Technical Assistance

Relevant Training Curriculum chapters can be found on the Resource Bank's main page.

Under the BNSCI II, Native CDFIs received Technical Assistance (TA) including:

• Forty-seven organizations received Individualized one-on-one TA.
• Six Native CDFIs received site visits from a TA provider.
• Twenty-eight organizations participated in three Learning Cadres, in which they met regularly in a facilitated small group for peer learning, action planning, and implementation around a narrowly focused topic.

Resources from the three learning cadres are included in this section.

Emerging CDFIs Learning Cadre

This cadre explored how to build a strong foundation and the necessary steps to becoming a certified CDFI.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify best practices to establishing a strong, emerging CDFI;
2. Describe how the best practices of establishing a strong CDFI also support certification; and
3. Explain, cursorily, the CDFI certification criteria to ensure they are positioned well.

Resources

• Oweesta 2017 Industry Profile: a snapshot of financial, portfolio, and growth ratios for Native CDFIs at fiscal year-end 2017.
• PPT Slides used to Guide Emerging CDFI Learning Cadre Conversation: These PowerPoints, used for the Emerging Native CDFI Learning Cadre, cover best practices for emerging Native CDFIs to establish strong foundations towards certification. These PowerPoints touch on many areas, but they focus on capitalization and strategy/planning.

Next Steps in Impact Tracking Learning Cadre

This cadre helped participants take their impact measurement to the next level.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how to conduct a data harvest and gap analysis to assist in implementing the previously developed impact matrix;
2. Clarify their Native CDFI's impact goals and understand how to develop an impact report; and
3. Explore more features of different database systems using case studies and question and answer from facilitator and cadre members.

Resources

• Metrics Bank: to utilize for ideas in generating the data harvest.
• Data Harvest and Gap Analysis Template: a template for a CDFI to use to develop their data harvest and gap analysis.
• NCDFI Data Harvest Example: an example from a Native CDFI of a data harvest and gap analysis to use as a guide.
• Data Harvest and Gap Analysis Example: An abridged example data harvest and gap analysis that corresponds with the other materials for analysis and reporting.
• Data Worksheet: An example spreadsheet for analysis of data to present in an impact report for reference and use as a guide.
• Excel Database Example: An example of what an impact database in excel would look like.

 

Housing Learning Cadre

 

This cadre focused on building strong housing products, specifically focusing on mortgage products.

 

Learning Objectives

1. Describe best practices to establishing strong Native CDFI housing loan products and services;
2. Explain how the best practices of establishing strong housing loan products and services also support sustainability; and
3. Identify the key components necessary for offering housing products and services in Native communities (e.g. licensing and compliance; access to secondary markets; establishing warehouse lines of credit; etc.).

Resources

• Native American Mortgage Loan Comparisons: This chart compares different types of available mortgage loans.
• CRHA Housing Study: A study of housing needs on the Cheyenne River Reservation led by the Cheyenne River Housing Authority.
• CILC Down Payment Assistance Program: A Down Payment Assistance (DPA) program application provided as a sample by Cook Inlet Lending Center.
• Indian Affair Mortgage Lending Handbook: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) mortgage lending handbook detailing out the mortgage lending process on trust lands.
• OCC Guidelines to Mortgage Lending in Indian Country: A primer on the process, types, and compliance associated with the various mortgage lending programs available throughout Indian Country.

The compilation of these documents was funded by the CDFI Fund, under Contract GS00Q14OADU119. The curriculum and opinions expressed in these documents are those of the authors, who are solely responsible for the content, and do not reflect the opinions of the CDFI Fund or any other person, entity, or organization.