Today, Native people across the nation are discovering a new way to build stronger, more self-sufficient communities.

They are creating their own Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and applying their power and historical resourcefulness to build a new world for themselves and for the generations to come.

And now, there is a very simple way for you to acquire the expertise you will need to operate a Native CDFI in your community.

With the services of the Native Communities Financing Initiative, you can build and strengthen organizations that will empower your people and strengthen your community.

How a Native CDFI can help you help your people

Native CDFIs are specialized financial organizations designed to develop assets and create opportunity in communities that need it most. They offer a range of products and services—such as mortgages for low-income and first-time homebuyers, loans for the development of essential community facilities, and financing and technical assistance for small businesses.

Building a Native CDFI has its challenges, but more and more Native communities are creating true sovereignty and building opportunities for their people through the establishment of these unique and powerful institutions and programs. At the end of 2006, there were 39 certified Native CDFIs nationwide, including banks, credit unions, loan funds, and intermediaries.