About Four Directions Development Corporation


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Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC) is a non-profit community development corporation and Community Development Financial Institution (CDC/CDFI).  It was established in March of 2001 by the Penobscot Nation, a federally recognized Native American Tribe with reservation land in Maine. FDDC, the first Native-governed CDC/CDFI in Northern New England, has been granted tax exempt status under IRS section 501(c) (3).

FDDC serves members of the four Native American Tribes in Maine: the Passamaquoddy Tribe (representing two reservations), the Penobscot Indian Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseets, and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs.  Most tribal members and territories are concentrated in Aroostook, Penobscot, and Washington counties, some of the state’s poorest and most remote places.  Already limited opportunities for home ownership, home improvement, and self-employment in these areas are further constrained by tribal land restrictions and the limited credit histories and low financial literacy.

The mission of the Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC) is to improve the social and economic conditions of the four Native American tribes in Maine -- the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot -- through education and investment in affordable housing, tribal business ventures, and Native entrepreneurship.

Four Directions Development Corporation was conceived to respond to the particular credit and information needs of tribal members.  Our goals are to:

  • Increase homeownership among tribal members
  • Improve the quality of housing for Native American people
  • Increase the number of Native-owned businesses
  • Raise the levels of financial literacy among tribal members
  • Build the business skills of Native American entrepreneurs
  • Attract and leverage capital to Indian Country

At its heart, the FDDC is a non-profit revolving loan pool intended for the benefit of tribal members and in which tribal members have a shared interest and responsibility for the success and continuation of the fund.

Strategic Partnerships

FDDC has cultivated strategic relationships with national and Maine-based partners in the community development field.  These partners, such as First Nations Oweesta Corporation, Fannie Mae, Maine State Housing Authority, the Eastern Maine Development Corporation, the Washington Hancock Community Action Program, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., the Maine Community Foundation, and several banks and private foundations, represent potential funding streams, program development, and training opportunities.