Northwest Native Development Fund

What Northwest Native Development Fund does

Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) headquartered in Coulee Dam, Washington, founded in 2008 to foster economic and financial independence for Native people in the Plateau region of Eastern Washington. The organization delivers a dual mandate of access to capital and financial education, offering a product suite that includes small business loans, Small Business Mercy Loans (3% working capital), personal and employee loans, construction/rehab loans with a six-month interest-only period, credit builder loans, and an Individual Development Account (IDA) matched savings program (8:1 match up to $4,000) supporting first-time homeownership. Educational offerings include the ONABEN-developed Indianpreneurship business planning course, Native Artist Professional Development, budgeting and marketing workshops, and one-on-one counseling with a full-time staff member.

NNDF's customer base is concentrated in Native small business owners, individuals and families, first-time home buyers in the $150,000-$180,000 price range, and Native artists across Eastern Washington (including Coulee Dam, Nespelem, Grand Coulee, Okanogan, and Omak). The business model blends transactional lending interest income with episodic grant funding from federal sources (US Treasury CDFI Fund, $1,083,300 in 2020) and corporate partners (Wells Fargo Open For Business Fund, $500,000 in 2020). Distribution is community-led: direct in-person lending supported by a regional partner network of seven Native CDFIs and organizations, amplified through workshops, the NW Native CDFI Summit, newsletter communications, and earned media. Cumulative impact since founding includes $23.4 million invested in the community, 498 loans provided, and 618 class attendees.

Name

Northwest Native Development Fund

Legal name

Northwest Native Development Fund

Website

https://thenndf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northwest Native Development Fund is a 501(c)(3) Native CDFI headquartered in Coulee Dam, Washington, providing small business loans, personal loans, housing financing, and financial education to Native entrepreneurs and families in Eastern Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Lending

NAICS

Credit Unions (522130), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Regional Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (FSABAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) (FSABAEAC), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Community development lending
• Small business loans
• Consumer lending
• Financial education programs
• Matched savings programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Coulee Dam

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: NNDF provides small business loans, personal/consumer loans, construction/rehab loans, and credit builder loans. Interest rates include 3% working capital loans for small businesses through the Mercy Loan program.
2. Grant Funding: As a non-profit 501(c)(3) CDFI, NNDF receives grant funding from government programs (US Treasury CDFI Fund award of $1,083,300) and corporate sources (Wells Fargo Open For Business Fund $500,000 grant).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF) is a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides direct lending products — including small business loans, personal/consumer loans, credit builder loans, construction/rehab loans, and an Individual Development Account (IDA) matched savings program — alongside financial and entrepreneurial education programs (such as Indianpreneurship and Native Artist Professional Development) to Native individuals and small business owners in Eastern Washington State. The organization fosters economic and financial independence through access to capital combined with financial literacy, business planning, and counseling services.

Product overview

Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF) is a 501c3 non-profit Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and services for Native communities in Eastern Washington. The core product portfolio includes business loans (Small Business Loans, Mercy Loan program, Construction/Rehab Loans, Credit Builder Loans) and personal loans (Employee Loans), alongside the IDA matched savings program for homeownership. These lending products are complemented by educational services including the Indianpreneurship business planning course, Native Artist Professional Development training, and various budgeting and marketing workshops. NNDF operates with a two-pronged approach: providing access to capital through creative lending products and fostering financial independence through financial and entrepreneurial education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• 618 class attendees through financial and entrepreneurial education programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KalispelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in NNDF's 'In Partnership' section. Nature of partnership not specified in available source material.
• LakotaFundsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in NNDF's 'In Partnership' section. Nature of partnership not specified in available source material.
• ONABENcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONABEN created the Indianpreneurship small business planning course specifically for Indian Country. NNDF uses this course for their educational programs. ONABEN is a Native American Business Incubator Network.
• PotFundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in NNDF's 'In Partnership' section. Nature of partnership not specified in available source material.
• SKanTribesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in NNDF's 'In Partnership' section. Nature of partnership not specified in available source material.
• SWFundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in NNDF's 'In Partnership' section. Nature of partnership not specified in available source material.
• WKNDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in NNDF's 'In Partnership' section. Nature of partnership not specified in available source material.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lakota Funds: Native CDFI serving Lakota communities on Pine Ridge with small business loans, credit-builder products, and financial education — directly comparable mission, products, and target customer profile to NNDF.
• Four Directions Development Corporation: Native CDFI providing lending and economic development programs to Native communities; directly comparable in CDFI structure, mission-driven lending, and educational programming.
• Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial: Native CDFI on Pine Ridge Reservation offering small business, consumer, and home loans to unbanked/underbanked Native populations — directly comparable in products, mission, and target segment.
• Potlatch Fund: Native-led CDFI serving Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains tribes with small business and cultural grants/loans — overlapping geography and target community, listed as an NNDF partner.

Regional players

• California Tribal Fund: Native CDFI offering small business and consumer lending to California tribal communities; similar CDFI model and products but operating in a different geography from NNDF.

Others

• CDFI Fund (US Treasury): Federal funder and certifying body for CDFIs including NNDF; ecosystem participant that supplies both grants and the regulatory certification underpinning NNDF's competitive advantage.
• ONABEN (Native American Business Incubator Network): Creator of the Indianpreneurship small business planning course that NNDF delivers; adjacent ecosystem participant and named NNDF partner rather than a direct lender.

Broad incumbents

• Native American Bank: Native-owned national bank offering commercial and consumer lending to tribal and Native communities — broader, FDIC-regulated incumbent serving overlapping customers with similar cultural alignment.
• Oweesta Corporation: Long-established Native CDFI intermediary that provides capital, training, and technical assistance to a network of Native CDFIs including NNDF's peers; broader scope but highly comparable function.

Emerging players

• Wisdom of the Elders: Native nonprofit combining financial literacy, business development, and cultural programming for Native communities; partial overlap on the educational and community-development side of NNDF's work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheNNDF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nndf-northwest-native-development-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northwest Native Development Fund