Investing in Relationships: Stronger Together
11th Annual Native CDFI Capital Access Convening
The 11th Annual Native CDFI Capital Access Convening (CAC), held in Bangor, Maine, brought together Native CDFI practitioners, partners, and advocates from across Indian Country for a powerful week of learning, connection, and collaboration. Grounded in community and guided by a shared commitment to strengthening Native economies, attendees exchanged ideas, built relationships, and explored innovative strategies to expand access to capital, increase economic opportunity, and advance community-led development.
Each year, the CAC provides practitioner-focused training and peer learning opportunities designed to strengthen the Native CDFI industry. Sessions covered a wide range of topics, including access to investment capital, housing and homeownership lending, green lending initiatives, small business development, policy and advocacy, and emerging opportunities to support the long-term growth and sustainability of Native communities.
Photos: View and download photos from this year’s event and upload your photos to share HERE!
Presentations: Review presentations from this year’s event below.
Session Recaps
Revisit the Convening by reviewing presentations shared by session.
Day 1 ~ June 2
Opening Plenary: Grounded in Wabanaki Homeland, Advancing Native Capital
Breakout Session 1
- Building Stronger Native-Serving Organizations: Financial Management, Capacity Building & Partnership Model
- From Complexity to Clarity: Redesigning Compensation, Careers, and Performance Framework
- Infrastructure Financing in Indian Country: Native CDFIs as Essential Partners
- Telling Our Native CDFI Story to Policy Makers
–Housing Our Relatives
–WPYI Recap - The Yellowbird Fellowship – Building Native Leadership
Breakout Session 2
- Designing Data Collection for Growth
- From Access to Agency: Building Indigenous-Led Capital Pathways Through Angel Networks and Aligned Investment Models
- From Barriers to Breakthroughs: Native CDFIs and the Power of New Markets Tax Credits
- From Vision to Vault: Native Leaders Share How They Launched Their Credit Unions
- Growing the Native CDFI Movement
- Saving Cedar Falls & the Creation of a Resident-Owned Community: How Four Directions Worked with Funders to Preserve a Critical Affordable Housing Community
- The CDFI Intelligence Agency: Covert Helpers for Everyday CDFI Tasks
Manatee Tank: Capital with Heart
Day 2 ~ June 3
Breakout Session 3
- Art, Language, and Partnership—Building Stronger Cherokee Economies
- Building a Small Dollar Loan Program
- Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) Research Updates
- Explore the Direct Investment Process for Your Native CDFI
- Housing Our Relatives: Holistic Strategies for Tribal Housing Finance
- Strength in Collaboration: Maine State CDFI Coalition Featuring CEI and Four Directions Development Corporation
- Strengthening Collaboration Between Native CDFIs and Large Banks
Breakout Session 4
- A Values-Driven CEDS for Wabanaki Communities: Culturally Centered Planning for Collective Economic Development
- Collaborative, Native-led Capital Access Solutions for Tribal Energy Developments
- Extending the CDFI Toolbox: The Rooted Relative Fund in Practice
- Funder & Investor Roundtable: Advancing Integrated Capital to Native-Led CDFIs
- Making the Secondary Market Work Through Partnerships
–James Davis
-Susan Hammond - The Design-Build Framework: Modernizing Your CDFI Operations Without Losing Mission
- The Life Path of Data: From Raw Numbers to Effective Storytelling
Day 3 ~ June 4
Opening Plenary: Native Capital Weave Deal Room
Breakout Session 5
- Building Diverse Philanthropy Relationships for Tribal Community Well-Being
- Coaching for Impact: Strengthening Housing, Small Business, and Workforce Pathways in Native Communities
- Underwriting for Energy Sovereignty: Credit, Compliance & Community Wealth-building Through Tribal Clean
Energy Projects - Factory-Built Housing as a Tribal Housing Solution: Building Your Community’s Ecosystem
- Funding What Works: How Funders Can Strengthen Community Development in Rural and Native Places
- Reimagining Secondary Markets: Indigenous Finance and Access to Capital
- Strengthening Talent and Continuity in Native CDFIs
Lunch Presentation
Breakout Session 6
- A Native-Led Secondary Market: How the Native Impact Fund Expands Liquidity, Strengthens CDFIs, and Builds Shared Power
- Before Money, There Was Wealth
- Building the Pathway: CRA Partnerships in Tribal Markets
- Encumbering Trust Assets: It’s Easier Than You Think
- Flexible Equity Investment Strategies
- O.M.Gen Z: Young Professionals in the Workplace
- Supporting Wabanaki Artisans Through Integrated Business Development and Grant Funding
