A new tool from the Center for Indian Country Development can help identify the financial institutions and federal economic development resources in tribal areas. The Native American Funding and Finance Atlas provides easy-to-use, regularly updated geographic data on federal programs, lending activity, and financial institutions in and around Indian Country.
The Atlas aggregates up-to-date, publicly available U.S. data on the locations of commercial banks and credit unions, certified Community Development Financial Institutions, Small Business Development Centers, recipients of business loans issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the geographic areas eligible for a wide variety of tax-incentive programs designed to spur economic development.
Users can zoom in on their communities to learn about opportunities to access capital and credit and to see examples of existing loans and investments. Resources are displayed on a map interface developed by PolicyMap. Data can be viewed by American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, along with counties or census tracts.
Lack of access to credit and financial services has posed a barrier to economic development in Indian Country overall, and especially in Native communities with small populations. This new tool enables users to explore what economic development resources are available in their communities.
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