First Nations Oweesta Corporation (Oweesta), a subsidiary of First Nations Development Institute, was launched in 1999 to assist tribes and Native communities with loans, investments, technical assistance, training and community development information.
The mission of Oweesta is twofold:
• To enhance the capacity of Native tribes, communities and people to access, control, create, leverage, utilize and retain financial assets; and
• To provide access to appropriate financial capital for Native development efforts.
Oweesta provides services and products through four major programs including:
• Financial Institutions– To assist in the development and/or expansion of reservation or Native community-based community development financial institutions which may include micro and small business loan funds, housing development and financing loan funds, land consolidation and acquisition loan funds, and credit unions and credit associations. Oweesta is currently working with 15 tribes and Native organizations to develop or expand these efforts.
• Investment/Lending– To provide qualified community development financial institutions with loan and investment capital to further their economic and community development goals.
• Financial Capacity Building– To enhance through training, technical assistance and materials development the capacity of tribes, Native organizations and individuals to better manage their financial assets. A consumer financial literacy curriculum, Building Native Communities: Financial Skills for Families, developed in partnership with the Fannie Mae Foundation is available free of charge. FNDI and Oweesta are providing information and training-the-trainers workshops to tribes and Native organizations for this curriculum.
• Research/Policy/Advocacy– To promote the identification and mitigation of the underlying systemic causes and barriers to control of and access to financial assets in Native communities on and off the reservation. Various research studies, policy analyses and information on selected topics are available.
• To enhance the capacity of Native tribes, communities and people to access, control, create, leverage, utilize and retain financial assets; and
• To provide access to appropriate financial capital for Native development efforts.
Oweesta provides services and products through four major programs including:
• Financial Institutions– To assist in the development and/or expansion of reservation or Native community-based community development financial institutions which may include micro and small business loan funds, housing development and financing loan funds, land consolidation and acquisition loan funds, and credit unions and credit associations. Oweesta is currently working with 15 tribes and Native organizations to develop or expand these efforts.
• Investment/Lending– To provide qualified community development financial institutions with loan and investment capital to further their economic and community development goals.
• Financial Capacity Building– To enhance through training, technical assistance and materials development the capacity of tribes, Native organizations and individuals to better manage their financial assets. A consumer financial literacy curriculum, Building Native Communities: Financial Skills for Families, developed in partnership with the Fannie Mae Foundation is available free of charge. FNDI and Oweesta are providing information and training-the-trainers workshops to tribes and Native organizations for this curriculum.
• Research/Policy/Advocacy– To promote the identification and mitigation of the underlying systemic causes and barriers to control of and access to financial assets in Native communities on and off the reservation. Various research studies, policy analyses and information on selected topics are available.
Please visit our website at First Nations Oweesta Corporation.
