NACDC Financial Services
NACDC Financial Services is a Native community financial development financial institution (CDFI) on the Blackfeet Reservation serving all tribal members in the state of Montana. Its mission is to remove the barriers that exist in Indian Country that prohibit the flow of capital and credit. Through education and lending services, NACDC addresses critical needs in Native communities and promotes sustainable economic development.
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In 2021, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council updated the economic resilience section of its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to address the challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with NACDC, we produced a disaster recovery plan with a specific focus on a response for local businesses. Our role was to solicit community feedback to understand the impact of the pandemic on local businesses and help develop a responsive plan for recovery.
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Conduct research on existing plans, particularly those developed for tribal communities, to inform the plan's structure and key components.
Develop survey and interview tools to gather data from local stakeholders, providing critical input for the plan’s development.
Coordinate stakeholder meetings to facilitate discussions and collect valuable insights.
Produce a plan based on feedback from local stakeholders to ensure community perspectives were thoroughly integrated.
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Honoring the community’s needs and priorities, we developed an actionable disaster recovery and resiliency plan for the Blackfeet Tribe. The results from the project assist the tribe in planning for long-term economic durability, as well as establish networks to encourage active communication between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors during future challenges.
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Apr 2021–May 2022
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Andrea Mader — Project supervisor, tool design, client communication, data collection and analysis, strategic planning, and report writing
“I have been very impressed with the work Sweet Grass has provided for us and will remain partners many years in the future.” —Angie Main, NACDC Financial Services
