[CircleUp] CDFI Fund News: CDFI Fund & Oweesta Launch New Round of Trainings to Developing Native CDFIs, Entrepreneurship & Building Financial Skills

Info info at ournativecircle.org
Wed Aug 12 18:09:18 EDT 2009 

 
<http://www.cdfifund.gov/news_events/Expanding%20Native%20Opportunities%20Tr
aining.pdf> New Round of Native Training Launched 
August 12, 2009 
[CDFI-2009-40] 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CDFI Fund Contact: Bill Luecht, (202) 622-8042 
Oweesta Contact: Heidi Davis, (605) 342-3770 

CDFI Fund & Oweesta Launch New Round of Trainings 
Developing Native CDFIs, Entrepreneurship & Building Financial Skills 

Washington, DC - Through its partnership with the U.S. Department of the
Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, First
Nations Oweesta Corporation (Oweesta) is launching new rounds of highly
regarded and in-demand programs that empower Native communities through
economic growth. New contracts awarded last month by the CDFI Fund to
Oweesta will allow for the continuation and expansion of three programs
under the CDFI Fund's Expanding Native Opportunity initiative: the Native
Enterprise & Entrepreneurship Development (NEED) Initiative; the Native
Communities Financing Initiative (NCFI); and the Native Financial Skills
Initiative (NFSI).  

"The CDFI Fund is excited to be joining forces again with Oweesta to provide
these important training programs to Native communities," said CDFI Fund
Director Donna J. Gambrell.  "Through this important partnership, the CDFI
Fund and Oweesta will focus critically needed resources on creating and
expanding CDFIs in Native communities, and providing opportunities to build
the financial skills and assets of the members of these Native communities."


"Oweesta is pleased to once again partner with the CDFI Fund to facilitate
the Expanding Native Opportunity initiative," said Tracey Fischer, President
and CEO of Oweesta. "Over the past several years, the NCFI, NFSI and NEED
programs have provided Native individuals and organizations with critical
information and tools helping them create Native CDFIs, financial education
programs, and entrepreneurship development systems in their communities.  We
appreciate the commitment by the CDFI Fund to continue this important work".


Native Enterprise & Entrepreneurship Development Initiative 

The NEED Initiative is based on a new model of community economic
development.  Tailored for Native CDFIs and their partners, it provides
comprehensive training and technical assistance designed to assist Native
communities with developing effective enterprise and entrepreneurship
systems in their communities.  The training addresses key areas of economic
development specific to Native communities, including community environment,
local entrepreneurship climate and policy, coaching, access to capital, and
entrepreneurship education.  In addition to training, new participants will
have access to free technical assistance from Oweesta to help them develop
and implement the NEED model in their communities.  

A three-day training will be held at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel on October
7-9, 2009 in Prior Lake, MN.   Applications for participation are now
available and will be accepted through August 28, 2009. The cost of the
training is $75.00 per person but the follow-up technical assistance is free
of charge.  Communities that participate, as well as past NEED Initiative
participants, will be offered the opportunity to attend three subsequent
online training sessions that will focus more deeply on specific topics of
the NEED model.  For more information or to obtain an application please
visit  <http://www.oweesta.org/> www.oweesta.org or contact Kaitlin Cramer
at  <mailto:kaitlin at oweesta.org> kaitlin at oweesta.org or by calling (605)
342-3770. 

Native Communities Financing Initiative 

CDFIs are specialized community-based financial institutions that work in
underserved markets and communities.  They provide a wide range of financial
products and services that people in the community would otherwise not have
access to, including financial education, asset building programs, loans to
start or expand small business, and mortgage financing for first-time home
buyers.  Native communities face some of the most difficult economic and
financial challenges of any in the country and CDFIs can be a solution to
these challenges. 

The NCFI program seeks to increase the number of CDFIs serving Native
communities.  It is a comprehensive training and technical assistance
program that provides participants with the information and tools they need
to start a Native CDFI in their communities.  The program consists of an
introductory course, as well as an in-depth eight day course covering nine
topic areas that address key issues in starting and operating a Native CDFI
such as market analysis, developing loan products and policies, and
capitalization. 

Oweesta will deliver the first introductory course via webinar on August
18-20, 2009, with the eight-day course tentatively scheduled to begin on
September 29, 2009 in Rapid City, SD. A series of onsite and webinar
trainings are scheduled through the end of the year. The training requires a
small fee per person, but the follow- up technical assistance is free of
charge.  Participants are required to pay all costs associated with travel,
food and lodging.  For more information or to obtain an application, please
visit  <http://www.oweesta.org/> www.oweesta.org or contact Kalaua Del Rial
at  <mailto:kalaua at oweesta.org> kalaua at oweesta.org or by calling (605)
342-3770. 

Native Financial Skills Initiative 

Strong financial education and asset building skills among individuals are
cornerstones of a functioning and sustainable economy.  The goal of NFSI is
to provide training and technical assistance to build the capacity of Native
CDFIs and their local partners to provide financial education and other
related asset building programs such as credit counseling, promoting Earned
Income Tax Credits (EITC), free tax preparation services, and homebuyer
education to the communities they serve.  

NFSI features a three-day financial education instructor certification
program using the Building Native Communities: Financial Skills for Families
(BNC) curriculum.  The training covers the content of the BNC curriculum and
certifies instructors to teach BNC on the community level using
participatory training techniques. The NFSI training helps participants
develop or enhance financial education programs in their communities and is
followed by free on-site and off-site technical assistance.  This program
also responds to the needs of NFSI clients with more mature financial
education programs, including providing technical assistance and peer
networking opportunities. 

For the first time as part of NFSI, Oweesta will conduct a half day webinar
course called "Are You Ready to Develop a Native Financial Education
Program?" Also, to respond to the increased demand for specialized financial
education that addresses issues resulting from today's economic crisis,
Oweesta will add two new online topic-specific sessions that will address
topics deemed important by existing NFSI clients.  A three-day NFSI training
will be held in Florida on November 16-18, 2009. The charge for this
training is $75.00 per person but follow-up technical assistance is free of
charge.  Participants are required to pay all costs associated with travel,
food and lodging.  Online trainings will be held in September 2009, February
2010 and March 2010. For more information or to obtain an application please
visit  <http://www.oweesta.org/> www.oweesta.org or contact Adrianne Brave
Heart at  <mailto:Adrianne at oweesta.org> Adrianne at oweesta.org or by calling
(605) 342-3770. 

The training programs under the CDFI Fund's Expanding Native Opportunities
initiative are facilitated by Oweesta in partnership with the following
organizations: Opportunity Finance Network, Native Nations Institute, CFED
and the Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network, or
ONABEN. 

For more information about the CDFI Fund's Native Initiatives, please
contact Chris James at  <mailto:jamesc at cdfi.treas.gov> jamesc at cdfi.treas.gov
or by calling (202) 622-8704; or visit the CDFI Fund's website at
<http://www.cdfifund.gov/> www.cdfifund.gov. 

About the CDFI Fund 

The CDFI Fund was created for the purpose of promoting economic and
community development through investment in and assistance to community
development financial institutions (CDFIs).  The CDFI Fund's role in
promoting community and economic development was expanded in FY 2001 when
the Secretary of the Treasury delegated to the CDFI Fund the responsibility
of administering the NMTC Program.  

Since its creation in 1994, the CDFI Fund has awarded over $1 billion to
CDFIs, community development organizations and financial institutions
through the CDFI Program, the Bank Enterprise Award Program, and the Native
Initiatives. In addition, the CDFI Fund has allocated $21 billion in tax
credit authority to CDEs through the NMTC Program.  More information on the
CDFI Fund and its programs can be found by visiting its website at
<http://www.cdfifund.gov/> www.cdfifund.gov. 

About Oweesta 

Oweesta 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.  More information on Oweesta can be found by visiting its
website at  <http://www.oweesta.org> www.oweesta.org. 

### 

  

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