Oweesta Corporation
Oweesta Corporation is a public charity based in Longmont, Colorado. It is a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) intermediary that supports Native CDFIs and Native communities through training, technical assistance, investments, research, and policy advocacy.
Oweesta Corporation at a glance
In short: Oweesta Corporation gave $2.1M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $108K), top state Alaska. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,055,335
- -62.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -42.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $108,176
- -34.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $37,782
- Total assets
- $117,750,208
- +19.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (6 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alaska (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Oweesta Corporation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
Oweesta does not accept unsolicited requests. Its loan application process is available to eligible organizations through its client portal.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2432 Main Street 1St Floor, Longmont, CO 80501
Phone: (303) 774-8838
Website: https://oweesta.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Oweesta Corporation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Croix Chippewa of Indians ($453K). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
149 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 149 (54%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Oweesta describes its work as serving Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian peoples and communities. In 2025, the largest shares of its reported grant dollars went to recipients in Alaska (26%), Wisconsin (24%), California (22%), and Montana (11%); Hawaii accounted for 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Oweesta Corporation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 19 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $179K; repeat grants $75K. How we count
Medians: $122K first-time, $30K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $430K (2020) to $5.4M (2024). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Croix Chippewa of Indians Webster, WI | Hvac Grant | $452,615 |
| Tolowa Dee-Ni' Nation Smith River, CA | Year 1 Subgrant | $452,605 |
| Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor Old Harbor, AK | Subgrant | $343,360 |
| Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Pablo, MT | GRANT | $219,771 |
| Village of Solomon Nome, AK | GRANT | $182,674 |
| Tiwa Lending Services Isleta, NM | WF Worth Grant | $69,689 |
| Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Niobrara, NE | GRANT | $60,787 |
| Native American Youth and Family Center Portland, OR | NHCN Subgrant | $40,852 |
| Hawaiian Lending and Investments Anahola, HI | WF Worth Grant | $40,750 |
| Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement Kapolei, HI | NHCN Subgrant | $37,782 |
Ready to take the next step with Oweesta Corporation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $117,750,208 | $19,066,595 | $11,086,330 | $2,055,335 | 19 | $252,179 |
| 2024 | $98,925,404 | $16,385,342 | $12,306,007 | $5,439,198 | 33 | $343,979 |
| 2023 | $81,341,285 | $11,519,423 | $7,536,427 | $1,190,619 | 21 | $187,355 |
| 2022 | $63,460,575 | $8,550,611 | $6,993,861 | $2,827,867 | 37 | $24,048 |
| 2021 | $46,680,794 | $12,724,322 | $4,255,242 | $2,151,047 | 39 | $20,208 |
| 2020 | $29,491,834 | $4,121,071 | $2,953,462 | $430,000 | 14 | $109,288 |
| 2019 | $24,355,611 | $8,309,019 | $4,629,149 | $2,287,067 | 21 | $88,605 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Oweesta’s mission is to provide opportunities for Native people to develop financial assets and create wealth by helping establish strong, permanent institutions and programs that contribute to economic independence and strengthen sovereignty.
Its work includes developing and strengthening Native CDFIs, providing capital to qualifying organizations, and offering training and technical assistance. Oweesta’s lending page says borrowers must be Native-controlled and have a primary mission of serving Native communities; it does not offer loans directly to individuals or businesses.
Examples of organizations receiving 2025 grants include Tiwa Lending Services, whose mission is to provide education, training, and direct lending to improve social or economic conditions in and around the Pueblo of Isleta; Wisconsin Native Loan Fund, which says its mission is to increase the financial well-being of Wisconsin Native American families and communities; and White Earth Investment Initiative, which says it works on community, economic, and housing development on the White Earth Indian Reservation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Oweesta reported 19 grants totaling $2,055,335. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $452,615, with a median of $37,782.
The largest reported grants included $452,615 to St. Croix Chippewa of Indians for an HVAC grant, $452,605 to Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation for a Year 1 subgrant, and $343,360 to Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor for a subgrant. Other listed recipients included Confederated Salish and Kootenai ($219,771), Village of Solomon ($182,674), and Tiwa Lending Services ($69,689).
The organization’s lending page describes a separate loan application process: applications are accepted year-round through its client portal. Borrowers must be Native-controlled organizations primarily serving Native communities. The page lists several loan products and their terms; requirements for most applications include financial statements, projections, loan portfolio information, organizational materials, and a strategic plan.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Chrystel Cornelius as CEO, Florence Ludka as CFO, Heather Taylor as COO, and Robin Danner as chair. It also lists Jamie Olson, Debbie Powers, Alexandra Shaughnessy, Derek Valdo, Susan Hammond, and Jeff Bowman as officers or directors.
Oweesta Corporation is led by Chrystel Cornelius, CEO since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 6 of 12 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chrystel Cornelius
CEO
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2022
Executive Di → CEO, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$115K (2019) → $255K (2025)
Robin Danner
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Shaughnessy
Director Investment
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$104K (2025)
Jamie Olson
Director of
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$127K (2025)
Jeff Bowman
Director
Director → Chair, 2021
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fran Lutz
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rodger Boyd
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Florence Ludka
CFO
Chief Financial Officer → CFO, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$91K (2019) → $243K (2025)
Debbie Powers
Accountant
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$110K (2023) → $121K (2025)
Heather Taylor
COO
Director of Program → COO, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$105K (2023) → $186K (2025)
Derek Valdo
Vice Chair
Secretary & Treasurer → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Hammond
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Fern Orie (2023–2024) — COO
- Former: Lanalle Smith (2023–2024) — Senior Prgm Officer
- Former: Daniel Sharp (2024) — Director of
- Former: Krystal Langholz (2019–2022) — COO
- Former: Benny Shendo Jr. (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Chandra Hampson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Gelvin Stevenson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Marguerite Smith (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Michael Roberts (2019–2020) — Chair & President
- Former: Shyla Grace Sheppard (2019–2020) — Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Susan Jenkins (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $255K, to Chrystel Cornelius (CEO). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Oweesta Corporation
How much does Oweesta Corporation give each year?
Oweesta Corporation gave $2.1M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.4M across 33 grants.
What is Oweesta Corporation's typical grant size?
Oweesta Corporation's median grant in 2025 was $37,782, and its average grant was $108,176, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Oweesta Corporation that year got $179K on average.
Where does Oweesta Corporation give grants?
Oweesta Corporation's top state is Alaska, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Wisconsin (24%) and California (22%).
Does Oweesta Corporation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Oweesta Corporation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "NHCN Subgrant" (7 grants), "Grant" (5 grants) and "WF Worth Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Oweesta Corporation's largest grantees?
Oweesta Corporation's largest 2025 grantees include St Croix Chippewa of Indians ($452,615), Tolowa Dee-Ni' Nation ($452,605) and Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor ($343,360), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Oweesta Corporation?
Oweesta Corporation reported $117.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $19.1M.
What does Oweesta Corporation fund?
Oweesta’s mission is to provide opportunities for Native people to develop financial assets and create wealth by helping establish strong, permanent institutions and programs that contribute to economic independence and strengthen sovereignty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Oweesta Corporation?
Oweesta does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Oweesta Corporation's EIN?
Oweesta Corporation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1970097. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Oweesta Corporation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 19, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Oweesta Corporation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Oweesta Corporation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/oweesta-corporation-morg_2a2b16d0506c49b0b115f3f672ecb046
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541970097_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Oweesta Corporation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/oweesta-corporation-morg_2a2b16d0506c49b0b115f3f672ecb046},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Oweesta Corporation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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