Native American communities remain some of the most underserved regions in the country, with indigenous people more likely to experience poverty, health disparities, joblessness and violence among other issues. Recognizing the importance of supporting Native American communities and addressing these needs, Mercy Partnership Fund invests in three unique organizations supporting Native American communities across the U.S.
- Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation (TVCDC) is creating the United States’ first Net-Zero Regenerative Indigenous Community. The 34-acre development in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation (pictured above) will include homes, apartments, commercial/office space, municipal facilities, healthy food production spaces, schools and parks. Mercy Partnership Fund’s financing supports the construction of 14 homes in the development’s second phase, which TVCDC is using as a catalyst for systemic change on the reservation.
- Oweesta Corporation, the nation’s only Native community development financial institution (CDFI) intermediary, exclusively supports Native CDFIs to address the needs of Native communities through training, technical assistance, investments, research and policy advocacy. As COVID-19 disproportionally affected Native communities, Oweesta quickly launched its Native American Disaster Recovery Fund to provide resources for recovery efforts in tribal communities. Mercy’s loan to the fund helps provide needed lending capital and strengthen long-term financial stability for Native CDFIs.
- Native American Bank (NAB), the United States’ only Native American owned community development bank, provides financial services for Alaska Native and Native American communities creating economic independence, development and sustainability. NAB pools economic resources from Indigenous tribes and tribal entities and social depositors, like Mercy Partnership Fund, to support projects that provide healthy foods, housing, land acquisition and non-gaming hospitality projects.
These investees are a few of the more than 60 mission-focused organizations in the Mercy Partnership Fund portfolio. Learn more about our investees online.