At Big Water Consulting
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Featured Research and Resources
New Markets Tax Credit Native Initiative
Client: U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI Fund)
The CDFI Fund's New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Native Initiative set out to increase NMTC investments in Federal Indian Reservations, Off-Reservation Trust Lands, Hawaiian Home Lands and Alaska Native Village Statistical Areas, collectively referred to as NMTC Native Areas. The work performed under this initiative included a Market Research Report that summarizes peer reviewed and sponsored research on tribes that have implemented community and economic development strategies that were successful in attracting private investment; a Case Study Report that presents findings, best practices, and recommendations from past NMTC investments in NMTC Native Areas; and a Self-Assessment Guide is to help Native entities determine how they can best take advantage of the NMTC program.
Learn MoreData sovereignty and self-determination in action.
We empower tribes to fully realize tribal data sovereignty by helping them build their capacity to evaluate, collect, own and manage, analyze, and meaningfully use data as a foundation for informed decision-making and long-term strength. By creating a continuous feedback loop between data and planning, we help tribes and communities reduce costly surprises, challenge how data is defined and gathered, and ensure it becomes a powerful asset that reflects and advances their goals rather than a source of risk. Eliminating perceived risk by filling in data gaps also lowers the cost of capital supporting community development.
Big Water meets our clients wherever they are in this process, discusses where they would like to go, and helps develop a plan of action that gets them there.
Advancing data-driven comprehensive planning.
Why?
To satisfy their responsibility to serve as good stewards of their community’s lands, facilities, infrastructure, tribes and Native community leaders must implement a planning function. This responsibility also extends to a growing number of programs that need to coordinate their activities and community members who rely on the network of programs to meet their ever-changing suite of needs and opportunities.
This planning function makes sense of the chaos, prevents conflicting and duplicative efforts and leverages opportunities to enhance efficiency through coordination and collaboration, while both protecting and maximizing the value of financial, cultural, natural and other resources.
How?
This planning process brings leaders, programs, community members and partners together physically and operationally to build productive relationships and explain what they are doing; describe their successes, challenges and opportunities; and share and discuss future plans.
When this information is shared and opportunities to collaborate and coordinate begin to be identified, the programmatic siloes created by federal programs and funding restrictions over many decades begin to collapse and an integrated and adaptive network of mutually supportive programs and partners emerges to best serve the evolving needs and opportunities arising within the community.
The planning process at a glance:
Organize
Identify and invite stakeholders involved in development activities
Introduce
Introduce yourself and your role
Share
Tell others what you do and what you have planned
Assess
Review information that informs the discussion and describes past, current, and future conditions
Improve
Identify opportunities for improvement, coordination, and collaboration
Prioritize & Assign
Define responsibilities for implementation and order of action
Document
Capture agreed-upon decisions to maintain alignment and buy-in
Monitor & Update
Establish mechanisms for periodic review and flexibility
Creating new opportunities through capacity-building, innovative research, and knowledge sharing.
Our core focus areas support tribes and their partners in building capacity not only for effective planning and carrying out the functions of tribal data sovereignty, but also for redefining flawed systems, fostering stronger collaboration with state and local governments, and elevating community-led economic development.
Integrated Planning
Housing & Community Economic Development
We support tribes in planning for sustainable housing and economic growth.
Linking Housing and Community Economic Development (NAIHC Annual Convention, 2023)
Linking Housing and Economic Development (NAIHC Pre-convention Workshop, 2024)
Housing as a Driver of Community Economic Development (NAIHC Annual Convention, 2025)
South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition Appraisal Market Study
Health & Housing
Integrating health initiatives with housing programs for stronger outcomes.
Evaluation, Training & Awareness
We help organizations measure impact, build capacity, and translate insights into action. Our research and evaluation work spans local, state, federal, and tribal programs and processes, providing rigorous, data-driven assessments of outcomes and opportunities.
Through training, we equip tribes and Native organizations with the knowledge to better understand programs and make informed decisions about whether and how to engage. We integrate engagement and outreach across our work to elevate awareness of the unique characteristics, conditions, challenges, and opportunities within Native communities, while ensuring access to information and identifying areas for advocacy and change. Our work not only supports effective programs, but also helps lay the foundation for future opportunities and lasting, systemic impact.
King County American Indian and Alaska Native Housing Needs Assessment
Implementing Economic Development Plans in Native Communities
New Markets Tax Credit Investments in Native Areas: Selected Case Studies and Best Practices
Assessment of the Housing Needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians in Washington State
Facilitating Partnerships & Communities of Practice
We connect tribes, organizations, and stakeholders through collaborative partnerships and communities of practice. By fostering shared learning environments, we support peer-to-peer exchange, strengthen relationships, and promote the co-creation of solutions that are grounded in community priorities and lived experience.
Indigenous Economic Development Community of Practice (CoP)
A knowledge sharing platform for tribes and supporting experts to network, collaborate and learn from one another about how to plan for comprehensive community economic development.
Toolkits
Training Session Materials
Case Studies
Initially funded by the Economic Development Administration, the next phase will be guided by a Native-led Advisory Committee.
Our Partners
