Native-focused organizations receive more than $6 million in grants from Wells Fargo’s Invest Native

SAN FRANCISCO – Across a six‑state region, 33 nonprofits received a total of $6.4 million in grant funding from Wells Fargo’s Invest Native Initiative to strengthen housing access and affordability, small business growth, financial health, and sustainability in Native communities. Change Labs was awarded $250,000 to support small business creation that preserve and create jobs on the Navajo Nation. The funding is part of Wells Fargo’s two‑year effort focused on collaborating with Native organizations and communities in Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

“We continue to listen and learn from the leaders already doing the work in Native communities,” said Darlene Goins, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. “With philanthropic investment in the mission, staff and capacity of Native‑serving and Native‑led organizations, we can help create positive outcomes for families, small businesses, and communities — respecting the culture, expertise and traditions within Tribal communities. With these grants, Wells Fargo delivers on its $20 million Invest Native commitment and will continue to support locally‑led efforts that advance prosperity in Native communities.”

In addition, Invest Native supports strengthening nonprofits and coalitions by building their capacity to serve. As an example, Mountain Plains Community Development Corporation leveraged its grant funds as seed funding and reports providing more than $1.5 million in loans to small businesses.  A different grant supported the hiring of executive directors for two additional Native‑led, Native serving housing coalitions in Montana and in the Southwest. A capacity‑building grant in South Dakota supported the development of a new housing subsidiary for the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition, which helps Native people become homeowners.

Wells Fargo is working with Enterprise Community Partners and its Native‑led and experienced Tribal Nations team to provide strategic guidance, technical assistance and training, peer convening, and program evaluation to maximize the impact of the initiative.

“It is exciting to see how the grantees leverage Invest Native support to fulfill needs in their communities by expanding services, furthering their geographic reach, and building new programs,” said Jennie Rodgers, Enterprise VP and Rocky Mountain, Tribal Nations, and Rural Communities Market Leader for Enterprise Community Partners. “We‘re honored to continue supporting Wells Fargo as they forge ahead in supporting collaborative, creative, resilient Native‑led work.”

The NM and Arizona-based organizations that received funding in 2024 include:

Arizona

• Arizona Native Asset Coalition Corporation

• Change Labs

• Honor Water

• Nááts'íilid Initiative

• Nahata Foundation, Inc.

• Nalwoodi Denzhone Community

• Native Public Media

• Red Feather Development Group

• Seeds of Harmony, Inc.

New Mexico

• Native Community Capital

• Navajo Townsite Community Development Corporation

• New Mexico Community Capital

• Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority

• Pueblo of Jemez Housing Authority

• Southwest Tribal Housing Alliance