Who We Are

Headquartered in Juneau, Alaska, Spruce Root is a Native-founded nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). We operate with the belief that the entire community benefits from locally-owned businesses that are strong and contribute to the local economy.

Core Principles

Our Vision

We amplify our Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian ancestral imperative to ensure Southeast Alaska thrives for future generations.

A group shot of people in regalia in Hoonah, AK.

Our Mission

We are a driver of a regenerative economy across Southeast Alaska so communities can forge futures grounded in this uniquely Indigenous place.

A person in a cedar hat sits in the foreground. Blooming fireweed can be seen in the background.

Our Values

Balance

Reciprocity

Progress over Perfection

Learning at the Speed of Trust

Native Knowledge

Indigenous Stewardship

Equity

Abundance

From Southeast Alaska, For Southeast Alaska

A History - Our Roots to Our Growth Today

Spruce Root was founded in February 2012 with $500,000 of seed money from Sealaska Corporation through Haa Aaní Economic Development under the name Haa Aaní Community Development Fund, Inc.

As a certified CDFI, we spent our infancy learning about CDFI best practices and raising capital to lend. By 2016, we had eight loans in our portfolio and $3M in lending capital.

In early 2017, we changed our name to Spruce Root, Inc., transforming from an emerging CDFI into an established organization with the governance, staffing, and resources necessary to operate as an autonomous entity.

Today, the fund has grown to $3 million, which is possible thanks to grant, benefactor, and partner funds. To date, we have had 47 active loans as of the year's end, 2024.

Community Development Financial Institutions are dedicated to providing financial services to meet the needs of economically disadvantaged individuals within under served communities. CDFIs invest in local communities and the residents who live there by providing critically needed financing often unavailable from mainstream financial institutions.

Annual Reports

2023 Spruce Root Annual Report Cover image - lookiing up a spruce tree from the bottom.

Spruce Root 2023 Annual Report

Spruce Root 2022 Annual Report

Spruce Root 2021 Annual Report

Spruce Root 2020 Annual Report

Spruce Root 2019 Annual Report

How We Work

Spruce Root is partnered in building capacity and growing the economic strength of Southeast Alaska by providing:

Technical resources, entrepreneurial mentoring and business coaching
Small business lending in Southeast Alaska
Education and access to funding sources and collaborative partnerships

We will consider any business loan opportunity that will promote the economic development of Southeast Alaska.

A smiling woman delivers pizza in Haines, AK's Alpenglow

Who We Serve

Spruce Root serves 13 Southeast communities from Yakutat to Craig and everywhere in between, consisting primarily of entrepreneurs and businesses residing in low-income, rural and historically Native communities. However, we enthusiastically welcome all regional entrepreneurs and it is Spruce Root’s policy not to discriminate.

Spruce Root will work to accommodate individuals with limited English proficiency and provide free language assistance services for accessing our programs and services, as requested. For more information, call Spruce Root at (907) 586-9251 or email grow@spruceroot.org.