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First Nations Development Institute (FNDI)
First Nations Development Institutei
In the spring of 1998, FNDI released a request for proposals (RFP) to fund tribes and Native organizations interested in establishing Individual Development Account (IDA) programs in Native communities. Since 1998, nine Individual Development Account (IDA) grants totaling $752,469 have been awarded through the Eagle Staff Fund to conduct planning and research for program development, and implement and administer IDA programs within Native American communities. In addition, First Nations recently funded a youth IDA program through their Native Youth and Culture Fund (Indigenous Community Enterprises for $20,000) and a CDFI based IDA program (Wind River Development Fund for $15,000).
First Nations has authored 3 publications on Native IDA programs, available on their website www.firstnations.org:- Sovereign Individuals, Sovereign Nations: Promising Practices for IDA Programs in Indian Country. Research paper on Individual Development Account programs and their contribution to assets development policy in Indian Country.
- Individual Development Account Handbook and Tribal IDA Program Profiles. Reference guide to Native IDA programs across the nation.
- Assets for the Future: Saving for the Seventh Generation. An early evaluation of First Nations' IDA Initiative.
| NAME | FOUNDER | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| IDA training for Native communities | The Ford Foundation |
2003: 2 convenings held in Alaska and Oklahoma
2004: 2 convenings held in Arizona and Washington 2005: 1 convening to be held in New Mexico
2 day convenings cover:
|
| Building Native Individual Development Accounts | HHS/Administration for Native Americans SEDS1 grant |
2005: 2 convening held in Oklahoma (Nov 2005) and Arizona (Oct 2005)
2 day convenings cover: Same as above Production of outreach and training materials (December 2005) Production of updated research products (December 2005) |
First Nations OWEESTA Corporation
Another resource for tribes is the Native Communities Financing Initiative (NCFI). The Native Communities Financing Initiative is a two-step program for the development of Native CDFIs presented by First Nations Oweesta Corporation (OWEESTA) and the National Community Capital Association (NCCA) on behalf of the CDFI Fund. These organizations provide intensive training for the successful creation of Native CDFIs, as well as free on-site technical assistance through the program. More information is available at website: http://www.oweesta.org/main/about/announcements/ann2. Several tribes and Native nonprofits have learned about IDA programs through this initiative.
In 2001, OWEESTA and FNDI partnered with the Fannie Mae Foundation to create Building Native Communities, Financial Skills for Families (BNC), the only culturally appropriate financial education curriculum for adults in Native communities, and the related train-the-trainer (TTT) workshops. In 2003, OWEESTA inherited the overall management of the BNC curriculum. Since its inception, the BNC curriculum has been delivered in over 30 tribal communities. Eighteen thousand curriculum workbooks have been distributed and approximately 500 persons have been trained to teach the curriculum. In 2003, FNDI created an addendum to the Building Native Communities: Financial Skills for Families financial education workbook entitled, Building Native Communities: A Guide to Claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). During 2004, First Nations will be working with the Fannie Mae Foundation to produce a tribal leaders' guide to the EITC and conducting outreach and training on this topic.
OWEESTA also currently manages the Native Financial Education Coalition (NFEC), a national coalition devoted to increasing awareness of the need for adequate personal finance skills in Native communities. The NFEC seeks to build the capacity of Tribes and Tribal organizations in order to provide financial skills training; and support for efforts promoting financial management skills through information sharing and collaboration.
In 2003, CFED, FNDI and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), published Financial Education in Native Communities: A Briefing Paper, the first comprehensive report on financial education needs and resources in Indian country, on behalf of the coalition.
| NAME | Tribal/Native Community Served | Location | Sponsoring organization | Start year | Eligible participants | Funded by FNDI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Hall IDA program | Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall Indian Reservation | Fort Hall, ID | Tribal Credit Department | 1999 | Shoshone-Bannock tribal members, 18 years and older | Yes |
| Warm Springs IDA program | Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indian Reservation | Warm Springs, OR | Tribal Credit Department | 2001 | Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs tribal members | Yes |
| Umatilla Saves IDA program | Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation | Pendleton, OR | Tribal Housing Authority | 2001 | Confederated Tribes of Umatilla tribal members, 18 years and older | Yes |
| Redwood Valley Youth IDA program (now defunct) | Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo Indians Rancheria | Redwood Valley, CA | Tribal Council | 2001 | Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo Indians tribal members, 18-21 years of age, planning to study for an undergraduate college degree | Yes |
| Wind River Development Fund IDA program | Residents of the Wind River Indian Reservation | Ft. Washakie, WY | Wind River Development Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization and a CDFI | 2004 | Native Americans (including members of the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes) living on the Wind River Indian Reservation | Yes |
| Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity IDA program | Comanche and Ponca tribal communities | Norman, OK | Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity, a Native nonprofit (501(c)(3) organization) | 1999 | Initially all Comanche and Ponca tribal members age 18 years and older. Expanded to include all enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe | Yes |
| Cherokee Nation IDA program | Cherokee Nation | Tahlequah, OK | Tribal Commerce Department | 1999 | Enrolled members of any federally recognized tribe, 18 years and older | Yes |
| Leech Lake IDA program | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | Cass Lake, MN | Tribal Community College | 2001 | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe tribal members | No |
| White Earth IDA program | White Earth Tribes of the Anishinaabe | Mahnomen, MN | Tribal Community College | 2001 | White Earth tribal members | No |
| ALU LIKE IDA program | Native Hawaiians | HI - Entire state | State IDA Alliance, including the Hawaiian Alliance for Community Based Economic Development | 2000 | Hawaii residents and Native Hawaiians | No |
| The Lakota Fund IDA program | Oglala Lakota Nation (Pine Ridge Reservation) | Kyle, SD | The Lakota Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization and a CDFI | 2002 | Enrolled members of any federally recognized tribe, 18 years and older | No |
| ICE-HOME IDA program | The Navajo Nation | Flagstaff, AZ | Indigenous Community Enterprises, a 501(c)(3) organization | 2003 | Native youth on the Navajo reservation | Yes |
| Cook Inlet Tribal Council IDA program | All Native Americans/Alaska Natives residing in the Municipality of Anchorage | Anchorage, AK | Cook Inlet Tribal Council, a 501(c)(3) organization | 2003 | All Native Americans/Alaska Natives residing in the Municipality of Anchorage who demonstrate a reasonable prospect of achieving economic self-sufficiency | No |
| Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community IDA program | Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community | Scottsdale, AZ | Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Housing Authority | 2004 | Members of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community that meet an income requirement | No |
| Navajo Partnership for Housing | Navajo Nation | Flagstaff, AZ | Navajo Partnership for Housing, a 501(c)(3) organization and a CDFI | 2004 | ? | No |
| Yurok Indian Housing Authority IDA program | Yurok Tribe | Northern California | Yurok Indian Housing Authority | 2004 | ? | No |
| Hoopa Valley Tribe IDA program | Hoopa Valley Tribe | Northern California | Hoopa Development Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization and a CDFI | 2004 | ? | Yes |
i Special Thanks to Peter Morris from First Nations for allowing the re-print of this publication.
1 Social and Economic Development Strategies