About the Matriarch Funds

Since 2020, Native Women Lead (NWL) has piloted three relationship based lending programs to support Indigenous women-led businesses in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. Our Matriarch Funds provide access to equitable, patient capital while providing wrap-around support. 

These gender-lens focused pilot programs were designed and led by Native women for Native women through our Matriarchal worldview. As we have evolved, NWL is now applying and activating the 5 R’s of Rematriation as a primary values & underwriting framework. We believe decision-making process and power should be spearheaded and intentionally held and protected for Native women to mitigate racial and gender bias, dismantle systemic and structural inequities and challenge traditional frameworks in finance that are often shaped by western systems of capitalism & patriarchy. 

Our Impact so Far

The 5 R’s of ReMatriation

The 5 R’s of Rematriation is the underwriting framework utilized by Native Women Lead in all access to capital offerings. As a direct antithesis of the 5 C’s of Credit that is utilized in Western financial lending spaces, the 5 R’s of Rematriation comes from a relationship based lending style. When considering a Matriarch Loan Fund applicant, NWL considers if the entrepreneur embodies these 5 traits:

• RELATIONAL: Instead of Character, we seek to understand how the entrepreneur honors and values relationships, reciprocity, and resourcing.

• ROOTED: Instead of Capital, we seek to understand how entrepreneurs are invested in themselves and their communities.

• RESTORATIVE: Instead of Market Conditions, we seek to understand how entrepreneurs are creating better conditions for themselves, their employees, and their communities while building Indigenous businesses, economies, and markets.

• REGNERATIVE: Instead of Capacity, we seek to understand how entrepreneurs build capacity for themselves while honoring people and planet.

• REVOLUTIONARY: Instead of Collateral, we seek to understand how entrepreneurs transform Indigenous economies and businesses.