ONAC Newsletter, Fall 2016
ONAC Launches Endowment Campaign and Announces Lead Gift by the Chickasaw Nation
In September 2016, ONAC launched an endowment campaign. To advance ONAC’s mission, ONAC is seeking to raise $5 million to fund an endowment for general operating expenses and program support. A strong endowment would make ONAC sustainable and viable well into the future. ONAC thanks the Chickasaw Nation for their generous lead gift of $250,000 towards our endowment fund. We are grateful to Governor Bill Anoatubby, of the Chickasaw Nation, for meeting with us to talk about opportunities for collaboration and for supporting this campaign. We are excited to grow this endowment fund and we respectfully ask for your support so that we may increase Native asset building opportunities for Native families.
What are ONAC’s hopes for the future of Native asset building?
ONAC’s vision is that Native families will have multiple opportunities to grow their assets, through participation in integrated and culturally-relevant Native asset building programs. Our dream is that all Native youth will have Children’s Savings Accounts to help them save for their future and let them know that college is a real option for them. The coalition also would like to be able to provide more funding for asset building initiatives in the state, to tribes and Native nonprofits, to increase the numbers of
sustainable asset building programs (such as financial education, matched savings accounts, credit repair/credit builder, and family emergency savings account programs).
There is great potential for ONAC to work with constituents to help numerous Native families build their assets. The second-largest Native population, per capita in the United States, resides in Oklahoma and is increasing (2010 Census). Support of Native asset building programs will help Native families to concretely build assets that will lead to family financial security.
Why is ONAC raising an endowment?
In ONAC’s strategic plan, the coalition notes that we need funding to support and grow the nonprofit. ONAC’s leadership has worked to put in place a multi-pronged fundraising plan (individual donors, foundations, members, federal grants, corporate funds, sponsorships, etc.). The next step of that plan is to raise funds for an endowment.
To advance ONAC’s mission, ONAC is seeking to raise $5 million to fund an endowment for general operating expenses and program support. A strong endowment would make ONAC sustainable and viable well into the future.
As of 2016, ONAC’s annual operating budget is $251,522. Endowment funding of $5 million would allow ONAC to draw 5% a year ($250,000). With the sustainability that an endowment provides, ONAC would then continue to seek foundation and individual donor support, as well as memberships, sponsorships, and other donations to offer more Children’s Savings Accounts and asset building grants in the state, in order to better meet the demand for our coalition services.
Endowment prospectus
For more information about ONAC's endowment fund, please visit our website at http://oknativeassets.org and click “donate” at the top right of the page. On that page is a link to our endowment prospectus. All endowment fund donations are fully tax deductible as no goods or services are provided in exchange.
Please consider making a donation to our endowment fund
If you would like to support ONAC’s work, we ask you to please consider making a donation to ONAC’s endowment campaign. To donate to ONAC’s endowment fund, either visit our website at http://oknativeassets.org and click “donate” at the top right of the page, or please send a check, made out to the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc., with “endowment fund” written on the memo line. You can mail the check to the following address:
Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc.
Attn: Christy Finsel, Executive Director
9511 Horseshoe Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73162
If your organization is unable to donate to an endowment fund, please consider supporting ONAC through membership, sponsorship, or general donations.
The challenge ONAC faces is to build a robust endowment while meeting the need for services today. While donations towards an endowment will help our coalition to be sustainable into the future, if you wish to underwrite ONAC’s programs today, we also welcome such support. As part of our efforts to sustain and grow the coalition, ONAC welcomes donations, sponsorships, and memberships. For more information, please go to the donate page at www.oknativeassets.org or call Christy Finsel, ONAC Executive Director, at 405-401-7873.
ONAC leadership thanks you for considering financial support of our statewide Native asset building coalition.
2015 Annual Report
ONAC has posted our 2015 annual report on the homepage of our website. To view ONAC’s 2015 Annual Report, go to http://oknativeassets.org/resources/Documents/ONAC_2015_Annual_Report.pdf.
If you would like to request a paper version of the report, please contact Christy Finsel at cfinsel@oknativeassets.org.
ONAC Administers Three Programs
For those of you not as familiar with ONAC, our coalition administers three programs: 1) Children’s Savings Accounts to help Native youth save for college and other asset purchases; 2) grants for Native asset builders so they may have flexible funding sources to start new programs or expand existing ones; and 3) professional development resources for Native asset building practitioners (model sharing and development, networking opportunities, free technical assistance, research, administrative policy guidance requests, and participation in state and national advisory groups related to tax policy, Native financial education, women and wealth, and economic inclusion).
Children’s Savings Account Pilot Updates
On September 26, 2016, BeLieving in Native Generations (BLING), a Native-led nonprofit, partnered with ONAC to begin to open their nineteen allotted Children’s Savings Accounts for 4th and 5th grade students attending Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma. During the account opening event, ONAC, BLING, and staff from the school, met with the parents of the students and assisted them as they opened 529 accounts for the benefit of their children. Each youth received the ONAC financial education booklet and a certificate celebrating their account. ONAC provided the $100 account opening deposit for each student. During the account opening event, the students drew pictures of assets they valued such as college degrees and college campus buildings. ONAC provided the art supplies for this art project. Additionally, ONAC provided the youth with organic gardening seeds for their families. ONAC thanks Deborah Scott, Director of BLING; Kristie Subieta, Counseling Psychologist at Riverside Indian School; Clay Vinyard, Superintendent; Patrick Moore, Principal of the High School; and Jeremy Lee, Dean of Students, for their support of this project.
One day later, on September 27, 2016, the American Indian Resource Center, Inc. (AIRC), also a Native-led nonprofit, partnered with ONAC to open thirty-five Children’s Savings Accounts for 5-8th grade students in the Cherokee Immersion after-school program, as well as accounts for their siblings. During this particular account opening event, the parents attended and opened the accounts with assistance from ONAC and AIRC staff. A Cherokee artist Matthew Anderson, Cultural Specialist at the Cherokee Arts Center & Spider Gallery, attended and shared information about Cherokee traditional arts. The students then completed the Native arts project. As a means of promoting that we are building multiple Native assets, ONAC provided each student with a bag of organic gardening seeds, as well as gardening instructions. A big thank you to Pamela Iron, Executive Director, Georgia Dick, project lead, and other AIRC, Inc. staff for all their organizing efforts.
On November 3rd, ONAC opened a minimum of 30 Children’s Savings Accounts for the Ponca Tribe Head Start Program participants and their siblings, as well as children and grandchildren of their staff members (several more applications are still coming in). During the account opening event, ONAC and staff from the Head Start program met with the parents of the students and assisted them as they opened Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan accounts for the benefit of their children. Each youth received the ONAC financial education booklet and a certificate celebrating their account. ONAC provided the $100 account opening deposit for each student. During the account opening event, the students drew assets of value to them. ONAC provided the art supplies for their art project. Additionally, ONAC provided the youth with organic gardening seeds for their families. ONAC thanks Linda Rieman, Director of the Ponca Tribe Head Start program, and her staff for all their work on the account opening event.
In early November, ONAC drafted an interim update report our CSA activity to date for TIAA and the Office of Oklahoma State Treasurer Ken Miller (as most of the accounts have been opened through the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan). We are in the process of working on a more complete paper with descriptions about each partner’s CSA activities. Since 2014, ONAC has funded 330 CSA accounts. We will continue working with our valued partners to open at least 305 more accounts by April 2018.
ONAC Children’s Savings Account Efforts Mentioned by the Asset Funders Network
Information about ONAC’s Children’s Savings Account program was included on the Asset Funders Network CSA page of their website. To view, please go to http://assetfunders.org/educate/csa/ and scroll down to CSAs in the News. ONAC thanks Anne Yeoman, AFN’s CSA Project Manager, and the Asset Funders Network leadership for mentioning our program.
ONAC Presented at the FNDI LEAD Conference
On September 29th, ONAC facilitated a Children’s Savings Account session during the First Nations Development Institute (FNDI) LEAD Conference, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the session, Ms. Finsel, of ONAC, provided general Native Children’s Savings Account (CSA) program design information, as well as specifics about the ONAC Children’s Savings Account program. Two ONAC CSA partners, the Cherokee Nation Office of Child Support Services (Sara Quetone, Child Support Program Manager, and Miranda Bush, Child Support Specialist) and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma (Michael Lowery, Grant Coordinator), presented information about their partnerships with ONAC to offer CSAs. ONAC appreciates the invitation from First Nations Development Institute to participate in their conference. We also thank our partners for sharing information about the rollout of the CSA program with the youth they serve.
ONAC Attended the AARP Oklahoma Indian Elder Honors and Met with their Staff about Native Asset Building Resources
On October 10th, ONAC attended the 8th Annual AARP Oklahoma Indian Elder Honors as an invited guest of AARP Oklahoma. We were honored to participate and we congratulate all of the honorees. ONAC participates in the AARP Inter-Tribal Community Group, organized by Mashell Sourjohn, Associate State Director of Community Outreach and Sean Voskuhl, AARP Oklahoma State Director. We are thankful for Ms. Sourjohn’s work to organize that group and for inviting us to attend meetings. The day after the Indian Elder Honors, we met with the AARP American Indian and Alaska Native Work Group to share information about collaboration between Native asset building coalitions and AARP. ONAC appreciated the opportunity to attend that meeting.
ONAC Participated in a University of Arkansas Children’s Savings Account Webinar
On October 14th, ONAC presented information about our Children’s Savings Account (CSA) program on a webinar organized by the University of Arkansas School of Social Work Child Savings Account Team for prospective partners they are working with in Arkansas who are exploring offering CSAs in their home communities. ONAC was honored to participate and thanks Dr. Marcia Shobe, Professor, and Dr. Yvette Murphy-Erby, Professor, for the invitation to share about our program models and hear from other practitioners across the country.
Oklahoma Arts Council Funding Opportunities
The Oklahoma Arts Council provides grant funding for the following:
1). Arts Learning in Communities – hands-on arts instruction (can include performance, visual art, literary arts and traditional art forms.) For more information, please go to:
http://arts.ok.gov/Arts_in_Communities/Arts_Learning_in_Communities_Grant.html.
2). Community Arts Programs – audience-based arts and cultural events, including performances, powwows, exhibits and festivals. For more information, please go to:
http://arts.ok.gov/Arts_in_Communities/Community_Arts_Grant.html
If you are looking for funding for your arts program, these opportunities may be of interest to you. You may wish to link your financial asset building initiatives to your arts program.
ONAC is on Facebook and Twitter
Please “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/oknativeassets/.
Please follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/oknativeassets or @oknativeassets.
Thank you for your asset building efforts and for your support of ONAC!
