Difference Makers

<p><b>There are about 65 certified Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in the United States — roughly the same number as a decade ago.</b></p><p><b>But that’s starting to change.</b></p><p>In...

<p><b>Access to capital in Native communities depends on a mix of federal funding, private investment and policy decisions that shape how dollars move on the ground.</b></p><p>Right now, several of those forces are in...

<p><b>Large-scale economic development deals in Indian Country are typically financed through complex capital stacks — combining banks, tax credits and outside investors — with Native CDFIs often left...

<p><b>Native communities receive less than one-half of 1% of philanthropic funding in the United States — roughly four or five dollars for every thousand dollars foundations give away.</b></p><p>In Episode 3 of...

<p><b>How Native CDFIs grew from federal study into a sovereign finance movement</b></p><p>In 2001, the U.S. Treasury Department released the Native American Lending Study, identifying 17 structural barriers to capital...

<p><b>The legal foundations of tribal economies</b></p><p>Long before federal banking systems or modern economic policy, Native nations were building trade networks, governing territory and sustaining complex...

<p>Difference Makers 3.0 is a yearlong podcast series from the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business News that explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are reshaping the future of...

<p>In the season finale of Difference Makers 2.0, host Elyse Wild revisits Native entrepreneurs nearly a year after their first interviews to see how their businesses have grown—and how Native CDFIs continue to fuel...

<p><b>Pete Upton, CEO of Native CDFI Network, warns of an "existential threat" to the NACA program—the only federal funding stream specifically for Native CDFIs. With 86% of this year's funding at risk and potential...

<p>With just 3,600 enrolled members and limited financial resources, the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma faced a challenging question: How could they fund a multi-million-dollar behavioral health center to address the opioid...

<p>When Quinault Nation elder Harvest Moon changed course from pursuing a medical career to becoming a basketweaver and storyteller, she found her true calling. With support from the Cedar Root Business Center, Moon has...

<p><b>For Kelly Price, her grandmother's fry bread recipe was everything she loved about home. Six years ago, she made a batch to support a needy family in her community, an act of kindness that led her to quit her...

<p>At the 5th annual Native CDFI Summit in Washington, D.C., Difference Makers host Elyse Wild caught up with Native CDFI leaders who are transforming their communities through small business support. From NACDC...

<p>At the 5th annual Native CDFI Summit in Washington, D.C., Difference Makers host Elyse Wild caught up with Native CDFI leaders who are transforming their communities through small business support. From NACDC...

<p><b>From paralegal burnout to thriving entrepreneur: Rudy Serrano's story shows how the right support can transform a career. After 19 years in law, Rudy found his true calling in mobile RV repair, backed by the Tigua...