On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST, NAFOA is hosting a webinar with the Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office to discuss new opportunities as part of the Grid Resilience Formula Grants available specifically for tribes. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last year, the Department of Energy has launched a new program that enables federally recognized Tribes to apply for electric grid resilience formula grants.

Register to Join on January 10

Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities (LPIBSC) is a collaboration among Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education, NAFOA, and AFOA Canada.

Its mission is to inspire and support Native finance professionals and leaders, as well as equip them with the tools to lead high-performing, innovative communities or organizations. At the program’s conclusion, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School.

Admission to the program is highly competitive and early application is encouraged. NAFOA has limited need-based funding available for selected eligible participants. Applications are due by Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 11:59 PM Alaska Time.

Apply by January 25

Limited need-based funding available for Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities, an executive leadership program for tribal finance professionals. Apply by January 25: https://t.co/ccthbVduOb

— NAFOA (@nafoaorg) December 22, 2022

Get the career readiness skills you need, like how to write a cover letter, how to budget your finances, and how to do an elevator pitch with our free online program. Participation is open to all Native youth and young professionals ages 18-27 years old.

Participants who successfully complete Career Basics are eligible to apply for the 2023 NAFOA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

If you have participated and completed Career Basics within the past two years, you may use that to fulfill the requirement to apply for the Leadership Summit. Participants who registered for a past Career Basics but did not complete the program must re-register and participate for the current year. Please email education@nafoa.org to verify your Career Basics completion.

Join Career Basics Today

By Lindan D. Elliott, Partner, Wipfli LLP

Many tribes reliant on legacy accounting software packages have been reluctant to change to a new system — one packed with modernized, cloud-based features — for similar reasons: They’re comfortable with the current program they use and are hesitant to take on the expense and learning curve that comes with switching to something new. In a nutshell, change is hard.

But in the near future, when their existing systems start to fail, they may realize that waiting to undertake an overhaul wasn’t a good idea. It would benefit tribal leaders now to start planning in a thoughtful, strategic manner about future needs and software capabilities, rather than being forced to act out of sudden desperation.

Continue Reading in the NAFOA Navigator (pg 118-119)

Mutual of America Financial Group is seeking a National Tribal Markets Director to work in the Tribal Markets Community.

The candidate will focus primarily on the Native American marketplace and work to market a retirement plan solution to the Tribal Councils, Tribal Leaders, or their designees. The candidate will be responsible for developing new prospective clients within this space and work directly with our current Tribal clients to leverage relationships. The candidate should be comfortable with public speaking and be able to solicit new business. The candidate should have experience working with tribes and have a baseline of Native American cultural diversity.

The role can be remote, but candidates must be willing to travel for conferences and in person meetings. We are looking for someone to take ownership of this special market and be willing to take on aggressive sales objectives.

Learn More & Apply at nafoa.org/jobs