Fourteen Native Community Development Financial Institutions (Native CDFIs) will participate in the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund's (CDFI Fund) Capacity Building Initiative series The Leadership Journey: Native CDFI Growth & Excellence II (The Leadership Journey II). The training series will take place over two years, during which time the participants will enhance their leadership skills and develop resources to further staff growth and increase organizational performance.

In March 2013, 28 representatives from the Native CDFIs will gather in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to participate in the kick-off meeting for The Leadership Journey II. Over the course of four days, participants will engage in exercises, group activities, and case studies that focus on effective leadership, assessing organizational capacity, raising debt and equity, and evaluation of the Native CDFI's programs and impacts. The training will be delivered through a peer-based learning format.

The Leadership Journey II will offer three additional in-person training events along with continuous customized technical assistance, executive coaching, and peer mentoring over the next two years. The next training is scheduled for August 18-22, 2014, and will be held at the NeighborWorks® America Training Institute in Orlando, Florida. Cohort members will be able to access a wide range of trainings tailored to their leadership, resource development and financial management needs.

Funded through the CDFI Fund, the Leadership Journey II series will be provided by NeighborWorks® America in partnership with Seven Sisters Development Group. In addition to the cohort training series, a resource bank will be created for the CDFI Fund's website to allow Native CDFIs, community development organizations, and the general public the benefit of accessing training materials and references.

To learn more about the Capacity Building Initiative, please visit www.cdfifund.gov/cbi or view the CDFI Fund's fact sheet.

The Leadership Journey II Participants

• Aleutian Financial, Inc.
• Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund
• Cherokee Nation Economic Development Trust Authority
• Chi Ishobak, Inc.
• First American Capital Corporation, Inc.
• First Ponca Financial
• Hunkpati Investments, Inc.
• Lummi CDFI
• NACDC Financial Services, Inc.
• Native American Development Corporation
• Native Home Capital
• Tiwa Lending Services
• Taala Fund
• Wigamig Owners Loan Fund, Inc.