$12 Million Available for Organizations Serving Native Communities

November 14, 2011

Minneapolis, MN - Today, Director Donna J. Gambrell of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) announced the opening of the fiscal year (FY) 2012 funding round of the Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program) while keynoting at the 8th Annual Native Gathering, during the Opportunity Finance Network’s 2011 Conference.

The FY 2012 NACA Program funding round makes available approximately $12 million, subject to final Congressional appropriations, in awards to Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and entities proposing to become or create Native CDFIs, that primarily serve Native American, Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian communities (Native Communities).

"I am very pleased to announce the opening of the 2012 funding round of the NACA Program today here with you," said CDFI Fund Director Donna J. Gambrell. "The Native CDFI movement grows stronger every year and the NACA Program plays a critical role in the CDFI Fund’s efforts to ensure that Native communities have the same access to capital, credit, and business opportunities as any other community in the United States.”

The NACA Program Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) was published in the Federal Register today and the CDFI Fund has posted the NOFA and application materials on the Grants.gov website. Applicants are urged to read all application materials and additional guidance. Reference copies of the NOFA and related application materials can also be found on the CDFI Fund's website.

The CDFI Fund will also hold a workshop in Phoenix, Arizona to further explain the application process. Those who may not be able to attend the workshop in Phoenix can access a pre-recorded version of the workshop on the CDFI Fund’s website.

NACA Program Overview

In 2004, the CDFI Fund introduced the NACA Program, which was specifically designed to encourage the creation and strengthening of CDFIs that primarily serve Native communities. Organizations funded serve a wide range of Native communities, and reflect a diversity of institutions in various stages of development – from organizations in the early planning stages of creating a CDFI, to tribal entities working to certify an existing lending program, to established CDFIs in need of further capacity building assistance.

Two types of funding are available through the NACA Program: 1) Financial Assistance awards available only to certified CDFIs and primarily used for financing capital; and 2) Technical Assistance grants used to build the capacity of CDFIs or organizations on track to become or establish a CDFI within three years. New to this year, NACA Program applicants can also indicate interest for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative – Financial Assistance Program.

Since 2002, the CDFI Fund has made 255 awards totaling over $57.7 million through its various funding programs benefiting Native communities. Today, there are 69 certified Native CDFIs. In addition, the CDFI Fund has awarded almost $9 million in contracts to organizations that provide capacity-building and financial services training programs focused on Native Communities.

Important Deadlines

• Certification Application: December 21, 2011
• Material Event Form: December 21, 2011
• NACA Program Application: January 18, 2012

Application Materials

The NACA Program NOFA was published in the Federal Register today and the CDFI Fund has posted the NOFA and application materials on the Grants.gov website. Applicants are urged to read all application materials and additional guidance. Reference copies of the NOFA and related application materials can also be found on the CDFI Fund's website. Applicants are urged to read all application materials.

Please note that the NACA Program Combined Application (fillable PDF), which is the form applicants use to respond to application questions, is not currently in the Grants.gov application package. The CDFI Fund will post this form shortly and will send a notification through the Fund’s GovDelivery e-mail service when it is available.

All Applicants must submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov. The CDFI Fund will not accept NACA Program applications through myCDFIFund accounts nor will applications be accepted via email, mail, facsimile, or other forms of communication. Please see the NOFA for more information on submitting the NACA Program application, the Certification application and the Material Events Form.

Learn About Applying to the FY 2012 NACA Program Application

Those interested in learning more about the FY 2012 NACA funding round can do so in the following ways:

1. Pre-recorded Webinar Application Workshop: The CDFI Fund has recorded the application workshop, which covers the same material that will be presented during the application workshop in Denver. This webinar can be viewed immediately at the following link below:
   
   • Application Webinar
   
   
2. Q&A Conference Calls: The CDFI Fund is conducting two one-hour live conference calls to provide a forum to answer applicant questions. Please see the following table for the dates and times for each Q&A conference call. No presentations will be given during the calls; only questions from participants will be taken and addressed. To access the calls, please view the table below, determine your applicant status, and dial the number and passcode listed. No prior registration is necessary.
   
   

   Type of Applicant	Date	Time (EST)	Call-in Information
   Financial Assistance Applicants	Tuesday, December 13	1 p.m.	Dial-in Number: 202-927-2255 Access code: 566029
   Technical Assistance Applicants	Tuesday, December 13	3 p.m.	Dial-in Number: 202-927-2255 Access code: 103285

   
   
3. In-Person Application Workshop: The Arizona Tribal Economic Development Task Force is hosting the CDFI Fund for one in-person NACA Program application workshop. The CDFI Fund’s Native Initiatives staff will conduct the workshop, and will be available to answer participant questions.
   
   
   • December 1, 2011
     1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (MST)
     
     
   • Southwest Carpenters Training Fund Phoenix
     4547 West McDowell Road
     Phoenix, AZ 85035

Questions

For more information on the NACA Program, the webinar or the application workshop, please contact the CDFI Fund’s Office of Policy and Programs by e-mailing cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov or by calling (202) 622-6355.

CDFI Fund Background

The CDFI Fund invests in and builds the capacity of community-based, private, for-profit and non-profit financial institutions with a primary mission of community development in economically distressed communities. These institutions – certified by the CDFI Fund as community development financial institutions or CDFIs – are able to respond to gaps in local markets that traditional financial institutions are not adequately serving. CDFIs provide critically needed capital, credit and other financial products in addition to technical assistance to community residents and businesses, service providers, and developers working to meet community needs.

The CDFI Fund's vision is an America in which all people have adequate access to affordable capital, credit and financial services.

For more information about these awards, or about the CDFI Fund and its programs, please visit the Fund's website at: http://www.cdfifund.gov.