News

ONAC Newsletter, June 2018

ONAC 2018 Conference Scheduled for June 5, 2018

The 2018 ONAC Conference is fast-approaching!  ONAC’s 2018 Conference will be held on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, at the Jim Thorpe Event Space, (a.k.a.), the Jeaneen and Bob Naifeh Family and Bud Wilkinson Event Center, located at 4040 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105. (Please note this conference event space is a separate location from the Jim Thorpe museum downtown).

During the conference, we will examine the current state of Native asset building; have opportunities for peer learning; share information about Native asset building models, funding sources, partnership opportunities, research, training and technical assistance; and learn about ONAC next steps and ways to be involved in the Coalition.

This year, we are honored to hear from Wichita and Affiliated Tribes President Terri Parton, Sac and Fox Principal Chief Kay Rhoads, and Citizen Potawatomi Nation Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett; Dr. Michael Sherraden, George Warren Brown Distinguished University Professor, Director, Center for Social Development, Washington University in Saint Louis; Mashell Sourjohn (AARP Oklahoma); Vincent Palacios of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Michelle Tinnin of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Pam Charles of the Internal Revenue Service,  Cindy Carter Renfro of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Aracely Panameno of the Center for Responsible Lending, and Nancy Bainbridge of Bank2.   We will also have a listening session on New Market Tax Credits with Dakota Cole and board members of the Chickasaw Nation Community Development Endeavor, LLC.  During the conference, ONAC will recognize our Children’s Savings Account partners and mini-grant awardees from around the state. 

Who should attend the conference?

Those interested and engaged in Native asset building are encouraged to attend.  We invite Tribal leaders, Tribal program directors, Native nonprofits, Native asset building practitioners and researchers, state representatives, students, cultural advisors, policy organizations, funders, financial institutions and financial institution regulatory bodies, national asset building organizations, inter-tribal organizations, representatives from the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, IRS, and others interested in tribal asset building in Oklahoma to attend.

Conference Schedule:

8:30 a.m. Registration (Doors open at 8:00 a.m.)

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Conference

Registration Fee: The 2018 ONAC Conference Fee is $30.00 per registrant.  You may register and pay for the registration fee online or by check.  Lunch will be provided during the conference.

To access the agenda and to register, please use this link: http://www.oknativeassets.org/2018-ONAC-Conference

Thank you to the following conference sponsors: The Journal Record, Chickasaw Nation Community Development Endeavor, LLC, Choctaw Asset Building, Cherokee Nation, Osage Casino, First Nations Development Institute, Publishing Concepts, LLC, AARP Oklahoma, and the Native Alliance Against Violence.

ONAC Children’s Savings Account (CSA) Program Updates  

As of May 2018, ONAC has funded 526 CSAs.  Since November 2017, more accounts were opened for youth served by the Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department, the Cherokee Nation Child Support Services, Housing Authority of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Citizen Potawatomi CDC, Muscogee (Creek) Scholarship Foundation Program, and Osage Financial Resources, Inc.   During the next several months, account-opening events are planned for the Wyandotte Nation (our newest partner), the Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department, and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.  ONAC is thankful to our nineteen tribal and Native nonprofit partners for all their work on this program!  

The Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap (CWWG) Initiative invited ONAC to speak about our Children’s Savings Account work at their CWWG Equity Institute in Chicago in April 2018.  This institute was offered to participants in the PolicyLink Equity Summit 2018.   ONAC was grateful for this opportunity to participate in the panel discussion!

ONAC's Children's Savings Account (CSA) Program Is In The News!  Click on this link to read more about ONAC's CSA program: http://journalrecord.com/2018/01/31/onac-extends-outreach-for-tribal-youth-college-savings-plans/.  This article was sponsored and made available in front of the paywall by BKD CPAs and Advisors.  ONAC is grateful to The Journal Record and BKD CPAs and Advisors for helping to spread the word about ONAC’s CSA program.

Osage Nation Foundation Awards $2,500 to ONAC

The Osage Nation Foundation has awarded $2,500 to ONAC to fund twenty-five Children’s Savings Account opening deposits for Osage youth.  This is the second grant awarded to ONAC for this work.  ONAC will work with the Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department to open the accounts for Osage families they serve.  Our coalition is grateful to the Osage Nation Foundation for this support and partnership.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Awards $75,000 to ONAC

As of May 2018, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded $75,000 to ONAC for its Children’s Savings Account and family emergency savings account work, extending ONAC’s current W.K. Kellogg-funded grant to April 2019.  ONAC is grateful for this support of our asset building efforts.  With this grant, ONAC will fund five family emergency mini-grants (funds for 120 accounts).  Additionally, ONAC will fund 124 additional CSAs and conduct an evaluation of the CSA and family emergency savings account projects.  ONAC is grateful for this support of our programs.

Next 1:1 Fund Campaign to Support ONAC’s CSA Program Scheduled for June 18-22, 2018

Whether it’s kindergarten, high school or college, students will soon don their caps and gowns to celebrate graduation season (or they may already have)!

ONAC is celebrating the accomplishments of our children. That’s why, for the week of June 18th-22nd, the 1:1 Fund will match your ONAC CSA donation, dollar for dollar, up to $500! Donate to help our Native youth have many more graduation ceremonies!

In the fall of 2017, ONAC was accepted as a partner by the 1:1 Fund.  They offer us two crowdsource-based fundraising campaigns a year, during which time they match each individual donation, dollar for dollar, up to $500. 

On GivingTuesday 2017, with support of donors, ONAC raised over $3,900 to fund thirty-nine CSAs for Native youth in Oklahoma.  ONAC uses these donations fund the $100 minimum opening account deposit required for each 529 account opened through the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan.   These funds allow ONAC to serve Native youth ages birth to 22. 

The next campaign will be held from June 18-22, 2018.  To donate, please go to: https://give.classy.org/ONAC.  Thank you for your support!

ONAC To Co-Host a Building Native Communities (BNC) Training in Oklahoma City With First Nations Development Institute, October 23-25, 2018

This training will be a Native-specific financial education train-the-trainer designed for those who will teach financial education classes to Native communities. More information to follow.

Mini-Grant Awardees Complete their Projects

The Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma administered an emergency savings account project for 15 families; the accounts were opened through First United Bank.  From grant funds, each family received $200 as an initial deposit to their account.  Most of the families are in a Seminole lease-purchase program and they are saving to purchase a home.  To recruit families, the Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma offered a two-generation approach.  They worked with ONAC to host a Children’s Savings Account opening event so that the families could complete Children’s Savings Account applications for their children, participate in a financial education presentation by First United Bank, and receive the account opening information needed to open a savings account to hold funds for emergencies.  During the account-opening event, the housing authority provided a meal for the families.  Remaining financial education was provided on a one-on-one basis by First United Bank staff when the families came into the bank branches to open their family emergency savings account.  The participants were encouraged to add their own deposits to the account by following their individual savings plans (awarded $3,500).

Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority The purpose of their Match Savings Account program was to provide current and/or future participants in their Home Ownership/Lease to Own programs with an opportunity to open a savings account to help offset the costs of a housing emergency or emergencies that may affect their housing needs.  Ten families received $200 in match funds (for their savings deposits) to help them grow the funds in their emergency savings account (awarded $2,000).

Support Native Asset Building in Oklahoma 

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 is on Facebook 

Please “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/oknativeassets/.

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

We invite you to attend the 2018 Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition (ONAC) Conference. The conference will be held on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, at the Jim Thorpe Event Space (a.k.a. the Jeaneen and Bob Naifeh Family and Bud Wilkinson Event Center located at 4040 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

During the conference, we will examine the current state of Native asset building; have opportunities for peer learning; share information about Native asset building models, funding sources, partnership opportunities, research, training and technical assistance; and learn about ONAC next steps and ways to be involved in the Coalition. We invite you to participate in this interactive conference.

500th ONAC-Funded CSA Opened This Morning!

As of today, March 1, 2018, ONAC has funded 500 Children's Savings Accounts (CSAs) for Native youth!   Our coalition is grateful to all of our CSA funders, as well as to our tribal and Native nonprofit partners.  We are also thankful to work with all the Native families who have opened accounts.  

ONAC's Children's Savings Account (CSA) Program Is In The News!  

Click on this link to read more about ONAC's CSA program: http://journalrecord.com/2018/01/31/onac-extends-outreach-for-tribal-youth-college-savings-plans/

This article was sponsored and made available in front of the paywall by BKD CPAs and Advisors.  

ONAC wishes to thank the nineteen tribal and Native nonprofit partners that work with us on the CSA program, as well as our program funders.  We are also grateful to The Journal Record for helping ONAC to tell the story about our CSA program and for writing articles that are resources to tribal communities.  Finally, we are thankful to BKD CPAs and Advisors for sponsoring this article and helping others to view it in front of the paywall.  

The Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap (CWWG) Initiative has invited ONAC to speak about our Children’s Savings Account work at their CWWG Equity Institute in Chicago in April 2018.  This institute is offered to participants in the PolicyLink Equity Summit 2018.   ONAC is grateful for this invitation!

ONAC Newsletter, January 2018

ONAC Children’s Savings Account (CSA) Program Updates 

As of January 2018, ONAC has funded 467 CSAs.  Recently, more accounts were opened for youth served by the Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department and the Cherokee Nation Child Support Services.   Account opening events are scheduled for February 2018 with the Citizen Potawatomi CDC and May 2018 with the Wyandotte Nation (our newest partner).   By May, we anticipate that ONAC will have funded over 500 CSAs for Native youth.  ONAC is thankful to our nineteen tribal and Native nonprofit partners for all their work on this program!  

Recently, the Asset Funders Network published a survey with a snapshot of philanthropic support for the field of CSA initiatives.  ONAC was included in the survey.  To read more, go to https://assetfunders.org/resource/2015-2016-csa-survey-private-funding/.

ONAC 2018 CSA Calendars for Sale

ONAC is still selling our 2018 desk calendars.  Each calendar costs $20.00.  The monthly calendar cards are enclosed in a plastic case that folds over to create a freestanding desktop calendar display.  Twelve pieces of artwork, from the CSA account-opening events with the Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation, Ponca Tribe Head Start Program, the American Indian Resource Center, Inc., and Believing in Native Generations (BLING), are included in this calendar.  At the CSA events, the youth envision assets in their lives and create artwork showing what they value: family, homes, food, jobs, education, natural resources, etc.  In the photo included with this newsletter, a ten-year old drew a college campus to show his hopes for going to college. 

To order a calendar, please go to ONAC’s donate page on our website, at http://www.oknativeassets.org/donate.  In the “Donate Online” section of the page, please enter your name and mailing address, the amount you want charged to your credit card ($20 per calendar), and in the comment section note “calendars” and anything else you need to tell us about the order.   If you have a complicated order, please contact Christy Finsel at cfinsel@oknativeassets.org or (405) 401-7873 so she may assist you.  For those wishing to order and pay for calendars by check, please send a note with the mailing address(es) for the calendars and a check for the amount due ($20 per calendar) made out to the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. to the following address: Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. Attn: Christy Finsel, 9511 Horseshoe Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73162.  Proceeds from the calendar sales help ONAC fund additional CSAs for Native youth.  Thank you for your support!

Mini-Grant Awardees Complete their Projects

• The Kaw Nation conducted a financial education workshop for twenty Kaw Nation students between the ages of 12-17.  During the workshop, staff from Eastman National Bank and City National Bank, as well as Stephen Coit, a Fiduciary Trust Officer with the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians, presented financial education content to the Native youth participants.  Kaw students traveled from Tahlequah, Newkirk, and Ponca City, Oklahoma, as well as Augusta, Kansas, to attend the classes.  Upon completion of the classes, with ONAC mini grant funding for CSAs, the Kaw Nation provided each youth with $135 to be used to open or fund a savings account at a bank or credit union or an account held through the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan.  The youth had an opportunity to earn more money for their savings accounts by participating in an essay contest (the essay contest was funded by ONAC mini grant funding).   The Kaw Nation Tribal Youth Program chose the essay topic. The students were asked: How can you use the information you have obtained from the Kaw Nation ONAC Financial Workshop to reach your future financial goals?  Essay rules and applications were made available to all students at the conclusion of the workshop.  Three City National Bank employees read and selected the three winning essays.   The essay winners were awarded a total of $500 in prize money, with a $300 1^st place prize, $150 2^nd place prize, and a $50 3^rd place prize.

• The Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma administered an emergency savings account project for fifteen families they serve.  The accounts were opened through First United Bank.  From grant funds, each family received $200 as an initial deposit for their account.  Most of the families in the program are in Seminole lease-purchase program as they are saving to purchase a home.  To recruit families, the Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma offered a two-generation approach.  They worked with ONAC to host a Children’s Savings Account opening event so that the families could complete Children’s Savings Account applications for their children, participate in a financial education presentation by First United Bank, and receive the account opening information needed to open a savings account to hold funds for emergencies.  During the account-opening event, they provided a meal for the families.  Remaining financial education was provided on a one-on-one basis by First United Bank staff when the families came into the bank branches to open their family emergency savings account.  The participants were encouraged to add their own deposits to the account by following their individual savings plans.

• Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority The purpose of their Match Savings Account program was to provide current and/or future participants in their Home Ownership/Lease to Own programs with an opportunity to open a savings account to help offset the costs of a housing emergency or emergencies that may affect their housing needs.  Ten families received $200 in match funds for their emergency savings account.

MyFreeTaxes for the Upcoming 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 MyFreeTaxes.com. 

For the next tax season, if you are a filing a simple return, and have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) under $66,000 per tax return, you are invited to file your state and federal returns, for free, by using this MyFreeTaxes link: https://www.unitedway.org/myfreetaxes/. 

To file your taxes on MyFreeTaxes.com, you will need the following:

• Last year’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) when e-filing you must enter last year’s AGI to validate your return.  You can obtain this from last year’s tax return or through the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/electronic-filing-pin-request).  MyFreeTaxes, using H&R Block’s software, allows you to import your previous year returns from other tax preparation software.

• W-2s for each job held in 2017 for each person in the household, this form reports your name, wages, and other tax information to the IRS.

• 1099s showing other income (unemployment, social security, school loans, health care reimbursement, state tax refund, gambling winnings, contract work) that is reported to the IRS.

• 1098s showing payments you’ve made (school loans, property tax).

• 1095-A if you received a tax credit from the https://www.healthcare.gov marketplace.

• Income/interest statements received for any savings account/investments.

• Bank account numbers: a voided check or your bank or credit union's routing number and savings or checking account number for your refund to be deposited automatically into your account through direct deposit.

• Last year's tax return (if you have it). 

Since 2009, MyFreeTaxes has helped millions of taxpayers claim their eligible tax credits.  It saves every consumer an average of $200 on tax filing fees, and ensures they get their maximum refund.  The IRS is promoting this partnership.  

For those wishing to file in person at a Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, you may search for sites near you at https://www.irs.gov.  

Support Native Asset Building in Oklahoma

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 is on Facebook 

Please “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/oknativeassets/.

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

ONAC was recently accepted as the most recent organizational partner in the 1:1 Fund. 

Yesterday, on #GivingTuesday, ONAC supporters raised funds for 34 Children's Savings Accounts (CSAs) for Native youth in Oklahoma.  We surpassed our fundraising goal, and with the match, raised $3,419 for CSAs! 

ONAC is very grateful to all those who were able to make a donation.  Every dollar counted!  

The campaign was jump-started yesterday with a donation from U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, with a recommendation for ONAC as recipient of that donation from the Chickasaw Nation Community Development Endeavor, LLC.  $500 of the donation was matched by the 1:1 Fund.  From there, generous individual donors gave what they could throughout the day and helped ONAC exceed our campaign goal later last night.  The 1:1 Fund match doubled all the donations. 

If you were unable to donate yesterday, but are still interested in supporting ONAC, the coalition welcomes any year-end donations, memberships, sponsorships, or endowment support.  We have a donation page available at http://www.oknativeassets.org/donate.  

Thank you for a great first 1:1 Fund campaign yesterday.  It was a real boost for our CSA program!  We appreciate all the assistance from the 1:1 Fund Team. 

ONAC Board and Advisory Committee

ONAC Newsletter, November 2017

ONAC Children’s Savings Account (CSA) Program Updates 

As of November 2017, ONAC has funded 455 CSAs.  In October 2017, ONAC worked with the Housing Authority of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and the Modoc Housing Authority to open accounts. ONAC is thankful to our eighteen tribal and Native nonprofit partners for all their work on this program!

ONAC 2018 CSA Calendars for Sale

Would you like a unique holiday gift for your colleagues, tribal members, or family?  ONAC is selling our 2018 desk calendars.  Each calendar costs $20.00.  The monthly calendar cards are enclosed in a plastic case that folds over to create a freestanding desktop calendar display.  Twelve pieces of artwork, from the CSA account-opening events with the Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation, Ponca Tribe Head Start Program, the American Indian Resource Center, Inc., and Believing in Native Generations (BLING), are included in this calendar.  At the CSA events, the youth envision assets in their lives and create artwork showing what they value: family, homes, food, jobs, education, natural resources, etc.  In the photo included with this newsletter, a ten-year old drew a college campus to show his hopes for going to college. 

To order a calendar, please go to ONAC’s donate page on our website, at http://www.oknativeassets.org/donate.  In the “Donate Online” section of the page, please enter your name and mailing address, the amount you want charged to your credit card ($20 per calendar), and in the comment section note “calendars” and anything else you need to tell us about the order.   If you have a complicated order, please contact Christy Finsel at cfinsel@oknativeassets.org or (405) 401-7873 so she may assist you.   For those wishing to order and pay for calendars by check, please send a note with the mailing address(es) for the calendars and a check for the amount due ($20 per calendar) made out to the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. to the following address: Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. Attn: Christy Finsel, 9511 Horseshoe Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73162.  Proceeds from the calendar sales help ONAC fund additional CSAs for Native youth.  Thank you for your support! 

Mini-Grant Awardees Complete their Projects

The Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation assisted ten families with starting an emergency savings account (as part of a matched savings account program) to help them to become more self-sufficient and move towards homeownership.   Each of the families received $200 for their account.  This grant also paid for travel expenses of three staff members of the Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation to attend Pathways Home: A Native Guide to Homeownership.  All three staff members who attended the training passed the instructor test and will be able to teach a comprehensive homebuyer education program to the families served by their housing authority (awarded $3,500). 

The Mvskoke Loan Fund

The Mvskoke Loan Fund purchased a “Spending Frenzy” game kit offered by First Nations Development and facilitated a “Spending Frenzy” financial education simulation for 35 Native students.  Twenty of the middle school students who participated in the simulation and attended the Eufaula Dormitory, a school established by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in 1892, received $100 account opening deposits for emergency savings accounts.  Accounts were opened at First Family Federal Credit Union.  Students took a field trip to the credit union headquarters. To learn more about this mini-grant project, please see this video produced by Mvskoke              Media: https://youtu.be/D9sssV7REHQ (awarded $3,500). 

Kiva Loans for Native Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs in Tulsa

Recently, a program lead with the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation contacted ONAC to ask if we might send out information to our constituents about their efforts to bring Kiva to Tulsa.   For those of you working with tribal citizens in Oklahoma, who are needing loans up to $10,000 for their small business or entrepreneurship efforts, the following information may be useful.  ONAC sent this information, by email, to the families who have ONAC-funded Children’s Savings Accounts, in case they are in need of such loans.

“The Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation has partnered with Louisville-based Access Ventures to bring international microfinancing platform Kiva to Tulsa. Kiva offers crowdfunded loans up to $10,000 to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Kiva aims to fill the critical lending gap faced by Tulsa small business owners and budding entrepreneurs who are locked out of traditional lending, and provide them with a way to demonstrate creditworthiness, build repayment histories, and eventually access traditional lending services. Kiva wants to empower you to engage in your community in a new way that will help revitalize Tulsa’s economy, and promote local job growth. 

Kiva has been successfully implemented in major cities throughout the U.S. like Philadelphia, New York and Oakland. Since 2011, Kiva has provided over $20 million in loan volume to more than 3,000 entrepreneurs in the U.S., crowdfunded by over 100,000 individual lenders -- and now we need YOUR help in replicating this effective model in our own backyard.”

LEND on Kiva:

• We need our strongest partners in the Tulsa community to set an example by investing in our local entrepreneurs using the Kiva platform.
• Choose which entrepreneurs you want to lend to by browsing small business profiles and stories in an online selection found here. Lend in increments as small as $25. 100% of your money goes into the Kiva loan.
• It’s a loan, not a donation – you help to fund a loan, get repaid, and then can reinvest your money into a new entrepreneur. Kiva loans have a 97.1% repayment rate. 
• Lending with the Kiva platform allows a personal connection to be made with your investments – follow along with your entrepreneur’s journey, and root for their success!
• By lending, you are helping to shape the course and success of our local economy.

BORROW on Kiva:

• If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner that needs access to capital, you can borrow crowdfunded loans up to $10,000 at 0% interest, with no fees, minimum credit score, years of operation, or collateral. By joining the Kiva community, you gain access to over 1.6 million lenders worldwide – not just those based in Tulsa! The loans are designed to reach those locked out of traditional lending, or who are doing social good in the Tulsa community.
• Use your Kiva capital for multiple uses – a new piece of equipment, to fund a new marketing campaign, to hire a part time contractor – the opportunities are endless to help your small business.
• 95% of Kiva loan requests are fully fundraised, which is a rarity among crowdfunding sites.
• Borrowers submit an application, go through a Kiva-led vetting process, and a private fundraising period (where you begin crowdfunding with family/friends), and finally the public crowdfunding period on the Kiva website. 

BECOME A TRUSTEE for Kiva Tulsa:

• How is Kiva able to lend based on character and not credit? Through the strength of the local trustee community! Kiva trustees agree to use their influence and connections to publicly vouch for our local entrepreneurs. While trustees cosign the platform, being a trustee is not a financial commitment. 
• Trustees vouch for entrepreneurs’ character and creditworthiness.

SUPPORT Kiva:

• Do you have great ideas on how to help bring Kiva to life in Tulsa? Connect with Casey Allen, the Tulsa Kiva Lead at casey.allen@local.kiva.org.
• Follow along and share Kiva’s social media posts on Facebook and Twitter!
• Donate to the Kiva organization online. 

LEARN MORE:

• http://www.kiva.org/
• FAQ’s: https://www.kiva.org/about/how#faq-hkw-section

MyFreeTaxes for the Upcoming 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 MyFreeTaxes.com.  

For the next tax season, if you are a filing a simple return, and have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) under $66,000 per tax return, you are invited to file your state and federal returns, for free, by using this MyFreeTaxes link: https://www.unitedway.org/myfreetaxes/.

To file your taxes on MyFreeTaxes.com, you will need the following:

·      Last year’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) when e-filing you must enter last year’s AGI to validate your return.  You can obtain this from last year’s tax return or through the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/electronic-filing-pin-request).  MyFreeTaxes, using H&R Block’s software, allows you to import your previous year returns from other tax preparation software.

·      W-2s for each job held in 2017 for each person in the household, this form reports your name, wages, and other tax information to the IRS.

·      1099s showing other income (unemployment, social security, school loans, health care reimbursement, state tax refund, gambling winnings, contract work) that is reported to the IRS.

·      1098s showing payments you’ve made (school loans, property tax).

·      1095-A if you received a tax credit from the https://www.healthcare.gov marketplace.

·      Income/interest statements received for any savings account/investments.

·      Bank account numbers: a voided check or your bank or credit union's routing number and savings or checking account number for your refund to be deposited automatically into your account through direct deposit.

·      Last year's tax return (if you have it). 

Since 2009, MyFreeTaxes has helped millions of taxpayers claim their eligible tax credits.  It saves every consumer an average of $200 on tax filing fees, and ensures they get their maximum refund.  The IRS is promoting this partnership. 

For those wishing to file in person at a Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, you may search for sites near you at https://www.irs.gov (under the site locator by zip code, this feature is usually available after the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday). 

Please note: If you, or someone you know, have less than $48,340 ($53,930 if married filing jointly) in adjusted gross income, you may be eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).  

Support Native Asset Building in Oklahoma

To advance ONAC’s mission, ONAC is seeking to raise a remaining $4.75 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 is on Facebook

Please “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/oknativeassets/.

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

ONAC 2018 CSA Calendars for Sale

Would you like a unique holiday gift for your colleagues, tribal members, or family?  ONAC is selling our 2018 desk calendars.  Each calendar costs $20.00.  The monthly calendar cards are enclosed in a plastic case that folds over to create a freestanding desktop calendar display.  Twelve pieces of artwork, from the  Children's Savings Account (CSA) events with the Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation, Ponca Tribe Head Start Program, the American Indian Resource Center, Inc., and Believing in Native Generations (BLING), are included in this calendar.   At the CSA events, the youth envision assets in their lives and create artwork showing what they value: family, homes, food, jobs, education (pictures of college), natural resources, etc.  

To order a calendar, please go to ONAC’s donate page on our website, at http://www.oknativeassets.org/donate.  In the “Donate Online” section of the page, please enter your name and mailing address, the amount you want charged to your credit card ($20 per calendar), and in the comment section note “calendars” and anything else you need to tell us about the order.   If you have a complicated order, please contact Christy Finsel at cfinsel@oknativeassets.org so she may assist you.   Proceeds from the calendar sales help ONAC fund additional CSAs for Native youth.  Thank you for your support!

Recently, a program lead with the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation contacted ONAC to ask if we might send out information to our constituents about their efforts to bring Kiva to Tulsa.   For those of you working with tribal citizens in Oklahoma, who are needing loans up to $10,000 for their small business or entrepreneurship efforts, the following information may be useful.  ONAC sent this information, by email, to the families who have ONAC-funded Children’s Savings Accounts, in case they are in need of such loans.

“The Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation has partnered with Louisville-based Access Ventures to bring international microfinancing platform Kiva to Tulsa. Kiva offers crowdfunded loans up to $10,000 to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Kiva aims to fill the critical lending gap faced by Tulsa small business owners and budding entrepreneurs who are locked out of traditional lending, and provide them with a way to demonstrate creditworthiness, build repayment histories, and eventually access traditional lending services. Kiva wants to empower you to engage in your community in a new way that will help revitalize Tulsa’s economy, and promote local job growth. 

Kiva has been successfully implemented in major cities throughout the U.S. like Philadelphia, New York and Oakland. Since 2011, Kiva has provided over $20 million in loan volume to more than 3,000 entrepreneurs in the U.S., crowdfunded by over 100,000 individual lenders -- and now we need YOUR help in replicating this effective model in our own backyard.”

LEND on Kiva:

• We need our strongest partners in the Tulsa community to set an example by investing in our local entrepreneurs using the Kiva platform.
• Choose which entrepreneurs you want to lend to by browsing small business profiles and stories in an online selection found here. Lend in increments as small as $25. 100% of your money goes into the Kiva loan.
• It’s a loan, not a donation – you help to fund a loan, get repaid, and then can reinvest your money into a new entrepreneur. Kiva loans have a 97.1% repayment rate. 
• Lending with the Kiva platform allows a personal connection to be made with your investments – follow along with your entrepreneur’s journey, and root for their success!
• By lending, you are helping to shape the course and success of our local economy.

BORROW on Kiva:

• If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner that needs access to capital, you can borrow crowdfunded loans up to $10,000 at 0% interest, with no fees, minimum credit score, years of operation, or collateral. By joining the Kiva community, you gain access to over 1.6 million lenders worldwide – not just those based in Tulsa! The loans are designed to reach those locked out of traditional lending, or who are doing social good in the Tulsa community.
• Use your Kiva capital for multiple uses – a new piece of equipment, to fund a new marketing campaign, to hire a part time contractor – the opportunities are endless to help your small business.
• 95% of Kiva loan requests are fully fundraised, which is a rarity among crowdfunding sites.
• Borrowers submit an application, go through a Kiva-led vetting process, and a private fundraising period (where you begin crowdfunding with family/friends), and finally the public crowdfunding period on the Kiva website. 

BECOME A TRUSTEE for Kiva Tulsa:

• How is Kiva able to lend based on character and not credit? Through the strength of the local trustee community! Kiva trustees agree to use their influence and connections to publicly vouch for our local entrepreneurs. While trustees cosign the platform, being a trustee is not a financial commitment. 
• Trustees vouch for entrepreneurs’ character and creditworthiness.

SUPPORT Kiva:

• Do you have great ideas on how to help bring Kiva to life in Tulsa? Connect with Casey Allen, the Tulsa Kiva Lead at casey.allen@local.kiva.org.
• Follow along and share Kiva’s social media posts on Facebook and Twitter!
• Donate to the Kiva organization online. 

LEARN MORE:

• http://www.kiva.org/
• FAQ’s: https://www.kiva.org/about/how#faq-hkw-section