Montana Access to Finance Micro Report: Native-Owned Businesses

The reports made four recommendations to improve access to finance in Montana: expand information and training for lenders and investors; expand awareness of training, technical assistance, and financing opportunities for small businesses; deepen capacity of funders working at the community level; and explore shared services for lenders and investors.

Key Takeaways:
Native business owners access many financial products at a lower rate than
their white counterparts.
There is an appetite from Native business owners for business loans.
Inflexibility for lending on trust lands, a long standing barrier for tribal
communities, is changing

Project Lead: Dylan Cherullo
Project Team: Morgan Slemberger, Karl Unterschuetz
Editor: Dr. Nathalie Wolfram
Statistical Oversight: Dr. John Baldridge
Report Review: DJ Fish, Luke Robinson, Maria Valandra, Dr. Jennifer Isern