Commerce Services Securing and enhancing the financial well being of people, businesses and communities

Family and Community Asset Building Consumer Asset Building –Homeownership down payment and closing cost grants (MAP) –Long-term self-sufficiency counseling –Budget counseling –Credit coaching –Individual Development Accounts (youth and adults) –Volunteer Tax Assistance Program –Financial education workshops – community and employer based 2

Family and Community Asset Building 3 Entrepreneurial Development - Capacity building workshops - Business planning - Retail incubator - Household budgeting & credit repair - Artist incubator (Cherokee Arts Center) - Artist marketing/sales (Spider Gallery) - Hands-on business management and ownership training (Kawi Café) - – procurement preferencewww.cherokeebids.org

4 Cherokee Nation Economic Development Trust Authority Certified CDFI Affordable financing –Commercial lending –Small consumer lending –Foreclosure prevention $6+ Million portfolio 800+ Clients

Commercial Loan Program 5 Year Impact Created or retained 635 jobs $5.7 million small business loans Capacity building training over 8,000 participants Benefits Flexible lending criteria Special low-income micro and youth programs Low cost financing In-house loan servicing 5

6 Small Business Workshops Marketing Government Contracting 8a and HubZone Certifications Website Design How to do Business with Cherokee Nation Understanding Bonds Analyzing Financials

7 Business Planning Workshop taught over the course of several weeks Each session focuses on a specific section of the business plan Commerce currently uses both Indianpreneurship and Core Four curriculum

8 Certified Indian Owned Businesses Increase Certified Indian- owned Businesses’ access to CN procurement opportunities Increase competitiveness and sustainability of Certified Indian-owned Businesses One-on-one training for Certified Indian-owned Businesses

9 Business Coaching Produces better loan participants Establishes a relationship between Commerce Services and the borrower Assesses the individual needs of the small business owner Works with business owners to detect changes in the economy and their market

10 Procurement Assistance Aids with Cherokee Nation procurement opportunities Stresses the importance of growing business and diversifying customer base Commerce Services partners with Native American Business Enterprise Center to notify vendors of federal and state procurement opportunities

Consumer Loan Program Impact Over $3 Million loaned in the last 4 years Continued significant growth Deterioration of credit histories and debt to income ratios Benefits Affordable alternative to high-cost, short- term financing Budget and credit counseling pre and post loan 11

Community Tourism Facilitates start-up, expansion, and sustainability of Indian-owned tourism businesses, including individualized assistance and financing 12

Community Tourism - Providing Economic Development Tools Cherokee National Holiday Arts on the Avenue Cherokee Hills Scenic Byway 13

Cherokee Arts Center An artist incubator providing creativity space and equipment to help artists generate income and share their skills. 14

Arts Center Impact 50 artists have completed the Native Artist Professional Development curriculum Artists have used the Arts Center to teach 86 classes YTD, ex. silversmithing, pottery, weaving, life drawings, assemblage, beading $16,275 earned by artists holding classes at the Arts Center YTD YTD, Arts Center equipment has been used close to 500 times in addition to its usage for classes 15

Retail Incubator Subsidized retail space located in historic downtown Tahlequah Individualized business coaching Marketing assistance 16

Kawi Cafe Hands on entrepreneurial training ground Business plan development Classroom style business training 8 graduates year to date 17

The Spider Gallery Increasing the market for Cherokee artists Bringing Cherokee art to the forefront Supplementing artists’ income $31,700 income to artists YTD 18

Self Sufficiency Programs Mortgage Assistance Personal Financial Education Classes Credit Coaching Individual Development Accounts 19

Mortgage Assistance Program Impact Since 2008, Financial Assistance provided to 1,200 first time homebuyers Foreclosure rate of MAP clients lower than Oklahoma average Includes short-term financial coaching All recipients obtain non- predatory mortgages 20

Credit Coaching Long Term Counseling One on one financial analysis Spending plan Saving plan Debt reduction strategies Credit repair Comprehensive referrals Impact 549 families completed counseling and obtained non-predatory mortgages None lost to foreclosure Credit scores increased an average of 29 points 32% of families reduce debt to income ratio 21

Community Financial Education 6,500 participants in last 5 years – adults and youth CNE Gaming Employees – Saving gaming licenses and jobs Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, Homebuyers Training, Managing a Bank Account, Developing a Spending Plan, Negotiating with Creditors, Managing a Banking Relationship, Reviewing Your Credit Report 22

Individual Development Accounts 1 st Native IDA – 1997 Adult and youth matched savings Recently incorporated with Mortgage Assistance Program 200+ individuals currently participating –Home rehabilitation –Home purchase –Post secondary education –Business start up or expansion 23

OK Native Assets Coalition Cherokee Nation was a founding partner of this 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to build and support a network of Native people dedicated to increasing self sufficiency through financial education and asset building programs. 24

ONAC represents a consortium of Oklahoma tribes and partners interested in establishing asset-building initiatives and programs in Native communities. 25

What ONAC Provides Constituents: Asset building resources, models, and strategies Annual conference Forum to discuss tribal, local, state, or federal asset building policies Opportunities to connect with Native and non-Native asset building practitioners Outreach to OK tribal leaders, tribal governments, and other OK based Native organizations Training and capacity building for designing and implementing asset building programs Mini grants for Native asset building projects 26