of the Native CDFI Network.

The campaign, taking place from January 25-29, 2016, is anchored in the release of CFED’s annually-published Assets & Opportunity Scorecard, a powerful research and advocacy tool that helps paint a picture of household financial insecurity in the United States. The Scorecard revealed that in Montana and South Dakota – states with some of the highest number of Indian reservations – state policies are doing little to improve financial security for residents.

Read the press release.

Read the article in Indian Country Today.

Listen to the interview with Tanya Fiddler on South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

November 4, 2015

From the highest offices of government to your personal bank account, debt is a big part of your daily life. Congress deals with the country’s debt by raising the government’s limit just before the deadline. But most people have no such power over how they pay off their mortgages or student loans.

We’ll discuss different kinds of debt and how the people’s views have changed over the years. We’ll also talk about strategies to get out of debt and preparing your budget for the holiday spending season. When is taking on debt a good idea?

Listen to Tanya Fiddler’s radio interview on Native America Calling.

October 5, 2015

The Native CDFI Network, a national association of Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that work to increase access to capital in Native communities, is excited to announce a major developmental milestone in the organization’s continued growth. Tanya Fiddler (Cheyenne River Sioux) has been hired to lead the Network as it’s first-ever Executive Director.

“As a founding Co-Chair and former Chairperson of the Network’s Board of Directors, a member of the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Advisory Board, and the former head of Four Bands Community Fund, a leading Native CDFI, Tanya is uniquely suited to become the first Executive Director of the Native CDFI Network,” said Ted Piccolo, newly-elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Native CDFI Network and also the Executive Director of the Northwest Native Development Fund, a Native CDFI based in Washington.

Read the press release.

January 30, 2015
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’ Community Dividend asks Gerald Sherman, interim CEO of the Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Network, for his insights on the past, present, and future of the Native CDFI sector. Read the article.

March 6, 2013
For the second year in a row, the Native CDFI Network, a network created to unify and strengthen Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs), traveled to Washington DC to advance policy priorities that foster systemic and sustainable Native community and economic development. This year’s Native CDFI Network delegation spent the last week in February in Washington DC and was comprised of seven Native CDFI representatives from around the country who:

• Attended the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Advisory Board Meeting and the CDFI Fund’s Information Session on the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program Interim Rule
• Fostered relationships with the National Congress of American Indians, NeighborWorks America, and Partners for Common Good
• Met with the Department of Interior Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and the U.S. Treasury Office of Financial Education
• Attended six Hill visits with various Senators and/or their staff

Read the press release.
Read the detailed summary of this year’s Native CDFI Network DC trip.

December 27, 2012
Following an appointment by President Obama earlier this month, Tanya Fiddler (Cheyenne River Lakota Nation), was officially welcomed onto the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Advisory Board on December 17, 2012. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to advise the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, a program of the U.S. Department of Treasury, on its activities and programs which are designed to increase economic opportunity and promote community development investments for underserved populations and in distressed communities in the United States. Read the full story.

October 16, 2012

On October 15, 2012, the Native CDFI Network, a national coalition dedicated to uniting Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and advancing policy priorities that support economic development in Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities, seated its first Board of Directors during its 4th Annual Member Gathering in San Antonio, Texas. The Native CDFI Network’s Board of Directors is comprised of nine upper management professionals from Native CDFIs across the country and two ex-officio board members from national partner organizations. Read the full story.

May 15, 2012

On May 2, 2012 a group of Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and nonprofits met with staff at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to advocate for responsible and fair lending products in Native American communities. The Native organizations provided examples to demonstrate the negative impact of payday loans in their communities and also shared successful strategies in combating predatory lending, such as financial education, credit coaching, and credit builder loans. The credit building loan product is designed to help Native borrowers that are trapped in the debt cycle of payday lending replace their debt with low cost affordable term loans that result in building positive credit histories, and is paired with financial education to protect consumers from future fringe financing products. Read the full story.