Introducing the Indigenous Futures Fund at the White House

What was it?

Increasing Capital Access for Tribal Communities: A Roundtable Discussion with Key Federal Agencies, Financial Institutions, and Philanthropies

When was it?

February 2024

Speakers

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland

U.S. Department of the Interior

Small Business Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman

Small Business Administration

Commerce Deputy Don Graves

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Treasurer Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael J. Hsu

Acting Comptroller of the Currency

USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Farah Ahmad

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Marla Blow

Skoll Foundation

Sam Gill

Doris Duke Foundation

Cecilia Muñoz

Hyphen

Dante Desiderio

Native Americans in Philanthropy

Erik Stegman

Native Americans in Philanthropy

Lauren Grattan

Mission Driven Finance

Ted Piccolo

Mission Driven Finance

Top photo: L–R: Kevin Walker, CEO of Northwest Area Foundation; Wizipan Garriott, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior; Lauren Grattan, Mission Driven Finance; Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of the Interior; Rosa Cabrera, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; Ted Piccolo, Mission Driven Finance
Bottom photo: (L–R) Dante Desiderio and Erik Stegman of Native Americans in Philanthropy; Lauren Grattan and Ted Piccolo of Mission Driven Finance

In February 2024, our Co-founder and Chief Community Officer Lauren Grattan, and Senior Director of Indigenous Futures Ted Piccolo were at the White House to share about our new Indigenous Futures Fund.

The Indigenous Futures Fund is designed to accelerate the flow of federal and private capital to Indigenous entrepreneurs and Tribal enterprises—and boost the capacity of Native financial intermediaries, like Native CDFIs.

At the White House roundtable entitled, "Increasing Capital Access for Tribal Communities Tribal Access to Capital," leaders from financial, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors discussed innovative approaches to expand economic development and investment in Tribal communities across the country.

Partners in convening the roundtable include Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) and Hyphen.

At the roundtable, NAP and Mission Driven Finance, in partnership with Hyphen, announced two major initiatives:

• NAP is establishing the Tribal Community Vision Fund (Vision Fund), a national initiative to expand capital access to promote self-determination and sustainable economic and community development in Indian Country.
• As part of the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), Mission Driven Finance is launching the Indigenous Futures Fund to accelerate the flow of SSBCI capital to Native entrepreneurs and Tribal enterprises.

(L–R) Lauren Grattan, U.S. Treasurer Lynn Malerba, Dante Desiderio at the White House

Last December, President Biden signed an Executive Order affirming the fundamental right of Tribal Nations to “determine their own destiny and to prosper and flourish on their own terms.” The Executive Order urges federal agencies to make their funding streams and programs fully accessible to Tribal communities. These commitments create long-overdue opportunities to advance Tribal self-determination—and can positively impact the lives of Tribal citizens for generations to come.

Also in attendance at the roundtable:

• Fatima Abbas, Office of Tribal & Native Affairs, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Jackson Brossy, Office of Native American Affairs, Small Business Administration
• Sam Brown, Amalgamated Bank
• Shaun Deschene, Director of the Office of Native American Business Development, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Salah Goss, Mastercard
• Daniel Gould, Marguerite Casey Foundation
• Bryan Newland, U.S. Department of the Interior
• Asahi Pompey, Goldman Sachs
• Kevin Walker, Northwest Area Foundation

Philanthropic and financial institution attendees included:

• Amalgamated Bank
• Bezos Earth Fund
• Bush Foundation
• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
• Christensen Fund
• Doris Duke Foundation
• Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
• Goldman Sachs
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• KeyBank
• Marguerite Casey Foundation
• Northwest Area Foundation