The Native CDFI Movement
As mission-driven financial institutions, CDFIs play a critical role in providing financial products and services in communities that are underserved by traditional financial institutions. With only a handful of Native CDFIs in existence at the time of our inception, Wind River Development Fund was on the leading edge of the movement to increase access to capital and develop local economies in Native communities across the country. We were blazing trails – not only for our local economy, but also for the nation’s Native CDFI field. Today, there are nearly 70 certified Native CDFIs driving economic growth and private sector development in Native communities all around the country.
A History of Excellence
In the early 2000’s, as the Native CDFI movement was blossoming, Wind River Development Fund and a few other emerging Native CDFIs were helping to establish industry standard best practices. The cutting-edge work that occurred in our early history was recognized through a number of awards.
- In 2004, Wind River Development Fund was named the Minority Small Business Advocate for Wyoming and a six-state region by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
- In 2005, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the United Native American Housing Association recognized our organization for leadership in the promotion of financial literacy education for Native American families.
- In 2007, we received the Circle of Honor Award for outstanding leadership and innovation in a community development corporation serving Indian Country.
- In 2008, Wind River Development Fund was the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Developing and Sustaining Self-Sufficiency through Economic Development by the United Native American Housing Association.
Paving the Way for a Stronger Economic Future
In our first five years of lending, we financed the start-up of over 30 new businesses. Some of our first loans were for a flower shop, bead store, horse training clinics, construction companies, and trucking businesses. In our early days, the majority of our loans were considered “microloans,” which were under $xxx. While our borrowers were all entrepreneurs at heart, many of them had never had any formal business training. To help cultivate the business skills of our local entrepreneurs, we developed an 8-week business planning class we called Strengthening and Growing Entrepreneurs (SAGE). This class helped people turn their ideas into a reality through the development of formal business plans and was the first step in successfully securing financing for their business ventures.
In the early 2000’s, Wind River Development Fund was doing something new – providing lending capital and training for the purpose of small business development specifically for a Native community. Our borrowers were also engaging in this new way of growing our local economy and traveling their own paths to self-sufficiency. They took a risk and were an inspiration to others. In a way, we were all paving the way for a stronger economic future together. Although a lot has changed on Wind River – and even within our organization – over the last 25 years, we are still working alongside our local entrepreneurs to start and expand small businesses. Our foundational tenets remain at the core of our mission today.
Our Mission
The mission of the Wind River Development Fund is to provide financial opportunities to stimulate economic development on and near the Wind River Indian Reservation, to promote self-sufficiency, self-determination, and an enhanced quality of life for the reservation community.
Wind River Development Fund Today
Our organization continues to deploy lending capital to small businesses across the Wind River Indian Reservation and Fremont and Hot Springs Counties in Wyoming. We are dedicated to strengthening our economy through local business development as well as broader economic development initiatives.
In 2009, we spearheaded the construction of the Frank B. Wise Business Center, which now houses several local business establishments. This facility has provided over 15,000 square feet of space for local nonprofits, tribal entities, and educational organizations to conduct business here in our community for over 15 years.
More recently, we became a founding member of the Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition. This group of nine Native CDFIs, organizations similar to Wind River Development Fund, collaborates on strategies to spur economic activity in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. In 2022, our group was awarded a five-year $45 million grant from the Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge. This was the largest single investment into the Native CDFI industry at the time. We are currently working with the Mountain | Plains Coalition to implement a first-of-its kind, cohesive model for Native communities that will pave the path for transformative private investment.
In 2024, we mobilized the Wind River Coalition, an alliance comprised of a diverse cross section of partners from public, private, and philanthropic sectors that is uniquely poised to develop new and innovative economic solutions. We were awarded $36 million from the Economic Development Administration to implement the Wind River Recompete Plan. The overall project is composed of nine component projects that strategically align with regional and statewide economic development initiatives, while leveraging current market trends in order to channel investments into the Wind River Indian Reservation. Also in 2024, the Wind River Coalition was awarded $4 million from the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Grant program to deliver six outdoor recreation projects on the Reservation.
Much of our work today is based on the design of the Indigenous Sovereignty Framework, which creates a path for Indigenous people to reclaim their sovereignty and rebuild equitable economies based on their cultural values.
Indigenous Sovereignty Framework
Our Indigenous Sovereignty Framework is a multi-dimensional holistic model for economic and community development. This layered approach, essential to addressing the complex issues and unique circumstances experienced by Indigenous populations, impacts three dimensions:
Integrated Assets
While today’s modern economy views environmental assets as a means to profitability, Indigenous peoples think of ourselves as one – or integrated – with these assets. Various aspects of land and water are integrated so deeply with the culture that they cannot be disconnected from one another. Revitalizing and strengthening these assets is foundational to healing historical trauma and reclaiming our Indigenous sovereignty. Indigenous culture is the north star in the sovereignty framework, instilling hope within our community.
Equitable Systems
Prior to colonial settlement in America, Indigenous communities thrived with functional systems that supported healthy food intake and preservation, effective natural remedies, regional trade, and various governing bodies. Throughout history, as federal policies continued to undermine Indigenous sovereignty, these systems were dismantled and forcibly replaced with programs designed by Congress. Through the sovereignty framework, we are redefining our systems through an Indigenous lens. In the past, as well as today, each of these systems not only influence whole communities but every individual within those communities. Therefore, to achieve sustainable change, it is essential to build equitable systems that extend to every end of the community.
Human Capital Investments
At the center of everything in the Indigenous Sovereignty Framework is the concept of past and future generations. The wisdom of past generations must guide today’s choices. Once part of a healthy and thriving society, our ancestors knew how to leverage integrated assets in a mindful way and build equitable systems. They survived multiple extermination attempts, forced assimilation policies, and are still here today. Potential consequences for the next seven generations must also be carefully examined with every decision. Everything we do should be an investment in our children, grandchildren, and beyond.
Frank B. Wise Building
3 Ethete Road
Fort Washakie, WY 82514
HOURS
Monday – Friday
8:30AM – 5:00PM
Brunton Building
2255 Brunton Court
Riverton, WY 82501
HOURS
Thursday 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Friday 9:00AM – 12:00PM
Equal Opportunity Policy
In accordance with federal laws and U.S. Department of the Treasury policy, Four Bands Community Fund is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20220; call (202) 622-1160; or send an e-mail to: crcomplaints@treasury.gov.