News

Dear ONAC Constituents and Friends, 

For those interested in joining the ONAC Native EITC/VITA Network, here is a flyer with more information. 

Also, here is a flyer with information for tribal citizens who will be filing their taxes during the upcoming tax filing season.  

For the coming tax season, if you are a filing a simple return, you are invited to file your federal return, for free, by using this On-Line Taxes, Inc. link: https://www.olt.com/main/vita/getstarted.asp?affiliate=VITAFREE&linkID=S27091832

Best wishes to all of our VITA partners and grantees for this tax season!

The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC) has partnered with IRS Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) and agreed to post a link on our website to On-Line Taxes, Inc. 

For the next tax season, if you are a filing a simple return, you are invited to file your federal return, for free, by using this On-Line Taxes, Inc. link: https://www.olt.com/main/vita/getstarted.asp?affiliate=VITAFREE&linkID=S27091832

Please note: If you, or someone you know, have an adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less, you may complete your federal and state returns for free, via On-Line Taxes, Inc. 

For those wishing to file via a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, you may search for sites near you at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers. 

After you select the link above, scroll down to Find a VITA or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Site Near You. You will need to use both the VITA/TCE Locator Tool, as well as the AARP Tax-Aide Site Locator Tools to obtain a complete list. 

Dear ONAC Constituents and Friends:

Greetings! In 2021, ONAC celebrated twenty years as a Native-led asset-building coalition. While keeping its name, over the years ONAC has greatly expanded the Native asset-building services it provides across the country. We could not do this work without you!

As a nonprofit, ONAC works hard to directly support Native families and communities. ONAC has low overhead expenses. In 2021, 90.7% of ONAC's expenditures were program related.

Here is a link to the 2021 ONAC annual report:https://bit.ly/ONAC2021

Background information about ONAC:

To better support other Native asset-building practitioners, ONAC is a grantmaker and provides intermediary funding to tribes and Native-led nonprofits so they may administer their own programs. Also, ONAC coordinates two national Native asset-building networks including the Native Bank On initiative that focuses on expanding access to safe and affordable bank accounts and the Native EITC/VITA Network that shares resources and opportunities, to provide a platform for interaction among Native site coordinators, and to bring concerns from Native VITA sites to appropriate parties. To bring more resources to the table, ONAC also conducts national Native asset-building research on the Native youth savings initiatives in the country and the efforts of Native women entrepreneurs to close the women’s wealth gap, as well as publishes resource guides for parents managing 529 college savings accounts and those offering remote VITA services and financial education during the pandemic. For tribes and Native-led nonprofits interested in free technical assistance and training to administer such programs, ONAC provides co-hosted Native financial education and coaching trainings and free one-on-one technical assistance.

In addition to providing intermediary funding and helping to build the capacity of other Native asset-building practitioners, ONAC is a direct service provider. ONAC administers the largest Native seed-funded Children’s Savings Account and emergency savings account programs in the country; provides nationally-available emergency cash assistance and free financial coaching directly to Native families across the country; and is the only Native nonprofit offering seed-funded Bank On accounts. In 2021, ONAC launched a down payment assistance program.In the past year, ONAC has provided down payment assistance to fifty families with support from the FHLB Topeka and private donors.

Coalitions such as ONAC wear a variety of hats and support the creation of culturally relevant and community-centric programming that addresses intergenerational poverty with a focus on traditional Native beliefs regarding asset building.

A note about the Native asset-building field:

The Native asset-building field is broad and includes tribal governments, non-CDFI Native-led nonprofits, and Native CDFIs that are all delivering needed asset-building services. ONAC works with these constituents and others throughout the country to help Native families and communities reduce poverty and build assets. Given the historical and current asset stripping, the demand for services in various Native communities, and differences in missions and geographic service areas, it takes all of us working together to be successful.

Again, here is the link to the 2021 annual report:https://bit.ly/ONAC2021

We are grateful for your support and partnership!

On October 19, 2022, the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) co-hosted a webinar on identity theft and FTC resources for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities. During the webinar, the FTC shared overview information about identity theft, as well as FTC resources to respond to such theft including prevention and the process for reporting to the FTC if such theft has occurred. Given expansion of broadband in Native communities and the upcoming holiday shopping season, ONAC and the FTC thought it was a good time to share these resources so that Native peoples can try to prevent identity theft. ONAC is grateful to the FTC for their partnership. 

Here is the link to the recorded webinar from the FTC: https://youtu.be/q1fLmko9jlk 

The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are co-hosting a webinar focused on identity theft on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 3 p.m. ET, 2:00 p.m. CT.

During the webinar, the FTC will share overview information about identity theft, as well as FTC resources to respond to such theft including prevention and the process for reporting to the FTC if such theft has occurred. This webinar is open to Native communities across the country.

The registration page and registration confirmation email states the webinar begins at 2:30 p.m. ET (that is the start time for speakers). Please note that the official start time for registrants is 3:00 p.m. ET.

Here is the registration link to attend: chttps://ftc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_chicP_F1Si2JYdjg7OG45w.

The FTC is interested in learning more about what identity theft is currently occurring in Native communities so they can better tailor their prevention materials and enforcement.

If you have been the victim of such theft or are working with Native constituents who are experiencing theft, please join.

ONAC is co-hosting this webinar as part of its comprehensive asset building programming, which includes promotion of financial education and efforts to reduce asset stripping (such as through prevention of identity theft).

We invite you to join on Wednesday, October 19th.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Oct 19, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: FTC/ONAC IDT and other FTC Resources Webinar

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://ftc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_chicP_F1Si2JYdjg7OG45w

Or an H.323/SIP room system:

  H.323: 161.199.138.10 (US West) or 161.199.136.10 (US East)

  Meeting ID: 160 466 7199

  Passcode: 669450

  SIP:1604667199@sip.zoomgov.com

  Passcode: 669450 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

 

As a follow-up to the co-hosted event with the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Institute Center for Native American Youth, ONAC has prepared a list of eighteen suggestions to support Native asset building practitioners.  The list is available at: https://bit.ly/ONAC18suggestions.

ONAC's Executive Director, Christy Finsel, was invited to co-author a journal article on financial capability and asset building, with a gender and racial equity lens, with Margaret Sherraden of Center for Social Development, Mae Watson Grote of Change Machine, Margaret Libby of MyPath, and Cathie Mahon of Inclusiv. ONAC was honored to participate in this project. 

Finsel, C., Watson Grote, M., Libby, M., Mahon, C., & Sherraden, M. S. (2022). Financial capability and asset building with a racial- and gender-equity lens: Advances from the field. Families in Society, 103(1), 86–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894211063133

News Release

Contact: Christy Finsel, cfinsel@oknativeassets.org, (405) 720-0770 

December 1, 2021                                                           

Paper Released and Event on Friday, December 3, 2021: Distributing Emergency Cash Assistance to Native Families During a Pandemic

Today, the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC), is releasing a paper titled, “Distributing Emergency Cash Assistance to Native Families During a Pandemic.”

This publication provides insight and lessons learned regarding the direct distribution of emergency funds to Native families during a pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ONAC, a Native-led nonprofit serving Native communities across the U.S., has provided emergency cash assistance payments ($500 per applicant) to American Indian and Alaska Native families. In total, ONAC raised funds to support 1,070 families. ONAC worked in partnership with 23 tribes and Native-led nonprofit partners to provide the outreach and referrals for the payments that were distributed to tribal citizens residing in 28 states. 

Through this program, ONAC distributed the funds by checks made payable to the applicants or through ACH transfers to applicants’ bank accounts. As part of the application, ONAC provided Bank On information for those who were not banked and may have wanted to become so as part of the emergency cash assistance program. In addition, ONAC provided free financial coaching for those interested in the service. The effort to distribute emergency cash was met with much gratitude from recipients, but also faced a variety of challenges along the way. This case example highlights both lessons learned and the importance of adequate funding of Native-led nonprofits  - the organizations that are most closely connected with their community members and aware of the areas where community need is greatest. 

ONAC is grateful to the following twenty-three tribal governments and Native-led nonprofits that provided referrals to us for emergency cash assistance: Four Directions Development Corporation, Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority, The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Nixyaawii Community Financial Services, Osage Financial Resources, Inc., Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation, Wisconsin Native Loan Fund, Chickasaw Nation, White Earth Investment Initiative, The United Houma Nation, Cherokee Nation, Sac and Fox Nation, Seldovia Village Tribe, Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority, Lakota Funds, Modoc Nation, and anonymous Native referral partners in Oklahoma, Montana, South Dakota, North Carolina, and Nebraska. 

To download a copy of the paper, go to https://bit.ly/ONACecash.

On Friday, December 3, 2021, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern Time, ONAC and Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) are hosting a panel discussion for philanthropy on effective strategies for distributing emergency assistance to Native families. Foundations, grantmakers, other funders, and Native asset building practitioners are invited to join ONAC and NAP for a panel discussion about the value of intermediary funders and movement infrastructure, and the role partners can play in supporting Native communities. The discussion will feature Edgar Villanueva from the Decolonizing Wealth Project, Lisa Price from the Wells Fargo Foundation, and Christy Finsel from ONAC, and will be moderated by NAP’s CEO, Erik Stegman. 

To register for the event, go to https://nativephilanthropy.org/event/emergency-fund-distribution/. 

About the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc.: The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc. (ONAC), first organized in 2001 and a nonprofit since 2014, is a nationally-serving Native-led asset building coalition that acts as intermediary funder, direct service provider, and as a capacity builder (conducting national Native asset building research and providing training and technical assistance to tribes and Native-led nonprofits). ONAC’s mission is to build and support a network of Native people who are dedicated to increasing self-sufficiency and prosperity in their communities through the establishment of integrated culturally relevant financial education and financial coaching initiatives, as well as seed funded account programs, down payment assistance, free tax preparation, expanded banking access, and other asset-building strategies. For more information about the coalition, go to https://www.oknativeassets.org/. 

Here is a link to the slides for the presentation:ONAC and Native Americans in Philanthropy Co-Hosted Webinar to Promote ONAC's Release of the Paper: Distributing Emergency Cash Assistance to Native Families During a Pandemic.  

On October 28, 2021, ONAC is presenting information about national Native Child Tax Credit outreach during the HHS Region 1 Tribal quarterly meeting.

Agenda: ONAC presentation during the HHS Region 1 Tribal Quarterly Meeting and Child Tax Credit Discussion; ONAC presentation slides; and ONAC remarks.

We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the meeting. 

On October 25, 2021, Christy Finsel, ONAC Executive Director, presented information about ONAC's work during a Global Housing Foundation's conference, in celebration of United Nations Day.

The Global Housing Foundation, in Partnership with UN Habitat, hosted the conference, "The Future of Workforce Housing is Now: Innovative, Creative & Sustainable Solutions from Around the World".

ONAC, as an invited speaker, presented a micro-conference session entitled, "Innovations: Connecting Down Payment Assistance to Other Integrated Native Asset Building Programs."   

ONAC's remarks begin @ 2:04:55: https://globalhousing.net/unday2021/