Selected Client Projects

Since 2012, Seven Sisters has served over 130 clients, including tribes, non-profits, Native organizations, government entities, and foundations. Below, you’ll find a selection of client projects that demonstrate the depth and breadth of the work we do.

Client List

Diné CARE

Organizational Development Plan
2018-2022
Navajo Nation, AZ & Hybrid

Over the course of this three-year project, Seven Sisters worked alongside Diné Care to build capacity through the creation and execution of an organizational development plan. The first year centered on relationship building, discovery through data collection, and creating a funding plan to support the goals laid out in the organizational development plan. In the second year, Seven Sisters helped Diné Care select and onboard subject matter experts to support the organization’s goals, and continued one-on-one coaching sessions for members of the organization. The final year of the project was devoted to reflecting, amending the plan as needed, and ensuring that Diné Care felt confident in their ability to carry out the remainder of the plan.

Laguna Community Health Center

Strategic Planning
2021–2022
Laguna, NM & Hybrid

This hybrid strategic planning project included virtual connection, data collection, and planning with the staff of Laguna Community Health Center, as well as an on-site session for board members to develop a three-year strategic plan. Following the planning process, Seven Sisters delivered a narrative report of the strategic plan and a work plan co-developed with Health Center staff to support the implementation of the three-year strategic plan.

Akiptan

Organizational & Curriculum Development
Eagle Butte, SD

Our team has been honored to support the work of Akiptan, a national Native CDFI focused on agriculture lending, since its inception. Our work has included start-up support, curriculum development assistance, and partnering with staff to create a model that supports all levels of staff engagement for the Native CDFI’s hybrid workforce, from onboarding to staff development. Through our curriculum development efforts, Akiptan has produced comprehensive financial management curricula for farmers and ranchers, youth, and other agribusiness. Our staff development work also includes on-going executive coaching for members of the leadership team.

Big Valley Rancheria Housing Department

Training and Technical Assistance
2019–Present
Lakeport, CA

Our team has decades of experience supporting housing and homeownership on tribal land. We have worked with the Big Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians’ Housing Department for the last six years, providing training and technical assistance to build the program’s capacity, improve daily operations, write and manage grants, and facilitate partnerships. Highlights of this ongoing work include facilitating an affordable housing project for elders (the Bago-Ga Napo Village) and supporting the creation and administration of a community needs assessment.

Nisqually Indian Tribal Housing Department

Coaching, Succession Planning & Teambuilding
2015–Present
Thurston County, WA

In 2023, the Director of the Nisqually Indian Housing Department was preparing to leave her position, so she reached out to Seven Sisters to meet with her staff for a two-day, in-person session to determine the necessary steps for a successful transition to new leadership. During the session, Seven Sisters used the culturally relevant metaphor of keeping the canoe on course to ground activities in the land and culture of the Nisqually.

Federal Home Loan Bank of New York

Training
2013–Present
Nationwide

Seven Sisters created this course to help participants understand current realities in Native communities by exploring cultural paradigms, Native American history, the concept of sovereignty, and homeownership and economic development. Originally developed in partnership with NeighborWorks America in 2013, we’ve shared this course with multiple audiences, including federal agencies, financial institutions, and non-Native rural and urban nonprofit organizations. Through the training, participants deepen their understanding of why things are the way they are, supporting their efforts to build and strengthen their relationships with Native organizations and the communities they serve.

White Earth Nation

Infrastructure Development and Capacity Building
2016–Present
White Earth Nation, MN

The Capacity Building and Infrastructure Development project for White Earth Nation Tribal Public Health aims to support the Tribe in achieving Public Health Accreditation (PHAB) by enhancing their capacity to deliver high-quality public health services. Key focus areas include developing data infrastructure by coordinating with the White Earth Research Review Board, developing culturally meaningful and community-driven Community Health Assessments and program evaluation tools, and establishing surveillance processes that honor tribal sovereignty. This project also includes providing staff training and workshops on best practices, creating effective communication infrastructure with culturally grounded public health messages, and strengthening existing public health services.

Office of Indian Economic Development

Teambuilding and Strategic Planning Retreat
2022–2023
Washington DC

This project focused on facilitating teambuilding and strategic planning processes for the Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED) through a combination of remote pre-work and four-day onsite facilitation. The onsite session used interactive modalities that blended Indigenous and Western approaches with a variety of participatory methods. The session offered the OIED team communication and leadership strategies, coaching best practices, and tools to enhance organizational effectiveness.

Neighborworks America

Native American Partnerships & Strategy
2019–2020
Washington DC

Building on its long-term relationship with NeighborWorks America, Seven Sisters worked with this national intermediary to develop its Native American Partnerships and Strategy. In 2019, Seven Sisters conducted data gathering through focus groups, interviews, and in-person convenings of a diverse group of stakeholders. Findings and recommendations from this effort appear in the report Exploring Partnerships and New Opportunities for Achieving Impact in Native Communities. NeighborWorks America is now implementing the strategy, and Seven Sisters continues to support their efforts by facilitating Native partnership convenings and serving as NeighborWorks Training Institute faculty.

Wisconsin Native Housing Coalition

Native Homeownership Coalition formation
2024-present
Wisconsin

Seven Sisters has supported the development and facilitation of several state Native Homeownership Coalitions across Indian Country. The Wisconsin Native Loan Fund called on Seven Sisters to conduct an assessment of the Native homeownership landscape in their state and identify possible stakeholders and issues to address through a statewide coalition. Seven Sisters also supported organizational start-up tasks including the formation of a steering committee and a facilitating strategic planning process.

South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition

Policy Committee
On-going
Kyle, SD

In collaboration with the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition’s policy committee, Seven Sisters supports advocacy efforts to identify policy impediments and opportunities to support homeownership on tribal land in South Dakota. Policy victories include securing appropriations to expand the 502 Direct Native CDFI Relending Demonstration and the enactment of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Native American Direct Loan reform legislation.

Center for Indian Country Development

Native Homeownership Curriculum
2016
Minneapolis, MN

One of the first priorities of the Center of Indian Country Development when it was created by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in 2016 was to engage tribal leadership and other stakeholders nationwide in creating an environment conducive to mortgage financing within tribal communities. They hired Seven Sisters to help to develop the Tribal Leaders Handbook on Homeownership and to facilitate several national convenings to introduce the guide and showcase homeownership best practices on tribal land. As a next step, Seven Sisters collaborated with Enterprise Community Partners to develop the companion curriculum Enhancing and Implementing Homeownership in Native Communities designed for tribally designated housing entities and other local practitioners.

Washington Coastal Tribal Housing Leaders Cohort

NAIHC-supported Tribal Housing Cohort
2014-2016 and 2024-2026
Washington

Working in partnership with HUD’s Northwest Office of Native American Programs (NWONAP) and National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), Seven Sisters designed and facilitated a leadership cohort for seven Northwest Coastal tribes’ TDHEs and housing programs in 2016 and 2017. In 2024, one of the cohort members worked with HUD to revive the initiative, and expand it to include eight tribes. Both iterations included organizational capacity building training, site visits to explore best practices, and facilitated peer learning.