From stewart at oweesta.org Fri May 2 19:25:02 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Fri, 2 May 2008 17:25:02 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Michigan Chippewa tribe applies for CU charter References: Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE02686F@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> (please forward and apologies for cross postings) MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (5/1/08)--The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan has submitted an application for the proposed Chippewa Eagle FCU to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). This will be the first newly chartered credit union in Michigan in the past 21 years, according to Greg Carroll, project manager for the credit union. The field of membership for Chippewa Eagle FCU includes tribal members, their families and descendants, as well as employees of the tribe and their families. The tribe's application for the proposed credit union is now being reviewed by an NCUA economic development specialist, Carroll told News Now. An initial letter from NUCA should be received in 30 days, and the charter should take effect 60 days after that, NCUA told Carroll. "We should be opening the credit union by the end of summer," Carroll said. The credit union building has already been built on a strip of land next to the tribe's casino in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., he added. The project was first discussed by the tribe in the 1980s, but started in earnest the past two years, Carroll explained. Funding for the credit union was provided in October, and Carroll has been working full-time on the project since December. The Michigan Credit Union League helped with the project, Carroll said. Why did the tribe decide to form a credit union? "It always interested the tribal members to have a financial institution on their land that was theirs--and of course their members'," Carroll explained. "Tribal members are one of the most discriminated-against population segments with other financial institutions--which take advantage of them because of their relatively low incomes." The tribe--which employs about 5,000 people--operates the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mt. Pleasant, and the Saganing Eagles Landing Casino in Standish, Mich. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080502/5c3aabe2/attachment.html From staci at oweesta.org Mon May 5 10:14:47 2008 From: staci at oweesta.org (Staci Lacroix) Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 08:14:47 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Native American RV Park Campground Conference Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE17DE2B@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> NATIVE AMERICAN RV PARKS AND CAMPGROUNDS CONFERENCE (Register today, May 5, and Save $$) The Arizona Public Service -Office of Community Development - Emerging Markets is sponsoring an Economic Development Workshop titled the "Native American RV Parks & Campgrounds - Diversifying Tribal Economic Development." This workshop will provide a step-by-step approach to planning, designing, financing, developing, marketing and managing a Tribal RV Park & Campground. The workshop will be held on May 13-14 at the Four Points by Sheraton Metro Center, Phoenix, Arizona. The RV Park Campground Industry is growing and expected to continue to grow for at least the next decade or longer by all major surveys, studies and reports. The baby boomers are maturing and taking to the road with more time and affluence to vacation, explore, and recreate. Many Indian Reservations offer world-class natural attractions such as the sandstone pinnacles of Monument Valley on the Navajo Reservation, or the Havasupai Indian Reservation's turquoise waterfalls, travertine pools and canyon lands. Some Tribes provide man-made wonders, such as Gila River Indian Community's Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass, a replica of an 1880's Frontier Town. These attractions can support RV Parks and Campgrounds that will add to and diversify Tribal economic development ventures. A large segment of the traveling public is interested in Indian cultures and traditions and will travel significant distances to attend gatherings and events. A Tribe can utilize RV Parks as another way to tell its story in its own way and not conflict with Tribal values. Tribal campground visitors can attract visitors who will complement other Tribal retail businesses such as markets, restaurants, casinos, etc.. About 58% of those included in a Survey on Cultural Tourism by the Arizona Office of Tourism in January 2006 rated "experience other cultures" or "learn about history and culture" as a very or extremely important reason for their trip. A number of major players in the campground industry will speak at the workshop. Among them are Linda Profaizer, President and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC); Bruce Hoster, President of Coast-to-Coast Resorts and Executive Director of CampClub USA; Pat Hittmeier, Vice President of Systems Development for Kampgrounds of America (KOA); Kathy Palmeri, Director of Franchise Sales for Leisure System Inc. (LSI), Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Resorts; and Kerwin Pyle and Bill Dawson of Thousand Trails Inc. and Resort Parks International. For more information on the workshop, please contact Hamidah Awang-Damit at Premiere Project Management 928-526-6755, email HamidahHAD at aol.com or Bob McNichols at RezBuilders, LLC 928-753-6110, email bobmcnichols at rezbuilders.com. Bob McNichols, pREZident RezBuilders, LLC (Certified Economic Developers) 2175 Seneca Street Kingman, Arizona 86401 Phone: 928-753-6110 Fax: 928-437-1112 BobMcNichols at RezBuilders.com www.RezBuilders.com Building Strong Tribal Economies -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080505/8ca91221/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: RegistrationForm.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 33771 bytes Desc: pat90887367 Url : /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080505/8ca91221/attachment-0003.pdf From stewart at oweesta.org Mon May 5 12:21:01 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 10:21:01 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Native Business Development Workshop Winnipeg May 12-13, 2008 Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE17DE95@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> Understand how to Motivate New Entrepreneurs to Start their own Business. Promote Business as an integral part of the Community Vision. Explore creating effective Business Plans and financing. Learn about training programs that develop necessary entrepreneurial skills. Experience how Creativity and Focus are the major elements of success. Embrace the 21st century methods of doing business Find out why an Incubator can be a great resource for business development. Aboriginal Entrepreneur has assisted hundreds of people to Develop Business Plans, Start their Own Business and Coach them for the long haul. Our direct experience is what we pass on to you. Through this workshop you will learn how you can activate immediate startups and give opportunities to your youth and entrepreneurs and as a result dramatically increase Economic Development. Aboriginal Entrepreneur has delivered over 50 Start Your Own Business Workshops resulting in over 300 businesses established Register Below (print a copy of the Agenda) Email [ ] First Name [ ] Last Name [ ] Organization [ ] Address [ ] City [ ] Province/State [Select \/] Postal Code/Zip Code [ ] Phone [ ] Fax [ ] Name 2 [ ] Name 3 [ ] Name 4 [ ] I would like to register [ ] Please let me know what the group rate is [ ] Comments [Submit] Business Development Workshop 2 Days May 12-13, 2008 Winnipeg Ramada Inn for Economic Development, EDO's, Youth Program Managers, Business people, Chiefs & Councilors $450.00 per person (Group Discount Available) see Registration at bottom of the page Welcome / Graphic Design / Business Services / Leadership / Consulting Services / Incubator / Team / Contact Us Click here to request information on any of our services -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080505/bbf83ba8/attachment.html From stewart at oweesta.org Wed May 7 10:12:51 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 08:12:51 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] National American Indian Housing Council News Release - Upcoming Seattle Convention, Financial Education Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D1340@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> (please forward and apologies for cross postings) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Convention08_release_4.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 25334 bytes Desc: Convention08_release_4.pdf Url : /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080507/004b77ba/attachment-0001.pdf From stewart at oweesta.org Wed May 7 12:22:52 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 10:22:52 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Some comments on scale - The Fetishization of Scaling Up Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D13A8@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> There has been a great deal of discussion on the scaling up of programs and institutions in the asset building and CDFI worlds that we work in. The discussion below from the Social Edge site of the Skoll Foundation really struck a chord with me and Oweesta's work in Native communities. It is very difficult to talk scale so early in the development of communities, organizations and economies that have not had the proper assistance prior. Take a look at discussion below and visit the site to see the further comments (and add your own) - http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/scale/the-fetishization-of-scaling -up. There is already some great conversation going... The Fetishization of Scaling Up by Social Edge - last modified 2008-05-06 09:43 Hosted by Charles "Hipbone" Cameron (May 2008) I wasn't at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford this year where Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners in Health gave his "Loyalist's Critique of Social Entrepreneurship. Mike Lee, who was present, described Dr Farmer's presentation thus: he "throws fireballs and gets a standing ovation." That's enough to make me want to learn more. Here's some of what Dr. Farmer said: Our social entrepreneurs and all its supporters are obsessed with something called scale. The fetishization of scaling up our work is a source of both anxiety and hope. Bringing a new innovative project to scale often feels like the only way to leave a footprint of a good kind in an afflicted world in need of good ideas. ... What's been shocking to me over the past 25 years is the lightning speed at which policy makers, themselves shielded from the risks [that the poor face], decide that a complex intervention is too difficult or not cost-effective in Haiti or Africa, or not sustainable. In microfinance parlance, many of my patients are 'poor credit risks.' But aren't they the very people we claim to serve in the first place? This is why I termed my speech a 'Loyalist's critique' of our movement. Commenting on these paragraphs, a blogger at ThinkChange India writes: Farmer reminds the social entrepreneurship world that while scaling can make ideas visible or widespread, we need to remain critical about the motive and means behind scale, and keep the beneficiaries at the center of decision making. Too often, the cost-benefit analysis associated with scale reduces real people into dollar figures. It's not that I'm anti-scale. As the Skoll Foundation states, we believe that social entrepreneurs "represent a powerful force for large-scale impact or equilibrium change". The tipping points for large scale problems are liable to require large interventions -- how can I say this -- which need to be large in scale, but also human in scale. Quantity and quality: dollar figures and real people. Quantity and quality: social programs and the people they serve. Perhaps if we called ourselves servant entrepreneurs, we'd more easily remember what we're here for. Questions: * If you were at the Skoll World Forum and heard Dr Farmer, what nuggets of inspiration did you carry away with you? * Have you found that funding requirements contradict your own needs and experience? * Have you seen "efficiencies of scale" interrupting "effectiveness of human intervention"? * How do you scale up without cutting corners in terms of the humans you serve? Please join Charles "Hipbone" Cameron in this discussion, and let your voice her heard. Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy Vice President and COO Oweesta Corporation 1010 Ninth Street, Suite 3 Rapid City, SD 57730 (605) 342-3770 ph (605) 342-3771 fx stewart at oweesta.org www.oweesta.org www.nfec.info www.ournativecircle.org SAVE THE DATE - 5th Annual Native Financial Institution CONVENING & AWARD CEREMONY ALBUQUERQUE, NM - DECEMBER 9-12, 2008 (Taking place as part of the Opportunity Finance Network's Annual Conference) The Native Financial Instution Convening and Awards Ceremony serves as a catalyst for learning and sharing - join your peers for the pre-conference Convening, the Native training track, and the award ceremony that honors the work of two innovative and visionary Native CDFIs. This event is for Native instutitions, practitioners, leaders, tribal programs, tribal housing authorities, their partners and others committed to asset building and creating wealth in Native communities! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080507/eff27771/attachment.html From stewart at oweesta.org Thu May 8 12:37:52 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 10:37:52 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] New Native Workshop - Self Employment as a Career Option (After Graduation What?) Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D14EA@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> Home About Us Consulting Services Recent Workshops Careers Request Info SPIRIT - EDUCATION - ECONOMY - HEALTH NEW PROGRAM Self-Employment as a CAREER OPTION (After Graduation....What?) for details click here Registration Now Open Instructor Training Creating Wellness Program Level 1 WINNIPEG MAY 14-16, 2008 Become a Creating Wellness Believe In Our Youth Certified Instructor Get trained in breakthrough strategies that will change the lives of the youth in your community. CLICK HERE Creating Wellness Whitehorse Creating Wellness Edmonton Leadership & Creativity Winnipeg , MB DSC05680web.JPG Winnipeg-Thunderbay%20001web.jpg Creating Wellness London, ON Creating Wellness Winnipeg, MB Leadership & Creativity Chibougamau, QC PROGRAMS For Youth For Everyone Working with Youth Youth in Focus Observing - Reflecting - Transforming Instructor Training Program-Creating Wellness Leadership & Creativity in Action "Empowering the Youth" Young Entrepreneurs "For Youth ready to Start their own Businesss" There are many Youth in Canada struggling to find their purpose in life. The issues surrounding our youth is at a critical stage and requires our immediate attention. New generations lack mentoring and appropriate training to take advantage of the opportunities of an emerging Global society. Anger. depression, pain and confusion shadow their lives. We offer your organization the opportuntiy of working in a unique, transformational approach and mentorship, centered in leadership, expressive art activities and interactive experiental learning. We stress the development of critical thinking, creative problem solving and entrepreneurship. We believe that every young person deserves a worthwhile future, regardless of his or her past or present circumstances. Please click here to add yourself to our mailing list 313 - 207 Bank Street, Ottawa Ontario K2P 2N2 Tel: 1-613-212-8733 Fax 1-613-482-4909 positiveaction at believeinouryouth.com HOME / ABOUT US / RECENT WORKSHOPS Careers / REQUEST INFORMATION -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080508/492e7021/attachment-0001.html From stewart at oweesta.org Thu May 8 18:01:10 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 16:01:10 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED! - New Source of Funding for CDFIs Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D1556@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED! New Source of Funding for CDFIs Sign-On Letter for GSE Reform Please add your organization to a letter to Senate Banking Committee Chair Dodd and Ranking Member Shelby in support of GSE reform, and in particular those sections of interest to CDFIs. We are asking for three things in this letter: 1. An Affordable Housing and Capital Magnet Funds: If enacted, the Capital Magnet Fund (administered by the CDFI Fund) would provide CDFIs with an additional $175-$300 million annually in new grant funding. 2. Duty to Serve: Inclusion of a duty to serve section stating that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would lead the industry in working with CDFIs. We are also encouraging the GSEs to lead the industry in manufactured housing, affordable housing preservation, subprime borrowers, and rural markets. 3. Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs): Make CDFIs eligible borrowers from the FHLBs. For more detail on the Capital Magnet Fund, go to: http://www.opportunityfinance.net/public/files/Capital Magnet Fund Overview.doc To read the sign-on letter, go to: http://www.opportunityfinance.net/public/files/GSE%20Reform%20Sign-On%20 Letter%20FINAL%202008.doc You can help in three ways: 1. Add your organization to the list of signatures today. We need your e-mail confirmation on or before Friday, May 9, 2008. 2. Post the sign-on letter on your web site and encourage others to sign the letter as well. 3. Circulate the letter to your partners and allies. This is the most significant legislation for CDFI funding in the past decade. Please add your support today! Two ways to sign the letter: 1. If you are a Member of Opportunity Finance Network, just forward this email to Sandra Kerr (SKerr at OpportunityFinance.net) and type YES and your organization will be added. 2. If you are not an OFN Member, just forward this email to Sandra Kerr (SKerr at OpportunityFinance.net) and include the following information: YES, please add my organization to the sign-on letter for GSE reform. Contact Name:__________________________________________ Organization:___________________________________________ Phone:_________________________________________________ E-mail Address:__________________________________________ Organization Type: ____State/Local Organization ____National Organization ____Investor (either individual or company) ____Borrower Contact Sandra Kerr at skerr at opportunityfinance.net with any questions. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080508/1209f20c/attachment.html From stewart at oweesta.org Fri May 9 17:59:53 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 15:59:53 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Oweesta Conducts Lending Survey - Win One of Two IPods! Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D1654@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> Oweesta Corporation is conducting a short survey as we examine our lending and capitalization products. Please print the attached survey, fill it out and send it in via fax or email. All answers are confidential. Survey must be received at Oweesta by September 13, 2008 to qualify for drawing for IPod. Drawing will be held by September 30, 2008 Questions can be directed to David Fleming, Lending & Capitalization Manager, Oweesta, david at oweesta.org Thanks for your input and good luck! Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy Vice President and COO Oweesta Corporation 1010 Ninth Street, Suite 3 Rapid City, SD 57730 (605) 342-3770 ph (605) 342-3771 fx stewart at oweesta.org www.oweesta.org www.nfec.info www.ournativecircle.org SAVE THE DATE - 5th Annual Native Financial Institution CONVENING & AWARD CEREMONY ALBUQUERQUE, NM - DECEMBER 9-12, 2008 (Taking place as part of the Opportunity Finance Network's Annual Conference) The Native Financial Instution Convening and Awards Ceremony serves as a catalyst for learning and sharing - join your peers for the pre-conference Convening, the Native training track, and the award ceremony that honors the work of two innovative and visionary Native CDFIs. This event is for Native institutions, practitioners, leaders, tribal programs, tribal housing authorities, their partners and others committed to asset building and creating wealth in Native communities! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080509/e90ce1a5/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Oweesta loan survey 1 (2).pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 158543 bytes Desc: Oweesta loan survey 1 (2).pdf Url : /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080509/e90ce1a5/attachment-0001.obj From stewart at oweesta.org Mon May 12 10:40:29 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 08:40:29 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] House Passes Comprehensive Housing Package Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D16FF@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> For Immediate Release: May 8, 2008 House Passes Comprehensive Housing Package Washington, DC - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the most comprehensive response yet to the American mortgage crisis. The American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act (H.R. 3221) responds directly to the current crisis facing middle class Americans while providing the tools to prevent a repeat of these problems. The legislation combines a number of bipartisan bills including measures to modernize the FHA and reform the GSEs, which will provide crucial liquidity to our mortgage markets now, and also strengthen regulation and oversight for the future. In addition, the housing package will help families facing foreclosure keep their homes, help other families avoid foreclosures in the future, and help the recovery of communities harmed by empty homes caught in the foreclosure process. For more information about H.R.3221, please visit: financialservices.house.gov Summary of H.R. 3221, the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act: Amendment 1:FHA Housing Stabilization and Homeownership Retention Act (H.R. 5830) ? Provides mortgage refinancing assistance to keep families from losing their homes, protect neighboring home values, and help stabilize the housing market. ? Expands the FHA program so many borrowers in danger of losing their home can refinance into lower-cost government -insured mortgages they can afford to repay. This legislation will help troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure while minimizing taxpayer exposure. ? Only primary residences are eligible: NO speculators, investment properties, second or third homes will be refinanced. ? Protects taxpayers by requiring lenders and homeowners to take responsibility. This is not a bailout; in order to participate, lenders and mortgage investors must take significant losses by reducing the loan principal. In exchange for an FHA guarantee on the mortgage, borrowers must share any profit from the resale of a refinanced home with the government. ? Contains important protections for taxpayers' dollars, including higher refinancing fees that establish a new FHA reserve to cover possible losses from defaults on these government-backed mortgages. ? Provides $230 million for financial counseling to help families stay in their homes. FHA Modernization (H.R. 1852) ? Expands affordable mortgage loan opportunities for families (many of whom would otherwise turn to subprime lenders) and for seniors through expanded access to reverse mortgages through Federal Housing Administration reform ? This measure passed the House in September. (Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007, H.R.1852) GSE Reform (H.R. 1427) ? Strengthens regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Bank system. ? Raises the GSE loan limits for single family homes in high cost areas, so that these entities can purchase more loans in higher cost areas (thereby lowering interest rates for new homes and refinancings in those areas). ? Expands liquidity in the mortgage markets by buying loans already made, freeing up money for new mortgages and refinances. ? Creates a new Fund to boost the nation's stock of affordable rental housing. Encouraging Mortgage Modifications/Castle Bill (H.R. 5579) ? Mortgage servicers are concerned about the threat of investor lawsuits if they help families in danger of losing their homes with loan modifications that reduce monthly mortgage payments through lower interest rates, reduced principal amounts or other changes in loan terms. ? To speed loan modifications and keep more families in their homes, this package includes HR 5579 to provide mortgage servicers with clarity and certainty for their actions, and protection from such lawsuits for specified loan modifications. Preserving the American Dream for Our Nation's Veterans ? Increases VA Home Loan limit, as was done in the stimulus package, for high-cost housing areas so that veterans have more homeownership opportunities. Amendment 2-- Tax Provisions to Expand Refinancing Opportunities and Spur Home Buying (H.R. 5720): This amendment provides $11 billion in tax benefits, including tax credits to first-time homebuyers, a real property tax deduction for non-itemizers, an additional $10 billion in mortgage revenue bonds for states, and improves access to low-income housing. ? Gives first-time homebuyers a refundable tax credit that works like an interest-free loan of up to $7,500 (to be paid back over 15 years) to spur home buying and stabilize the market. The credit will begin to phase out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $70,000 ($140,000 in the case of a joint return). ? Provides taxpayers that claim the standard deduction with up to an additional $350 ($700for a joint return) standard deduction for property taxes in 2008. ? Temporary increase in mortgage revenue bond authority to allow for the issuance of an additional $10 billion of tax-exempt bonds to refinance subprime loans, provide loans to first-time homebuyers and to finance the construction of low-income rental housing. ? Temporary increase in low-income housing tax credit and simplification of the credit to help put builders to work to create new options for families seeking affordable housing alternatives. ? Helps returning soldiers avoid foreclosure by lengthening the time a lender must wait before starting foreclosure, from three months to one year after a soldier returns from service. ? Would not add to the national debt. The cost of this bill is offset with a tax compliance provision included in the President's Budget and by delaying the effective date of a tax benefit for multinational companies that has not yet taken effect. Amendment 3-- Miller/LaTourette ? This amendment protects the right of states and cities to regulate the foreclosure process and the treatment of foreclosed property -- by clarifying that this act, the National Bank Act, and the Home Owner's Loan Act do not preempt State foreclosure laws for national banks or federally chartered thrifts. ? Exempting national banks and thrifts from foreclosure law would deprive the states and cities of the right to require that foreclosures must follow certain procedures, including notice to the people foreclosed, and that foreclosed property be safely maintained. ? Many in the industry and in the Bush administration argue that national banks should be exempted from these rules. There is no reason that national banks and federal thrifts should be treated differently from all other mortgage holders when it comes to how to foreclose and how to maintain foreclosed property. Gregory S. Davis Policy Advisor Office of Congressman Rub?n Hinojosa 2463 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 226-8010 (Direct) (202) 225-5688 (Fax) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080512/6da04feb/attachment.html From stewart at oweesta.org Mon May 12 11:02:51 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 09:02:51 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] VITA Sites: Linking Tax Returns and Asset Building Strategies in Indian Country Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D170A@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> >From the recently released study by the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies and the Center for Social Development: For the complete report, see http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/csd/Publications/2007/WP07-32.pdf On an individual and family basis, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has important poverty alleviation characteristics. Few populations or places in the United States are as needful of the dollars provided by EITC receipt as Indian Country. The receipt of EITC will not alleviate poverty in Indian Country alone, but can be a viable start by providing thousands of dollars to families in Native communities. During the two years this project has been underway, more than 9,000 tax returns have been filed at 14 Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites serving Indian Country. The study examined the number of Native community members who are eligible for EITC, the amount of money flowing to Native community members through EITC, potential uses of EITC income, and opportunities to build community infrastructure and programs that could help EITC and other tax dollars remain in Native communities and serve as leverage for further asset building. The Annie E. Casey Foundation provided support for the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies (BCAIS) and the Center for Social Development (CSD), at Washington University in St. Louis, to engage fourteen Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) campaigns serving Native urban and reservation communities in a research partnership. Project outreach support was provided by the Native Financial Education Coalition and First Nations Oweesta Corporation. This work is a continuation of our EITC research in Native communities during Tax Year (TY) 2005. Current study activities took place from October 2006 through September 2007. The primary purpose of the study is to explore potential economic benefits of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) receipt for Native individuals and communities, as it was in the previous study, also. However, for the 2006 tax year we expanded the study site sample to include three additional Native communities, increasing our potential for examining economic conditions and needs in diverse communities. Based on our previous study, a number of potential economic effects associated with EITC receipt emerged. These effects may occur at the individual, household, and community levels and include outcomes such as improved economic self-sufficiency, substantial economic relief for low-income families, and increased economic flow in the local community, which strengthens local businesses. When combined, these effects are likely to build stronger communities. As in the previous study, we examine the amount of money flowing to Native people and potential uses of EITC income. This work illustrates the connection between community infrastructure and programs that facilitate EITC uptake, the effects of retaining dollars in the local economy, and leverage points for building individual and household assets. Patsy Schramm NFEC EITC Committee Facilitator -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080512/13f1c7b9/attachment-0001.html From stewart at oweesta.org Wed May 14 15:16:59 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 13:16:59 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] CDFIs! Wachovia NEXT Awards - Only 2 Weeks Left! Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D1985@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> View this email in your browser. The Wachovia NEXT Awards - Are You NEXT? Error! Filename not specified. Your time has come. Apply Now - Only Two Weeks Left! 2008 Awards Total $8.35 Million Your CDFI could receive a Wachovia NEXT Award for Opportunity Finance this year. But there are only two weeks left to apply. Visit www.nextawards.org for details. There are six awards, including one $5.5 million award, one $2.75 million award, and four $25,000 awards. However, the application window is closing soon. Applications are due May 30th. Awardees will be singled out and rewarded for their exceptional track record and extraordinary potential. Don't miss your chance to apply. Apply now at www.nextawards.org . Unsubscribe from this list. Our mailing address is: Opportunity Finance Network Public Ledger Building 620 Chestnut Street, Suite 572 Philadelphia, PA 19106 Our telephone: 215.923.4754 Copyright (C) 2008 Opportunity Finance Network All rights reserved. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080514/02db7893/attachment.html From stewart at oweesta.org Mon May 12 11:01:48 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 09:01:48 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Limited scholarship opportunities for CFED's 2008 Assets Learning Conference-due May 23 Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D1709@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> Limited scholarship opportunities for registration and travel to the September 10-13, 2008 Assets Learning Conference are available to organizations engaged in providing EITC outreach and/or free tax preparation to Native communities. A prerequisite for the scholarship is attending the September 10 Native Asset Building Pre-Conference Session. Scholarship recipients will be expected to participate in a roundtable discussion on delivery of EITC outreach and free tax preparation to Native communities. NATIVE ASSET BUILDING PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION Presented by Oweesta Corporation, CFED, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and First Nations Development Institute September 10, 2008, 9 a.m. ? 4 p.m. This one-day pre-conference session will provide the opportunity for native asset-building practitioners to share their knowledge and experience and network with others in the field. Participants working with financial education, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), entrepreneurship, homeownership and investor education programs will discuss their best practices and challenges. They will also hear about resources to support strong institutions like native Community Development Financial Institutions and asset-building strategies such as affordable lending, IDAs, Earned Income Tax Credit outreach and free tax preparation services. Representatives from native asset-building coalitions will talk about their formation, and participants will have the opportunity to discuss launching coalitions in their regions. Join your colleagues for an exciting, interactive day of fun and information sharing. CONFERENCE PURPOSE The 2008 Assets Learning Conference is the place where a diverse group of leaders comes together to discuss innovations, vision and strategies in assets practice, policy and research. representing nonprofits, foundations, governments, policy advocacy organizations, private sector companies, and academic institutions, as well as assets program participants and accountholders, conference participants focus on furthering a single purpose: to encourage action and advance America's assets agenda. About the Conference WHO SHOULD ATTEND The 2008 Assets Learning Conference is specifically designed for asset holders, local IDA and asset-building practitioners, state IDA and asset-building coalitions, national IDA and asset-building organizations, policymakers, corporations, researchers and foundations. BENEFITS OF ATTENDING Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about assets policy, as well as research and practice innovations that support policy. Attendees will also get a chance to network with other advocates, policymakers, accountholders, practitioners, researchers and business representatives. More information about the conference may be found at http://www.assetsconference.org/index1.php?view=about_the_conference To be considered for a scholarship for registration and travel, please complete the attached form and email or fax it to Adrianne Brave Heart: adrianne at Oweesta.org, Fax: 605.342.3771 Applications received after May 23 will not be considered. Scholarship opportunities apply only to organizations engaged in or with plans to begin EITC outreach and/or free tax preparation to Native communities. This promises to be a great conference. We hope to see you there. Patsy Schramm NFEC EITC Committee Facilitator -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080512/cbe89f69/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Conference Registration and Travel ReimbursementRequest.doc Type: application/msword Size: 20992 bytes Desc: Conference Registration and Travel ReimbursementRequest.doc Url : /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080512/cbe89f69/attachment-0001.doc -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: ATT84690.txt Url: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080512/cbe89f69/attachment-0001.txt From stewart at oweesta.org Wed May 21 18:45:47 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 16:45:47 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Indigenous Economics - May 2008 Sojourners Article on Lakota Funds Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE1D1FD6@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> "New investment strategies among Indigenous Peoples help create holistic and sustainable communities..." A new article in Sojourner Magazine about the Lakota Funds and the development of Native businesses, in relation to investor actions. (see attachment) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080521/bbc3a687/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Sojourners-LakotaFundArticleMay08.pdf Type: application/octet-stream Size: 8812634 bytes Desc: Sojourners-LakotaFundArticleMay08.pdf Url : /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080521/bbc3a687/attachment-0001.obj From staci at oweesta.org Fri May 30 14:52:52 2008 From: staci at oweesta.org (Staci Lacroix) Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 12:52:52 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Google Alert - Native CDFIs Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE2234A9@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> Google News Alert for: Native CDFIs Home loan program for American Indians Daily Triplicate - Crescent City,CA,USA The Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program is a mortgage product specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native families, Alaskan villages, ... See all stories on this topic ________________________________ This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google. Remove this alert. Create another alert. Manage your alerts. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080530/76a461a4/attachment.html From staci at oweesta.org Fri May 30 15:26:55 2008 From: staci at oweesta.org (Staci Lacroix) Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 13:26:55 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Robert K. Steel Remarks Before the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE2234C0@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> May 28, 2008 Washington- Thank you and good morning. Let me first congratulate you on a timely and important meeting. I especially want to thank the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy and the Subcommittee on the Underserved for organizing this meeting. In particular I want to thank the subcommittee chair, John Hope Bryant, as well as Council members Sharon Lechter and Ignacio Salazar for their efforts to cast more attention on the underserved, and subcommittee member Rev. Dr. Robert Lee, who could not be with us today, for his efforts in this area. And I also want to thank you, our meeting participants, for agreeing to focus on this important work. When John called me about the Subcommittee's plans for today, he spoke about how today's mortgage problems are a clear example of the need for financial literacy. I wholeheartedly agree. But what I especially liked about today's meeting is your focus on the underserved and encouraging access to financial services to continue for credit-worthy Americans, even as we work through these challenging times in our financial markets. Now let me turn to the main themes of today. We have seen financial innovation in the mortgage market. We have seen how that innovation benefits the U.S. economy and U.S. homeowners. Many Americans became homeowners because of these financial innovations. Unfortunately many Americans do not have access to mainstream financial services. They lack the requisite understanding to utilize financial tools and products to manage their financial affairs properly. Additionally, as financial institutions revise their lending standards, some credit-worthy borrowers could find it more difficult to access the credit needed to finance their futures. As our markets move forward, they will need to find the right balance of improving their own lending practices, while not cutting off responsible, credit-worthy borrowers. There are more financial products available now than ever, but these products have become more complex and challenging for all of us to understand. And as consumers, we need to know more than our parents or grandparents did, if we are going to employ these financial products successfully. For the underserved, who by definition are not using many mainstream financial services, the barriers to understanding complex financial products are high. Many lenders do not clearly explain the terms of their complex loans and borrowers have infrequent or no experience with these products. These combined factors lead to a lack of participation, which continues a downward cycle for the underserved. This creates an ongoing responsibility for us. We can see the true value of financial education by observing what happens when it is absent. In the last few years too many Americans either chose or were put into mortgages that were not appropriate for their financial positions. And without an adequate base of financial knowledge, too many consumers entered into loans that were difficult to understand. These trends were especially pronounced among subprime borrowers. Avoiding preventable foreclosures is in the interest of all homeowners. We must reach homeowners who are struggling, reach them early, and reach them with information and hope. Although many mortgage industry leaders have stepped up their efforts to reach delinquent borrowers, too many distressed borrowers are still uncomfortable speaking to their lenders. This stems in large part from lack of financial education. In fact, we learned that 50 percent of foreclosures occur without borrowers ever talking to their lender or to a mortgage counselor. We want distressed borrowers and lenders to work together and find a way to keep people in their homes. To do so we forged a coalition of mortgage servicers, counselors and investors that are working to avoid preventable foreclosures and to improve the functioning of the mortgage markets. This, as you know, is our HOPE NOW initiative. Through this effort we are helping distressed borrowers by connecting them with mortgage counselors. To reach more Americans, HOPE NOW continues to broaden a public service announcement campaign, to spread the word that hope is only a phone call away. We are also looking to the promise of financial education over the long-term. Financial education is preventative in nature. The best approach is to help people avoid difficult situations from the start. By working with the type of private sector groups like the ones we have assembled here today, we can help Americans help themselves. More Americans can and should learn more about their money, and, in turn more about financial products. A more financially literate consumer base - across all income levels and in prime and subprime markets alike - could have mitigated at least some of our current housing difficulties. Financial knowledge makes people better informed consumers. And when they understand the terms of a mortgage loan, they are better able to compare the costs and benefits of different products and they are better positioned to make long-term decisions that advance their financial goals. With that in mind, and with an eye on the long-term view, the subcommittee will ask you today to consider what policy recommendations it should present to the President's Council to address some of these challenges. In particular, the subcommittee will ask you to think about potential solutions to questions such as: How can we better identify and differentiate responsible and irresponsible subprime mortgage lending? What types of financial literacy initiatives are needed now to lessen the possibility of another round of turmoil in the subprime mortgage market? How can the private and public sectors deliver financial education programs directly to the subprime borrower? What should more effective disclosure from lenders look like? And what are some of the best ways we can capitalize on "teachable moments" to make sure this and other important lessons are taught? And, just as important, how can we measure success? Through better disclosure from lenders, improved products for consumers, and increased financial education for borrowers, we can encourage a vibrant, mainstream marketplace for credit-worthy borrowers looking to finance an education, to experience the dream of responsible homeownership, and to have the opportunity to turn other lifetime goals into reality. When it comes to educating the subprime borrower, there are ideal roles for lenders, servicers, regulators and other organizations to play. The questions you discuss today are important to the President. This discussion complements other work happening within the federal government, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's upcoming conference on lending for low and moderate income families. We recognize that financial literacy cannot immediately fix all our problems. But as I mentioned, it is part of the long-term solution. It is the preventative medicine that will help today's underserved avoid tomorrow's financial problems. Thank you for lending the council subcommittee your time and your energy. You are part of a growing movement to create a more financially literate nation. Thank you. Scott D. Berman Acting Manager, Public and Legislative Affairs Community Development Financial Institutions Fund U.S. Department of the Treasury 601 13th Street, NW Suite 200 South Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 622-0282 Fax: (202) 622-8100 E-mail: bermans at cdfi.treas.gov http://www.cdfifund.gov This message and any attachments may contain confidential or privileged information and are only for the use of the intended recipient of this message. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender by return email, and delete or destroy this and all copies of this message and all attachments. Any unauthorized disclosure, use, distribution, reproduction or taking action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited and may be unlawful. From staci at oweesta.org Fri May 30 15:30:57 2008 From: staci at oweesta.org (Staci Lacroix) Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 13:30:57 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Business Development Seminar - Toronto June 24-25, 2008 Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE2234C3@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> Understand how to Motivate New Entrepreneurs to Start their own Business. Promote Business as an integral part of the Community Vision. Explore creating effective Business Plans and financing. Learn about training programs that develop necessary entrepreneurial skills. Experience how Creativity and Focus are the major elements of success. Embrace the 21st century methods of doing business Find out why an Incubator can be a great resource for business development. I enjoyed - new planning models - interaction - simply put - good examples - good case studies.. Very Inspirational - Rick Ducharme - Community Futures Cedar lake The Pas, Mb I enjoyed the sharing and networking. The trainers were interesting to listen to and enjoyed the team work. I enjoyed that there was lots of information relating to the First Nations. Kept all of us interested throughout the workshop. Bradley Swiftwolfe - Mossomin First Nation I enjoyed the activities that we did. Facilitators were awesome. - Sandra Moses-McIntyre - Ojibways of Pic River First Nation Would love to bring Rolf to our community. he seems very smart and knows his stuff. Marian Turgeon - Ojibways of the Pic River Aboriginal Entrepreneur has assisted hundreds of people to Develop Business Plans, Start their Own Business and Coach them for the long haul. Our direct experience is what we pass on to you. Through this workshop you will learn how you can activate immediate startups and give opportunities to your youth and entrepreneurs and as a result dramatically increase Economic Development. Aboriginal Entrepreneur has delivered over 50 Start Your Own Business Workshops resulting in over 300 businesses established. Click here for info Register Below (print a copy of the Agenda) Click here for info Email First Name Last Name Organization Address City Province/State Postal Code/Zip Code Phone Fax Name 2 Name 3 Name 4 I would like to register Please let me know what the group rate is Comments Business Development Workshop June 24-25, 2008 Toronto, Ontario Days Inn & Conference Center 30 Carlton Street, Toronto ( for Economic Development, Business people, Chiefs & Councilors $450.00 per person (Group Discount Available) From stewart at oweesta.org Fri May 30 17:13:15 2008 From: stewart at oweesta.org (Stewart Sarkozy) Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 15:13:15 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] CDFI Fund News Release: CDFI Fund Seeks Comment on Certification Application Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE2234F8@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> IMPORTANT FOR COMMENTS FROM NATIVE CDFIS AND OTHERS ON CERTIFICATION! PLEASE SEE BELOW AND PLEASE FORWARD... You are subscribed to News Releases & Media Advisories for CDFI Fund, US Department of the Treasury. This information has recently been updated, and is now available http://www.cdfifund.gov/news_events/CDFI-2008-13-CDFICertificationApplic ationInfo.asp . Request for Public Comment: CDFI Certification Application Information Collection May 30, 2008 Washington, DC -- The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (the "CDFI Fund") within the Department of the Treasury is soliciting comments concerning the Community Development Financial Institutions ("CDFI") Program: Certification/Re-certification Application Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the CDFI Fund, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the CDFI Fund's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. > Related Federal Register Notice > Draft of the Updated CDFI Certification Application -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080530/f711b27b/attachment-0001.html From cwayman at cfed.org Tue May 27 16:25:07 2008 From: cwayman at cfed.org (Carol Wayman) Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 16:25:07 -0400 Subject: [CircleUp] Policy Analyst position at CFED Message-ID: <022BD47DA66C334ABBBAEBB72BBFFF9E017E9AA22D@cfedexch01.Headquarters.cfed.org> http://www.cfed.org/about.m?parentid=25&id=120&jobid=18 CFED is a 30-year-old national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that expands economic opportunity. Located in Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Durham, NC, CFED works to ensure that every person can participate in, contribute to, and benefit from the economy by bringing together community practice, public policy, and private markets in new and effective ways. We identify promising ideas; test and refine them in communities to find out what works; craft policies and products to help good ideas reach scale' and foster new markets to achieve greater economic impact. Responsibilities: * Develop issue expertise in some of the following areas including: * Assets including asset limits; matched savings including IDAs, LILAs, Saver's Credit, AFI reauthorization, etc.; auto enrollment for IRAs, tax policy regarding assets; children's savings accounts, credit scoring; and HUD's Family Self Sufficiency. * Manufactured housing * Economic opportunity including CRA, banking issues, predatory lending, foreclosure, GSEs, Federal Home Loan Banks, CDFIs, entrepreneurship, and self employment tax policy * Prepare analytical pieces including one-pagers, legislative alerts, policy updates, white papers, surveys, legislative drafts, fact sheets, comment letters, and opinion pieces. * Represent CFED and make verbal presentations at conferences and meetings with national allies, private sector partners, policymakers, government officials, coalition partners, researchers, and state and local conferences. * Educate federal policymakers including legislative staff, Members of Congress, federal agency officials, and others about strategies to expand economic opportunities. * Communicate federal policy issues for practitioners and advocates in ways that mobilize them to act on federal policy issues including writing letters, making calls, and attending Hill visits and town hall meetings. * Other duties as assigned. Qualifications and Skills: * A minimum of four years of work experience in policy positions including asset building, economic development, entrepreneurship, or legislative or regulatory affairs. A Master's degree may substitute for two years. * Legislative experience on Capitol Hill is preferred. * Knowledge and experience normally acquired through, or equivalent to, the completion of a Master's degree in public policy, economics, urban planning, community development, finance, other social sciences or a related field. * Demonstrated ability to manage research projects, think critically and analyze data from a variety of sources and present it to varied audiences including legislative staff, agency staff, nonprofit leaders, financial institution employees, reporters, and the general public. * Ability to work effectively as part of a team through participation and leadership of team meetings, willingness to provide feedback, share ideas, and take direction. * Strong communication skills are required including exceptional verbal and written communication skills as well as being a responsive listener and dynamic public speaker and presenter. * Demonstrated analytical, research, time management, interpersonal skills and a strong detail orientation required. Must be comfortable managing multiple demands and able to work as a team. * Commitment to achieving economic opportunity for all Americans. Supervision This position reports to the Senior Legislative Director. This position will be required to directly supervise interns and/or research assistants. Salary and Timing: Commensurate with skills and experience, plus excellent medical, dental, life insurance, disability, and pension benefits. Position is available immediately. Application: CFED believes that a diverse staff is essential to accomplish our mission. Please mail or e-mail r?sum? and letter summarizing your interest and qualifications to Debby Manley (dmanley at cfed.org) Human Resources Manager, CFED, 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005. Carol Wayman Senior Legislative Director CFED 1200 G Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 207-0125 direct (202) 725-0762 cell Join us for the 2008 Assets Learning Conference-Advancing America's Assets Agenda, September 11-13, 2008, in Washington, D.C. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080527/dbb0af56/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Policy Analyst job description 2008 final.doc Type: application/msword Size: 50176 bytes Desc: Policy Analyst job description 2008 final.doc Url : /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080527/dbb0af56/attachment-0001.doc From staci at oweesta.org Wed May 28 19:28:02 2008 From: staci at oweesta.org (Staci Lacroix) Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 17:28:02 -0600 Subject: [CircleUp] Oweesta Offers Training Opportunity for Economic Development in Native Communities Message-ID: <82182B01DBD600448F4C7D2631BA1BFE223393@SERVER1.fnoc.internal> PRESS RELEASE Oweesta Offers Training Opportunity for Economic Development in Native Communities Contact: Jody Sarkozy-Banoczy For Immediate Release (605) 342-3770 Date: May 21, 2008 jody at oweesta.org Rapid City, SD // Along with partners, CFED and ONABEN, Oweesta is pleased to announce an additional Native Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Development (NEED) training to be held this summer. Developed for the U.S Department of the Treasury CDFI Fund's Native Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Initiative (NEEI), the NEED training is based on a new model of community economic development. The NEED program, tailored for Native CDFI's and their partners, provides comprehensive training and technical assistance designed to assist Native communities who are working to develop enterprise and entrepreneurship systems in their communities. Addressing areas of community environment, local entrepreneurship climate, coaching, access to capital, entrepreneurship education and more, previous trainings have been a tremendous success. According to one past participant, "NEED should be a part of orientation for all new tribal council members so they can make good economic development decisions and see opportunities for development." Another stated "I now have a better understanding of what my community needs to do to assist our entrepreneurs". Tracey Fischer, Director of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Development at Oweesta said, "The Native Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Development model is exciting because it helps Native communities to see what pieces of the community economic development puzzle exist in the community and what pieces are missing. Then, NEED goes one step further by showing how a Native community can put those puzzle pieces together." In addition to training, participants will have access to technical assistance from Oweesta to help them develop and implement the NEED model in their communities. The three day NEED training will be held at the Turning Stone Resort on August 4-6 in Verona, NY. Applications for participation are now available online at www.oweesta.org and will be accepted through June 20, 2008. For more information on the NEED training and technical assistance program, contact Tracey Fischer at (605) 342-3770 or tracey at oweesta.org . About Oweesta Oweesta (http://www.oweesta.org ) is a certified Native CDFI intermediary, providing Native communities with loans, investments, technical assistance, training and community development information. Its mission is to provide opportunities for Native people to develop assets and create wealth by assisting in the establishment of strong, permanent institutions and programs, leading to economic independence and strengthening sovereignty for all Native communities. SAVE THE DATE - 5th Annual Native Financial Institution CONVENING & AWARD CEREMONY ALBUQUERQUE, NM - DECEMBER 9-12, 2008 (Taking place as part of the Opportunity Finance Network's Annual Conference) The Native Financial Institution Convening and Awards Ceremony serves as a catalyst for learning and sharing - join your peers for the pre-conference Convening, the Native training track, and the award ceremony that honors the work of two innovative and visionary Native CDFIs. This event is for Native institutions, practitioners, leaders, tribal programs, tribal housing authorities, their partners and others committed to asset building and creating wealth in Native communities! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080528/8bcb6639/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/png Size: 9931 bytes Desc: image001.png Url : /pipermail/circleup_lists.ournativecircle.org/attachments/20080528/8bcb6639/attachment-0001.png