Native Initiatives
Related Programs
- Capital Magnet Fund
- Community Development Financial Institutions Program
- Bank Enterprise Award Program
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2009: Expanding Native Opportunities (ENO) is a training initiative focused on increasing the number of Native CDFIs, strengthening the operation capacity of existing Native CDFIs, and guiding Native CDFIs in the creation of important financial education and asset building programs for their communities.
These programs are fully funded by the CDFI Fund and administered by contractors that are selected through a competitive bidding process.
In FY 2009, Native Initiatives awarded three contracts for capacity building including:
•Native Communities Financing Initiative (NCFI) - is an intensive series of workshops and follow-up technical assistance conducted over a 12-month period to help Native Communities develop and expand Native CDFIs;
•Native Entrepreneur and Enterprise Development Initiative (NEED) - focuses on entrepreneurship development systems, curricula integration and program development at the local level; and
•Native Financial Skills Initiative (NFSI) - is a training of the trainers in the Building Native Communities financial education curriculum and integrated asset building programs.
Fiscal Year 2010: Financial Assistance awards are primarily used for financing capital.
Technical Assistance grants are usually used to acquire products or services including computer technology; staff training; professional services, like market analysis; and support for other general capacity-building activities.
Highlights of the Native American CDFI Assistance Program:
•$10 million will be awarded FY 2010;
•$15.8 million was awarded in 2009, including $8 in funding made possible through the Recovery Act;
•There are currently 57 certified Native CDFIs from 17 states;
•$46.8 million has been awarded since the inception of the program; and
•Over $8 million in contracts have been awarded to organizations that provide capacity-building and financial services training programs that are focused on Native Communities.
Fiscal Year 2011: No data available at this time.
The Department of Treasury is a steward of United States economic and financial systems, and promotes conditions for prosperity and stability in the U.S., and encourages prosperity and stability in the rest of the world.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2009: The Native Initiatives Program, which provides financial assistance, technical assistance, and training to Native CDFIs and other Native entities seeking to become or create Native CDFIs, registered a 23 percent increase in the total assets of Native CDFIs in the program year. Fiscal Year 2010: The Native Initiatives Program/NACA received 61 applicant ions requesting an estimated $23.7 million. The annual percentage increase in the total assets of Native CDFIs is projected to be 15 percent. Fiscal Year 2011: The annual percentage increase in the total assets of native CDFIs is projected to be 19 percent.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Financial Assistance (FA) and Technical Assistance (TA) awards are provided to build the capacity of new or existing Native CDFIs serving Native Communities.
The complementary capacity-building initiatives seek to foster the development of Native CDFIs through training and technical assistance.
Each awardee enters into an assistance agreement that requires it to achieve performance goals and abide by other terms and conditions.
No awards may be issued to Federal Government agencies, departments or instrumentality"s, State governments local governments or any agency or instrumentality thereof.
Under Section 1512 of OMB"s Recovery Act guidance, each awardee is required to report specific data elements (including job creation information) 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
An organization wishing to apply for FA only or a combination of FA and TA awards through the NACA Program must be either a certified Native CDFI or be able to be certified by the Fund at the time of application.
Organizations that are Emerging Native CDFIs or Sponsoring Entities may only apply for TA awards.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Targeted Populations as defined in 12 C.F.R. 1805.
Credentials/Documentation
An organization wishing to apply for FA only or a combination of FA and TA awards through the NACA Program must be either a certified Native CDFI or be able to be certified by the Fund at the time of application. Organizations that are Emerging Native CDFIs or Sponsoring Entities may only apply for TA awards. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Pursuant to 12 C.F.R.
1815.
An environmental impact statement is required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Each applicant must complete a NI Program application which includes a Comprehensive Business Plan.
Award Procedures
The CDFI Fund reviews applications and makes awards based on an established awards review process, set forth in the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and application materials.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Authorization
Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, 12 U.S.C 4701 et.seq; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, "Recovery Act", Public Law 111-5.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
The NOFA published in the Federal Register, announces the deadlines for submission of applications. Application deadlines are from 60 to 90 days subsequent to the NOFA publication date. Award approval/disapproval determinations may be made within 180 days after the application deadline.
Appeals
None.
Renewals
None.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.
This program has no matching requirements. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 waived the requirement that the CDFI Fund make awards to applicants in a "like form" to the matching funds secured by the awardee; thus, FY 2009 and 2010 NI Program awards are not required to be matched by non-Federal sources. The Recovery Act also waived the 3-year, $5million cap on awards for FY 2009 and 2010.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Awardees must use all funds within three years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Program Reports provide the explanation of noncompliance with a statement addressing the failure to achieve program goals.
No cash reports are required.
Progress Reports cover the following areas: Institutional Performance Reporting; Transactional Performance Reporting; and the utilization of the award funds for Financial and/or Technical assistance.
Expenditure Reports are included in the SF-425-Expenditure of Financial Assistance Report.
Performance Monitoring is accomplished with the financial review of Audited Financial Statements and the OMB Circular A-133 Single Audit findings.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Award recipients must maintain records to substantiate total costs incurred and to assure that all performance measures are met. Records must b retained in accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110 and the terms of the assistance agreement.
Financial Information
Account Identification
20-1882-0-0-910 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; 20-1881-0-1-451 - Regular Appropriation.
Obigations
(Project Grants) FY 09 $8,000,000; FY 10 est $0; FY 11 est $0 - Administrative allotment of $2 million to support the administrative processing for the awards. (Project Grants) FY 09 $6,000,000; FY 10 est $10,000,000; FY 11 est $10,000,000
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
FY 2009 Range of Financial Assistance Awards:
NI Program - $225,000-$470,000; NI Recovery - $448,000-$730,000.
FY 2009 Average Financial Assistance Awards:
NI Program - $445,000; NI Recovery - $700,000.
FY 2010 Range of Financial Assistance Awards (est) - $308,000 - $500,000.
FY 2010 Average Financial Assistance Awards (est) - $500,000.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
12 CFR Part 1805; Notice of Funding availability; Native Initiatives Program Application.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Christopher James, 601 13th Street, N.W. Suite 200 South, Washington, District of Columbia 20005 Email: jamesc@cdfi.treas.gov Phone: (202) 622-8704 Fax: (202) 622-7754.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Evaluation factors include: (1) financial strength and organizational capacity of applicant, (2) external resources or matching fund commitment/ability to obtain commitments, (3) community impact and (4) other factors as set forth in the NI Program regulations, NOFA and application materials.
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