Native Community Capital is a Native Community Development Financial Institution (Native CDFI) certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury. We are a private, non-profit corporation helping to meet the housing, community- and economic development as well as small-business financing needs of American Indian communities primarily but not exclusively in the Southwest U.S.

Native Community Capital provides technical assistance and financial capital in the form of loans to individual Native Americans, tribes, tribal enterprises, American Indian entrepreneurs and business owners as well as Indian-oriented private developers. The assistance is rendered for the purpose of advancing tribal self-determination by working as a lender and as an honest broker for unlocking capital resources necessary to build tribal economies.

Native Community Capital envisions the day that Indian communities have equal access to private sector financing for community- and economic development.  There are many barriers and reasons why banks are reluctant to lend to families living on Indian reservations – every day we work with tribes and other allies to overcome those barriers!

Native Community Capital is intended to be a permanent part of the capital markets serving tribes. It does not make grants but carefully evaluates the risks associated with tribal projects and invests the time to make the project a financial success. It is not restricted by “low income” guidelines but is able to serve all Indian people on and off of Indian reservations.

Native Community Capital has the experience to make tribal projects work for all parties. Borrowing from NCC or investing in NCC means capital exchanges and fees stay inside the Native American community.

As a 501c3 tax-exempt organization, Native Community Capital is expressly prohibited from generating profit for distribution to its employees or governance board. In fact, all fees and revenues generated from financial transactions are reinvested into the organization in order to make more capital available or to support technical assistance for Native clients.

Native Community Capital works with its clients to make their projects ready for financing. Native Community Capital will provide capital to trigger the participation of other sources of capital (e.g., permanent financing, equity investments, tax credit financing, etc.). An advisory committee of tribal professionals and other allies help shape the kinds of financial products and services offered.

Since 2005 it has provided loans or technical assistance to tribes and Individual Native Americans primarily in New Mexico, Arizona and additional financing in California, Hawaii and Oklahoma. Since its inception Native Community Capital has deployed approximately $18MM for improving personal finances, building entrepreneurial capacity, stimulating businesses, job creation, housing development and community infrastructure in tribal communities.

Indian gaming is not the panacea many outside observers assume. Fewer than half of all tribes have gaming enterprises and it is only a small minority of tribes situated near metropolitan areas whose gaming enterprises are highly profitable. For more facts about Indian Gaming visit the National Indian Gaming Association website.

The Department of Treasury has confirmed that a complex mix of market forces, a lack of precedent, and the convoluted nature of laws and regulations that govern activities on Indian reservations means American Indian communities lack access to credit, capital and financial services generally needed to adequately affect social and economic distress.  That’s why Native Community Capital and the Community Development Financial Institution industry has evolved – to meet the underserved needs that conventional financial institutions have overlooked.   To learn more about the CDFI industry visit the U.S. Department of Treasury CDFI Fund website.

Other applicable loan fees can be viewed HERE.

NCC’s Indirect Cost Policy can be viewed HERE.