The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is the only federal agency with a sole focus on economic development. EDA facilitates economic development through grants for planning, technical assistance, and infrastructure construction. Building upon two economic drivers, innovation and regional collaboration, EDA’s investment policy is designed to establish a foundation for sustainable job growth and the building of durable regional economies throughout the United States. For more information, see eda.gov/about.

A community of practice is a group of people with a shared interest who come together to learn from and support each other and build relevant skills.

This CoP, funded by the EDA, will bring together tribal economic development practitioners to learn from each other and build capacity to plan for, apply and secure funding for, and implement economic development projects. The CoP will convene regular networking sessions, coordinate training and technical assistance opportunities, and develop and share best practices and other economic development resources.

The CoP will include current EDA Indigenous Communities grantees, current and prior recipients of EDA grants in tribal communities, and other tribal programs and enterprises supporting economic development. It also will engage with a Resource Group of academic institutions, philanthropic organizations, and other professionals supporting economic development in Native communities.

The CoP is being organized by the Urban Institute (Urban), Big Water Consulting (Big Water), and the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), with funding from EDA. Big Water will facilitate the CoP.

Urban is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC. Urban staff have years of experience with economic development efforts, provision of training and technical assistance, and respectful and effective engagement with tribes. Big Water is a Seattle-based firm with more than ten years of experience working with tribes and tribal organizations on economic development, planning, and housing issues. NAIHC is a member-based advocacy organization, based in Washington, DC, that focuses on housing and community development issues.

The goal for the CoP is to increase tribes’ access to information on EDA grant opportunities, ability to apply for and receive EDA grants, and ability to make the most of awarded grant funds. Participants will also learn about other federal agency opportunities and effective strategies from peers and from economic development experts. CoP convening and training topics will be determined based on input from participants and other stakeholders.

Opportunities for participants to engage with and learn from one another will include regular training sessions and meetings, held both virtually and in-person. Participants will be able to select training and meeting options that are relevant to their projects and communities. Sub-groups may be organized by project type, tribal size, and geographic setting. Topics will reflect participants’ needs and interests, such as planning and capacity building, access to capital, and so on.

A Resource Group consisting of experienced economic development professionals will help shape CoP discussions and support the CoP’s long-term sustainability. The Resource Group will provide topic-based expertise and help to identify any gaps in knowledge that can be addressed through training and capacity building.

The Indigenous Economic Development CoP will take place in parallel to EDA’s other CoPs. Economic development professionals are encouraged to participate in as many venues as they feel will be beneficial. Conveners will coordinate with other groups to bring relevant information to shared audiences. The Indigenous Economic Development CoP will focus on the challenges and opportunities specific to tribal communities and applicants, which may at times overlap with the topics covered in other CoPs. Learn more about the other communities of practice here: https://www.eda.gov/strategic-initiatives/communities-of-practice.

EDA regional staff will be key partners for outreach and will contribute subject matter expertise for CoP programming. EDA regional staff may be invited to share their insight on specific programs or processes. However, the CoP will be an independent space for sharing your experiences with EDA grants and other economic development programs. Staff from the EDA regional and national offices will only participate in select CoP sessions.

Sign up as a PARTICIPANT in the CoP: https://bit.ly/IndigenousCoP_Signup

Sign up as a member of the RESOURCE GROUP: https://urban.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3eZrHeLnVOngUx8

Questions can be directed to: IndigenousCoP@bigwaterconsulting.net.