NAFOA will host the Department of Energy in a webinar designed to discuss debt and tax equity for energy projects in Indian Country, as well as new changes to the DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) on Wednesday, May 18th at 2:00pm Eastern Time.

Financing energy projects using debt and tax-equity can significantly enhance economic returns and potentially attract a broad range of investors. Debt and tax-equity structures are commonly used in the solar industry today and offer a significant resource for tribes interested in pursuing these projects. This webinar will cover these financing structures in greater detail and how they can potentially be used with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program (TELGP). Representatives from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) as well as tax and finance experts will be participating.

This webinar will take place May 18th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm Eastern Time and will be recorded. Registration is required to join.

Register for the May 18 Webinar

The Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (Capital Projects Fund) will address many challenges laid bare by the pandemic, especially in rural America, Tribal communities, and low- and moderate-income communities, helping to ensure that all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure, including broadband, needed to access critical services.

The American Rescue Plan provides $10 billion for payments to eligible governments to carry out critical capital projects that directly enable work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the public health emergency.

On May 10, 2022, the draft Capital Projects Fund Compliance and Reporting Guidance for States, territories, and freely associated states was made available on the Federal Register for a 15-day public comment period. Treasury invites interested parties to review and submit comments. Instructions for submitting comments can be found on Regulations.gov.

Review and submit formal comments on the Capital Projects Fund Reporting Guidance for States, Territories, and Freely Associated States.

All comments must be submitted by following the instructions outlined on Regulations.gov by May 25, 2022.

Learn More

By Suresh Geer, Director, Wipfli LLP

Ransomware attacks in North America are continuing to increase at a rapid pace the last few years. The growing amount of ransomware attacks specifically targeting tribes and their business operations has highlighted the need for tribes to increase their cybersecurity efforts. The choice of whether to invest in security measures that protect your networks and data isn’t really a choice at all — don’t ask will you be attacked but rather when, and will you be ready? Here are seven ways tribes can mitigate cyber risks across their government and business operations:

1. Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
2. Penetration testing
3. Real-time detection
4. Patches and updates
5. Cybersecurity insurance
6. Backup and recovery
7. Cybersecurity training

Read More in the NAFOA Navigator (pg. 126-127)

The American Indian College Fund Student Success Services and Native Pathways Program is excited to host this Summer of Success virtual conference experience for high school and college students, staff, faculty and families.

This interactive conference, centered on Native culture, features:

• meaningful knowledge and holistic skills to navigate college & career success
• professional & student panelists to share their experiences
• wellness practices
• college and employer representatives
• Native presenters with engaging messages

Student participants will learn strategies to inspire a meaningful college experience toward their career aspirations. Family and community members are encouraged to attend and engage as well!

Staff and faculty will engage in conversation on effective practices to support student programming for college and career success.

Learn More and Register

The Financial Analyst will report directly to the Tribal Treasurer and will assist in overall operations and reporting for the Tribal Treasurer. This includes preparing and maintaining Treasury reports, records and documentation, and the Tribal Treasurer Quarterly Report. The Financial Analyst will assist in sustaining the Office of the Tribal Treasurer. This includes but is not limited to the implementation of Fiscal Impact Statements; the Comprehensive Annual Treasurer’s Report; Budget and Tax Analytics; Financial Education for Tribal Members; and other financial operations and reporting as assigned by the Tribal Treasurer.

Learn More at nafoa.org/jobs