About the FNFA [First Nations Finance Authority, FNFA]

The First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA) is a statutory not-for-profit organization without share capital, operating under the authority of the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, 2005. The FNFA’s purposes are to provide First Nations governments investment options and capital planning advice and—perhaps most importantly, access to long-term loans with preferable interest rates. The FNFA is not an agent of Her Majesty or a Crown corporation and is governed solely by the First Nations communities that join as Borrowing Members.

The advantages of joining the FNFA as a Borrowing Member are:

Access to low rate, below bank prime, loans with repayment terms up to 30 years;
First Nations choose the repayment terms that work best for their budget;
FNFA loans do not require collateral;
FNFA loans can be used to refinance existing debt; and
FNFA’s interest rates and terms parallel those available to provincial and local governments.
Most revenue streams are eligible to support FNFA loan requests. Eligible capital projects FNFA can finance include infrastructure, social and economic development, land purchases, independent power projects, community housing and rolling stock/heavy equipment.

FNFA is a stand-alone organization separate from the Government of Canada, and its operating policies are set by its Borrowing Members, represented by the First Nation’s Chief and Council appointee. The FNFA is for First Nations, by First Nations.