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  • 01 May 2020 4:06 PM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    Dear ONAC Constituents and Friends: 


    Hope this message finds you safe and well. 


    The ONAC board has decided to postpone the ONAC Conference that had been scheduled for July 14, 2020.  


    We will hold the conference at a time when it is safer to meet in-person.


    Our coalition has been taking our programming online.  We look forward to continuing to work with you this year and beyond. 


    Thank you for your understanding regarding the conference postponement. 


    Christy and the ONAC Board Members

  • 17 Apr 2020 11:21 AM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC) recently sent information to tribal communities across the country about how tribal citizens can more quickly receive the newly released Economic Impact Payments(EIPs) from the IRS by having a safe and affordable bank account that can receive direct deposits. The EIPs are for $1200 to U. S. citizens or resident aliens who have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $75,000 or less, and $2400 to joint filers who have combined incomes (AGIs) of $150,000 or less, and $500 for each dependent child.  

    ONAC hopes that as many Native peoples as possible are able to receive these important funds in a speedy manner; which would mean that they have a financial account that can receive direct deposit, since that is the most efficient way to receive these moneys from the Treasury.  The first several rounds of payments will be distributed by direct deposit from the Treasury starting this week, batch at a time, in set numbers – then paper checks will be generated in the final rounds of payments – likely several months from now. If you have received a payment from the government by direct deposit sometime in the last two years (such as a tax refund, SSI, or Social Security payments) you should receive your EIP in that same way, likely in the earlier rounds.

    It is not too late for those who have never given their account information to the IRS. If you do not have direct deposit information on file with the government (such as if you are a non-filer, or if you typically ask for a return in the form of a paper check), you can go to the IRS web site and enter your bank account number at this IRS webpage or change your address.  For filers and non-filers, the site to go to is:  https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments  and click on the “Get my payment” application. You can use the "Get My Payment" application to:

    • Check your payment status
    • Confirm your payment type: direct deposit or check
    • Enter your bank account information for direct deposit if            they don't have your direct deposit information and haven't sent your payment yet
    • Update your mailing address

    Also, non-filers can also go to:  https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here and enter your bank account information and/or address information.  This non-filer tool also provides a free and easy option for people who may have too little income to file. Users should look for the heading “Non-filers: Enter Payment Info Here” to take them directly to the tool.

    EIPs have begun to be distributed automatically to most people. Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for 2019 or 2018 with direct deposit instructions will receive the payments automatically. The IRS will look at 2019 filings first, then go to 2018 if you have not filed in 2019.  That means your banking and address information should be updated if you have not filed this year and that information has changed.  Automatic payments will also soon be made to income qualifying people receiving SSI, Social Security retirement, disability (SDDI), or survivor benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits.

    The Manager of the Native Bank On ONAC initiative of ONAC is pleased to offer more information on how to get a safe, affordable, easy-to-use bank account that can be obtained through either an online or drive-through account opening process, please go to ONAC’s web site:  http://oknativeassets.org, or more specifically to:  http://www.oknativeassets.org/our_work/Native-Bank-On-ONAC to find information on banks, nationally, and those in Oklahoma, that have developed accounts according to Bank On certified National Account Standards, to provide such an account for you – even if you have had problems maintaining a bank account in the past.  You can also contact the manager directly at kedwards@oknativeassets.org with any questions that the web site fails to answer for you. 

    ONAC hopes that you have a quick and productive experience accessing your EIP, and that you are able to open a new and reliable bank account to help you realize your economic goals, and we also hope that you and your family stay safe and well during these uncertain times.  

  • 16 Apr 2020 8:11 AM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    Below are ONAC's COVID-19 Responses:

    1). Regarding efforts by Native Bank On ONAC to connect Bank On certified accounts to tribal citizens, ONAC will be opening accounts with two banks in Oklahoma that have newly certified Bank On accounts.   One of the banks is Native-owned and the first one in the country to offer Bank On accounts (AllNations Bank).  The other bank is First State Bank of Oklahoma.  We have arranged for both banks to open their newly certified Bank On accounts through their drive-throughs.  Our tribal partners in these two separate tribal Bank On integrations (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority) will be distributing the information about the account openings to the tribal citizens they serve.   ONAC has customized handouts for each. We have also reached out to other tribal leaders in Anadarko to try to connect the tribal citizens they serve to this account. 

    2). ONAC was invited to present about Bank On during an upcoming call organized by regional HUD and FDIC contacts.  Karen Edwards, Manager, Native Bank On ONAC, will present on ONAC’s behalf.

    3). ONAC provided Native Bank On updates and resources to the Bank On listserv. 

    4).  ONAC generated a Bank On handout that we sent to our 1,300 person distribution list.  

    5). ONAC also awards grants.  We currently fund Native VITA sites in Maine, Alaska, Montana, South Dakota, and Minnesota.  We have sent the grantees Bank On account information for their respective states. 

    6). In addition to ONAC administering the national Native Bank On initiative. ONAC also administers the national ONAC Native EITC/VITA Network.  If you wish to join that listserv, please email Patsy Schramm (Cherokee) at edgpj@aol.com.  ONAC communicates with tribal VITA sites around the country and serves on the national Taxpayer Opportunity Network steering committee.  Ms. Schramm has been distributing taxpayer and COVID-19-related information to our distribution list. 

    7).  ONAC has been administering an emergency savings account program for the past several years.  We have allocated certain numbers of accounts to several tribal partners for 2020.  In response to COVID-19, we have moved the financial education and application online.  In Anadarko, OK, we are offering that the ESAs could be held in a Bank On approved account at First State Bank of Anadarko, as the accounts have low fees. 

    8).  ONAC administers a Children’s Savings Account program.  In response to COVID-19, we have moved the financial education and application online. 

  • 26 Mar 2020 11:03 AM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    Connecting Tribal Citizens to Safe and Affordable Bank Accounts Amid Time of “Stay at Home” Orders

    As of March  26, 2020, in anticipation of tribal citizens needing online banking options, the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC) is providing information about “Bank On” bank accounts.  Such accounts may be opened by individuals in need of a safe and affordable account.  Bank On accounts have transparent monthly fees, a maximum opening account deposit of $25 per account, and no overdraft fees.  The accounts are certified as safe and affordable through Bank On National Account Standards (NAS), and are offered as part of a nationwide Bank On initiative.  Bank On NAS Certified account names differ from bank to bank, but account features are the same across all banking partners.  ONAC is offering this information, as our coalition is administering the first national Native Bank On initiative in the country.  

    Direct deposit into these accounts is not required, but better allows the holder of these accounts to receive wages and benefits without delay, even when working from home, home sick, or assigned reduced hours that don’t line up with a payday.  With online banking and mobile banking (and as available during this time with drive-thru deposits and some limited face-to-face account openings), one can now open an account, view the balance, make deposits and withdrawals, and pay bills remotely and safely with a mainstream banking option.

    Across the United States, the following accounts are certified as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards at all locations, and can be opened online:

    · Bank of America, Advantage SafeBalance Banking Account

    · Chase, Secure Banking Account

    · Citi, Access Account

    · Dollar Bank, No Overdraft Checking Account

    · First Commonwealth Bank, SmartPay Card

    · KeyBank, Hassle-Free Account

    · Northwest Bank, Compass Digital Account

    · U.S. Bank, Safe Debit Account

    · Wells Fargo, EasyPay Card

    · Truist Bank, Money Account (available at BB&T online and branches) 

    Per state, there are additional financial institutions offering certified Bank On accounts.  You can check the list of such available account at https://joinbankon.org/coalitionmap/#certifiedaccounts to see if there is a bank closer to your residence.  You can then check with them to determine how they are opening accounts during this time of social distancing and “stay at home” orders from various cities and states.  

    Specifically, in Oklahoma, the following banks have Bank On NAS Certified accounts with various account opening procedures:

    · Bank of America, Advantage SafeBalance Banking Account (online)

    · Chase, Secure Banking Account (online)

    · Citi, Access Account (online)

    · Wells Fargo, EasyPay Card (online)

    · Simmons Bank, Affordable Advantage Account (as of yesterday, prior to the “stay at

      home” order by Governor Stitt for Oklahoma counties with confirmed COVID-19 

      cases, you could open this account in the lobby by appointment - call any bank 

      branch for appointment; you can now check to see if this is still an option in the 

      county you reside given the quickly changing “stay at home” orders)

    · First State Bank of Anadarko - ask for Bank On certified account (branches are 

      open – you can open the account in the lobby; safe distancing observed, as, to our

      knowledge, there is not yet a case of COVID-19 confirmed in Caddo County; if a 

      case is confirmed, process could change)

    · AllNations Bank, Simply Safe Account (open account at drive-thru windows so that 

      no in-person meetings occur)

     

    Bank On account features include:

    · Low minimum deposit ($25 or less)

    · Debit card/pre-paid card

    · No monthly minimum balance required

    · Low minimum monthly fee ($5 or less)

    · Free bill pay by customer

    · Free monthly statements


     

  • 24 Mar 2020 7:13 PM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    The Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University in St. Louis, kindly published a story about the recently published ONAC Native Children's Savings Initiative report.  The story can be found here: https://csd.wustl.edu/onac-report/ ONAC is grateful to Dr. Sherraden and the CSD for this support. 

  • 19 Mar 2020 9:01 AM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    Dear ONAC Constituents, Partners, and Friends, 

    For those of you needing access to, or wanting to review, some valuable Census toolkit information related to the 2020 Census and an accurate counting of tribal citizens, please go to the NCAI Indian Country Counts site at http://indiancountrycounts.org.  Some of the information below is quoted directly from the toolkit available at the NCAI site noted above.

    "Householder Question: For many reasons, it is important that American Indian and Alaska Native households be counted in the 2020 Census.  This depends on the race of “Person 1” or the first person listed on the census form.  If that person says he or she is American Indian or Alaska Native, then the household will be counted as one with an American Indian or Alaska Native 'householder.'”  In the NCAI toolkit, information is also provided about the option to check off multiple races. 

    Also important, according to NCAI, "On the 2020 Census form, you can identify your race as American Indian or Alaska Native and you can write in the name of your “enrolled or principal tribe.” The space for entering responses collects up to 200 characters and records up to six entries so you can enter more than one tribe. Make sure to try to write in the official name of your tribe. You can look it up on the tribal website or ask your tribe about their preference in how their name is written."

    For updates about the 2020 Census field operations, related to COVID-19, please go to https://www.census.gov.

    An accurate count will provide needed data for planning and fundraising, examination of the need for services in rural tribal areas and urban areas, allocation of Congressional seats, and the amount the federal government will set aside for tribal social program assistance.    

    Let's do what we can do to support an accurate count of Native peoples and communities in the 2020 Census.  

    ONAC is wishing you safety and good health. 

  • 09 Mar 2020 6:40 PM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    Today, the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. is releasing a paper entitled, "Native Children's Savings Initiatives in the United States." 

    This publication focuses on providing important information related to the benefits of children's savings initiatives for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian youth.  It also addresses the major challenges related to both designing effective Children's Savings Account (CSA) initiatives, and obtaining the resources needed to implement CSA initiatives that seek to serve Native youth, families, and communities.  Additionally, the publication provides a historical timeline for Native CSA initiatives in the United States, and provides details about past and current CSA programs serving Native youth, in hopes of raising awareness of the many programmatic innovations established to date.  

    ONAC is grateful to a long list of contributors that are listed in the acknowledgement section of the paper.  The paper was published with the support of the Wells Fargo Foundation. 

    Here is a link to the paper: http://bit.ly/ONACCSA

    If you require a printed version of the paper, please contact Christy Finsel at cfinsel@oknativeassets.org

  • 26 Nov 2019 3:17 PM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    ONAC Newsletter, November 2019

    The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition (ONAC) is a nonprofit Native asset building coalition that works with tribes and partners interested in establishing asset building initiatives and programs in Native communities, for the purpose of creating greater opportunities for economic self-sufficiency of tribal citizens.  In 2018, the ONAC Board of Directors decided that ONAC would serve at a national level.  

    ONAC Hosted Annual Conference on July 9, 2019

    ONAC hosted its annual conference on July 9, 2019.  One hundred and two individuals registered to attend.  Speakers and participants joined from across the United States (Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, DC, Alaska, Missouri, Wisconsin, Montana, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Arizona, and Colorado).  Six conference sessions were held during the conference day.  

    ONAC Fundraising Campaign for Children’s Savings Accounts on December 3, 2019

    The next 1:1 Fund campaign to support ONAC’s Children's Savings Account (CSA) program is scheduled for GivingTuesday, December 3, 2019.

    ONAC is celebrating the accomplishments of our children.  On December 3rd, the 1:1 Fund will match your ONAC CSA donation, dollar for dollar, up to $500! The 1:1 Fund will have a match cap of $15,000 per partner for this final campaign of the year (ONAC is a 1:1 Fund partner).  To donate, please go to:  https://give.classy.org/ONAC.  Thank you for your support! 

    In the fall of 2017, ONAC was accepted as a partner by the 1:1 Fund.  They offer us two fundraising campaigns a year, during which time they match each individual donation, dollar for dollar.  ONAC uses these donations to fund the $100 minimum opening account deposit required for each 529 account.  These funds allow ONAC to serve Native youth ages birth to 22.  

    Please help ONAC serve more Native youth!  Given the demand for accounts, our goal is to raise $5,000 more to fund 50 CSAs for Native youth.  To donate on December 3rd, please go to: https://give.classy.org/ONAC.

    ONAC and Our Children’s Savings Account Partners Busy Opening Accounts

    Since January of this year, ONAC has directly opened and funded 257 Children’s Savings Accounts for Native youth.  In total, since ONAC began funding such accounts in 2014, our coalition has funded a total of 918 Children’s Savings Accounts (CSAs) (871 opened and funded by ONAC and 47 more CSAs funded through awards to three Native grantees in 2019).  Special thanks to our tribal and Native nonprofit partners who have provided outreach for account opening events and helped to open accounts this year.   This year, these partners include: Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Osage Financial Resources, Inc., Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, the Housing Authority of the Peoria Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma, Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority, Cherokee Nation Child Support Program, the Kiowa Tribe, and the Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation.  Also, as of this year, with support of the Wells Fargo Foundation, ONAC is also currently supporting Native child savings initiatives in North Carolina (Sequoyah Fund), Montana (People’s Partner for Community Development and the Chief Dull Knife Tribal College Cooperative Extension Service), and Oklahoma (Kiowa Tribe). 

    ONAC and Partners Opening Family Emergency Savings Accounts

    With support from the Administration for Native Americans, ONAC is now directly opening and funding emergency savings accounts for Native families.  From January through September 2019, ONAC worked with the Kiowa Tribe, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Housing Authority of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Osage Financial Resources, Inc., and the Choctaw Nation to fund 100 accounts.  These tribal and Native nonprofit partners provide the required financial education sessions for those who later receive seed funding for the accounts.  ONAC successfully completed year one of our Administration for Native American grant and will be funding 75 more emergency savings accounts during year two of the grant. 

    ONAC Grantees Completed Projects

    In the last several months, seven ONAC mini-grant awardees completed their projects.  ONAC was able to fund their efforts with support from the Wells Fargo Foundation. Congratulations to these grantees on the successful completion of their projects.   

    Seldovia Village Tribe, AK (funded 21 emergency savings accounts)

    People’s Partner for Community Development, MT (funded 10 child savings accounts; 40 emergency savings accounts; and administered their Voluntary Income Tax Assistance program-implemented with support from the Chief Dull Knife Tribal College Cooperative Extension Service; through their VITA efforts, over $1.75 million federal refund dollars were returned to their community

    White Earth Investment Initiative, MN (funding to support their Voluntary Income Tax Assistance program; $821,671 in total federal refund dollars were returned to their community)

    Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority, AK (funding to support their Voluntary Income Tax Assistance program; through their efforts, $914,540 in federal refund dollars was returned to the community

    Osage Financial Resources, Inc., OK (provided financial education for eighty-three individuals and administrative support for their emergency savings account and Children’s Savings Account outreach)

    Kiowa Tribe, OK (funded 35 Children’s Savings Accounts for youth in their Head Start program)

    Sequoyah Fund, Inc., NC (funded 22 Children’s Savings Accounts and 7 emergency savings accounts for Native families)

    ONAC Co-Hosted Two Financial Education Train-the-Trainers in October 2019

    On October 8-9, 2019, with Wells Fargo Foundation support, ONAC co-hosted a Native-specific financial coaching/credit counseling train-the-trainer with the Choctaw Nation in Durant, Oklahoma.  Shawn Spruce, a Native financial education consultant, provided the training.  Thirty-six participants attended.  

    On October 22-24, 2019, ONAC organized and co-sponsored, with Wells Fargo Foundation support, a First Nations Development Institute Building Native Communities financial education train-the-trainer.  The other sponsors included the Native Alliance Against Violence, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, Choctaw Nation, and First Nations Development Institute.  The FINRA Investor Education Foundation, ONAC, Native Alliance Against Violence, First Nations Development Institute, and the Federal Trade Commission made financial education-related resource presentations during the training.  The fifty-three attendees were from Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, and Washington DC.

    ONAC Supported Native VITA Practitioners to Attend VITACon 2019

    Through support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, ONAC paid for travel for the Director of Osage Financial Resources Inc., in Oklahoma, and two staff members from Four Bands Community Fund, in South Dakota, to travel to attend VITACon 2019 in Denver, Colorado.  

    Additionally, Patricia Schramm, ONAC’s Native EITC/VITA Network Coordinator, worked with the Taxpayer Opportunity Network (TON), in her capacity as a TON Steering Committee Member, and connected the following ONAC EITC/VITA directory constituents to TON for travel scholarships: Alu Like- Hawaii; Cherokee Nation-Oklahoma; Chief Dull Knife College Extension Service-Montana; Chickasaw Nation-Oklahoma; St. Labre Youth & Family Services-Montana; Tlingit Haida Regional Housing-Alaska; Ute Mountain-Colorado; and White Earth Investment Initiative-Minnesota. 

    Opportunity to Join the National ONAC Native EITC/VITA Network Mailing List and Directory

    With support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, ONAC has restarted the national Native EITC/VITA Network.  The purpose of the ONAC Native EITC/VITA Network is to share resources and opportunities, provide a platform for interaction among Native site coordinators, and to bring concerns from Native VITA sites to appropriate parties.  
     
    As part of these efforts, ONAC is generating a mailing list and a directory of Native-serving VITA sites and other interested parties.  Due to VITA site staff turnover and other changes regarding the national collection of Native VITA initiatives, there is an incomplete gathering of information about Native VITA sites in the U.S.  This directory will be available to Native VITA practitioners who would like to connect with others doing similar work throughout the country.   

    Please note that if you have signed up in the past to join the mailing list, but have not provided information for the directory, we are still in need of more information from you about your VITA-related efforts.  ONAC has been sharing funding opportunities for Native VITA sites with the directory contacts. 

    When individuals complete the survey, via the link provided below, they may note their preferences for how their information is shared with others.  
     
    Please visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/ONACVITA if you would like to be added to the mailing list or directory.

    If you have questions about the Native EITC/VITA Network, please contact Patricia Schramm, ONAC Native EITC/VITA Network Coordinator, at pschramm@oknativeassets.org.

    Thank you for all your work to support Native VITA efforts in tribal communities!

    Presentations at the HUD/ONAP Native Asset Building Summit

    The administrators of the HUD/ONAP Native Asset Building Summit kindly chose submissions from ONAC to present about Native Bank On and Native asset building coalitions during the Summit, held September 17-18, 2019, in Seneca Falls, New York.  Thanks also to Paige Diner, from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, who joined us in presenting during the Bank On session. 

    ONAC Completed A Customized Investor Education Booklet

    ONAC completed a customized investor education booklet (a resource we provide to parents/guardians who are managing their child’s Children’s Savings Account).  We are distributing the printed booklets to parents. 

    Financial Education Resources for Youth

    There are a variety of financial education resources available for youth.  Below are two options: 

    1).  First Nations Development Institute offers a $pending Frenzy financial education simulation kit.  This kit comes with everything you need to host a successful financial reality fair that will help prepare Native American youth to budget money. The $pending Frenzy financial reality fair was designed by First Nations Development Institute to offer Native youth an opportunity to practice handling a sum of money and to spend it wisely.  In the simulation, teens are given $40,000 in fake money and are required to make informed spending decisions to purchase a car, a house, groceries, and other items.  Students can practice visiting a bank to cash their check and deposit a share of their money into savings, and are also given the opportunity to learn about investing a portion of their money.  The full kit is available for $1,200 including free standard UPS ground delivery.  The kit comes with play money, a bill counter, booth materials, and a facilitator’s guide.  For more information, or to order a kit, contact (303) 774-7836 and ask for Simone Klein. 

    2).  The Junior Achievement of Oklahoma has K-12th grade curriculum that meet national and state education standards. “JA Finance Park”, for example, meets all 14 mandated financial literacy requirements for graduation in Oklahoma.  This is a highly interactive web-based program for 9th-12th graders. For more information, contact Jo Wise, OKC Regional Director, at jwise@jaok.org, (405) 300-1023.  

    Support ONAC’s Native Asset Building Efforts Throughout the U.S.         

    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.   

    Thank you for your asset building efforts and support of ONAC!

  • 12 Sep 2019 9:58 AM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    There are spots available for a Native-specific financial coaching and credit counseling training to be held in Durant, Oklahoma, from October 8-9, 2019.  The training is sponsored by Choctaw Asset Building, as well as the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC), with support of the Wells Fargo Foundation. 

    Consultant, Shawn Spruce, will deliver 12 hours of training from a specialized curriculum featuring up-to-date credit reporting policies, debt collection laws, and real life case studies. The curriculum consists of the following eight modules with each module requiring between one and two hours of facilitation.

    1. Reading and Analyzing Credit Reports
    2. Establishing, Repairing, and Maintaining Good Credit
    3. Understanding Collections
    4. Debt Consolidation and Repayment Strategies
    5. Budgeting and Goal Setting
    6. Understanding Payday Loans
    7. Understanding Credit Cards and Student Loans
    8. Consumer Borrowing Trends

    Each participant will receive a training manual that will include key content from each module such as training activities and lessons, supplemental resources, and financial coaching tools. The manual will be spiral bound with paper quality capable of longstanding use as a reference guide and handbook. Free of charge to attendees.

    To register, go to: 

    Https://Www.eventbrite.com/E/Financial-Coaching-And-Credit-Counseling-Tickets-71384798855
  • 18 Jul 2019 2:57 PM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

    Oklahoma City, OK –The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC), has significantly expanded its reach across the United States through its funding of family financial security programs for American Indian and Alaska Native families. 

    The $250,000 Wells Fargo Foundation grant, previously announced at the end of last year, is making an impact and building wealth within tribal communities. So far, the grant has funded culturally-relevant and community-centric services that help families start to accumulate savings through targeted outreach in Montana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Alaska, and Oklahoma. The grant was directed to American Indians and Alaska Natives through two of ONAC’s programs. 

    With support from the Wells Fargo Foundation grant, ONAC had the resources this year to: 

    • award $60,000 to select tribes and Native nonprofits that are administering Native Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA), financial education, Children’s Savings Account (CSA), and family emergency savings accounts programs; 
    • host ONAC’s annual asset building conference (held July 9, 2019, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma);
    • provide technical assistance for tribes and Native nonprofits that are designing and implementing asset building programs; 
    • conduct Native asset building research on Native Child Savings Initiatives in the United States; 
    • administer ONAC’s national Native EITC/VITA Network; and 
    • begin the first Native-led Bank On coalition in the country.  

    Additionally, with this grant support, ONAC will offer a Native-specific financial education train-the-trainer (scheduled for October 22-24, 2019 in Oklahoma). 

    The grant funds are helping ONAC, and its Native partners, to expand its reach and to positively impact a number of American Indian and Alaska Native families.  Julia Nelmark, Chief Executive Officer of White Earth Investment Initiative in Ogema, Minnesota, said, “Through the support of ONAC, White Earth Investment Initiative has provided free tax preparation services on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota.  In addition, our partnership with ONAC has allowed us to envision ways to integrate additional asset building efforts into our VITA program to broaden our impact on low-and moderate-income households in our communities.”  

    Anna Knight, ONAC Board Vice President and Executive Director of the Cherokee Nation Commerce Group, said, “The Wells Fargo Foundation’s investment in Native communities and our Native-led asset building coalition has provided us with the resources to help many more Native families to build their assets.”

    “Asset building is a resource that helps families improve their path to economic self-sufficiency,” said Cora Gaane, head of Tribal Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “ONAC is a leader that has been very effective in expanding its programs to more communities and in staying focused on the impact of building good financial health.”   

    About the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc.: 

    The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc. (ONAC), first organized in 2001 and now a nonprofit, is a Native asset building coalition that works with tribes and partners interested in establishing asset-building initiatives and programs in Native communities, for the purpose of creating greater opportunities for economic self-sufficiency of tribal citizens.  The mission of ONAC 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 comprehensive financial education initiatives, Individual Development Accounts, and other asset-building strategies.  For more information about the coalition, go to http://oknativeassets.org.

    About Wells Fargo: 

    Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,700 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com). With approximately 262,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. With its corporate philanthropy, Wells Fargo aims to pave a path to stability and financial success for underserved communities by focusing on housing affordability, small business growth, and financial health, among other local community needs. In 2018, Wells Fargo donated $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits. For 10 consecutive years, Wells Fargo has held the honor of No. 1 in workplace giving by United Way Worldwide. Wells Fargo team members also actively support communities by donating more than 2 million hours of volunteer time in the last year. News, insights and more information on the company’s overall corporate responsibility are available at Wells Fargo Stories and www.wellsfargo.com/impact.

Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition 
(405) 720-0770

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