ONAC Endowment Campaign News Release

28 Nov 2016 2:43 PM | Christy Finsel (Administrator)

News Release

Contact: Christy Finsel, cfinsel@oknativeassets.org

(405) 401-7873

November 28, 2016                                                           

Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC) Launches Endowment Campaign and Announces Lead Gift by the Chickasaw Nation

Oklahoma City, OK – To advance its mission, the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC), a statewide Native-led coalition in Oklahoma, announces that it has launched an endowment campaign.  ONAC is seeking to raise $5 million to fund an endowment for general operating expenses and program support.  

ONAC thanks the Chickasaw Nation for their recent and generous lead gift of $250,000 towards our endowment fund.  The coalition is grateful to Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, Bill Anoatubby, for meeting with them to talk about opportunities for collaboration and for supporting this campaign.

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. The coalition’s dream would be that all Native youth would have Children’s Savings Accounts to help them save for their future and let them know that college is a real option for them. ONAC 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).

With the second-largest Native population, per capita in the United States, residing in Oklahoma, and that population increasing (2010 Census), support of Native asset building programs will help Native families to concretely build assets that will lead to family financial security. There is great potential for ONAC to work with constituents to help numerous Native families build their assets.

“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 (soliciting funding from individual donors, foundations, members, federal grants, corporate sponsors, etc.). The next step of that plan is to raise funds for an endowment,” said Christy Finsel, Osage, ONAC’s Executive Director.  “We are excited to launch this endowment campaign. A strong endowment would make ONAC sustainable and viable well into the future.  ONAC leadership thanks the Chickasaw Nation for helping us to serve more Native families. We also thank our constituents and other members of the public for considering their financial support of this campaign.  Donations of all sizes make a difference,” Finsel said.

A link to ONAC’s  endowment prospectus is available on ONAC’s “Donate” page on the ONAC website at http://oknativeassets.org.  If contributors wish to support this campaign, donation information is also available on that same page. For further information, please contact Christy Finsel at cfinsel@oknativeassets.org or (405) 401-7873.

About the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc.: The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition Inc. (ONAC), first organized in 2001 and now a nonprofit, is a Native asset building coalition that works with Oklahoma tribes and partners interested in establishing asset-building initiatives and programs in Native communities, for the purpose of creating greater opportunities for economic self-sufficiency of tribal citizens. 

The mission of ONAC is to build and support a network of Oklahoma Native people who are dedicated to increasing self-sufficiency and prosperity in their communities through the establishment of comprehensive financial education initiatives, Individual Development Accounts, and other asset-building strategies.  For more information about the coalition, go to http://oknativeassets.org.            

Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition 
(405) 720-0770

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