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First Nations Oweesta Corporation was born of a long-term effort at our affiliate First Nations Development Institute to take a direct role in Developing Native Assets at the local level in Native communities. While incorporation as a separate entity occurred in 1999, the experience and history of Oweesta reaches back to the mid 1980s. At that time the First Nations Oweesta Program and Fund was envisioned to develop alternative financing access for Native entrepreneurs, homebuyers and tribal businesses by helping to create Native-based financial institutions to work directly with community members. Investments and technical assistance were offered to these early Native financial institutions to promote their activities.

As part of our ongoing effort to stimulate small businesses, home owndership and economic development in Native Communities, OWEESTA provides the training and technical assistance needed to get Native Community Development Financial Institution (NCDFI) up and running.  We have developed a training and technical assistance program that will address:

• CDFI basic building blocks and market analysis
• The lending process
• Board of directors training
• Ongoing operational issues
• Institutional structure and policy
• Business planning and implementation
• Fundraising for Native CDFIs
• Financial Education Programming

For more information on Oweesta, please visit www.oweesta.org.