Mission Driven Finance

10/13/2025

Beyond restoring food systems, the Regenerative Flour Mill means good jobs and economic opportunity.

This project will create:
creating 20+ living wage jobs opportunities on the reservation
Training pathways for local workforce
A stronger tribal economy built by and for the community

This is what regenerative economic development looks like — creating wealth and opportunity while honoring land and culture.

Learn More https://www.oweesta.org/about_oweesta/success-stories/

10/13/2025

Feeding the future with regenerative practices. Food sovereignty is at the heart of this investment. By supporting the new flour mill, we’re helping tribes:

Grow and process food locally.

Practice regenerative agriculture that heals land and sustains future generations.

Ensure access to healthy, culturally meaningful foods.

Together, we’re weaving traditional values and modern finance to build a more sovereign food system.

Learn more https://www.oweesta.org/about_oweesta/success-stories/

10/13/2025

Capital weaving in action

This $9M investment was only possible because Native CDFIs came together.

A “capital weave” means:
Pooling resources
Sharing risk
Aligning vision

This is how we make the impossible possible — by weaving capital, trust, and Indigenous leadership to finance projects that transform tribal economies.

The Regenerative Flour Mill shows the power of collaboration, sovereignty, and regenerative growth.



Mission Driven Finance, Citizen Potawatomi CDC, Four Bands Community Fund, NACDC Financial Services, Native360 Loan Fund, Nimiipuu Fund, Nixyáawii Community Financial Services, Northwest Native Development Fund, and Oweesta Corporation.

10/13/2025

Abide Women's Health Services is a maternal health organization founded in 2017 by doula and childbirth educator Cessilye Smith that centers the experiences of Black women and welcomes all clients.

09/23/2025

Eight Native Community Development Financial Institutions collaborate with Mission Driven Finance on a $9 million investment to build a regenerative flour mill on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, creating jobs and supporting tribal economic development.

09/23/2025

Help us celebrate a new momentous collaboration 👏👏👏 Last week, working with eight Native CDFIs as participating lenders, the Indigenous Futures Fund closed a $9 MILLION investment for Cairnspring Mills to build a new mill on the ancestral land and current home of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. 🌾

This partnership touches on Tribal economic development, food sovereignty, regenerative agriculture, job creation, scaling up the capacity of Native CDFIs, and so much more. As Brian Edwards of Tribal Business News writes, this is “a deal that points to new possibilities for Indigenous-led finance.”

🔗 See article link in the comments.

In photo (L–R): Bill Tovey, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Department of Economic & Community Development; Pete Upton (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska), Native360 Loan Fund; Jamie Olson (Nez Perce), Oweesta Corporation; Josey Steeples, Cairnspring Mills; Jordan Ruiz (Colville Tribes: Okanogan & Lakes Bands), Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF); Kevin Morse, Cairspring Mills; Cassandra Waters (Colville Tribes: Okanogan & Nez Perce Bands), NNDF; Ted Piccolo (Colville Confederated Tribes), Mission Driven Finance®; Dave Tovey (Umatilla), Nixyáawii Community Financial Services; Elizabeth Ferguson (Colville Tribes, Navajo, Acoma-Pueblo), NNDF; Jonelle Yearout (Nez Perce), Nimiipuu Community Development Fund. Photo courtesy of Mission Driven Finance. Not pictured: Citizen Potawatomi CDC, Four Bands Community Fund, NACDC Financial Services

09/09/2025