Assembling capital for the Redwood Region.
The Regional Project Finance Council brings the region's
finance expertise to one table — helping projects across Del
Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Lake Counties become
ready for investment.
A PROGRAM OF NORTH EDGE · BUSINESS FINANCING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
WHAT A FINANCE-READY PROJECT LOOKS LIKE
Philanthropic & mission capital
EQUITY
Tax credit equity — NMTC · LIHTC
CREDITS
CDFI & commercial lending
DEBT
Infrastructure finance
DEBT
Public & grant funding
GRANTS
WHAT THE COUNCIL DOES
Building stronger projects through regional collaboration.
Too often, promising projects struggle to move from concept to implementation because they need additional planning, stronger financial strategies, or a clearer path to funding. Administered by North Edge and extending the work of Redwood Region RISE, the Council was created to help bridge that gap.
A
Advise on project readiness
Council members provide early, strategic feedback on projects seeking financing — non-binding guidance that helps sponsors strengthen financial models and improve overall project readiness.
N
Navigate the financing landscape
Members bring working relationships across banking, community development, philanthropy, and private industry — helping sponsors identify potential funding sources and understand the financing landscape before pursuing grants, loans, or investment.
S
Sustain regional capacity
The Council carries forward the project finance capacity built under California Jobs First, giving the region a durable home for this expertise beyond any single funding program.
THE EXPERTISE BENCH
Ten areas of finance expertise, one council.
Membership is built around the technical disciplines a project needs on its way to closing — so that when a question comes up, someone at the table has answered it before.
01
Economic development
Regional strategy, project pipelines, and public-private coordination
02
Commercial lending & CDFI
Bank and community development lending for regional businesses and projects
03
Tax credit finance
New Markets, Low-Income Housing, Historic, and Opportunity Zone structures
04
Infrastructure finance
Water, energy, broadband, and community facility funding pathways
05
Tribal & sovereign finance
Capital access and deal structures on sovereign land
06
Capital stacking & philanthropy
Blending grants, mission capital, credits, and debt into a workable stack
07
CPA & project finance
Financial modeling, audit readiness, and deal-level accounting
08
Commercial real estate finance
Development finance, appraisal, and CRE credit markets
09
Tribal & sovereign finance
Capital access and deal structures on sovereign land
10
Planning & land use
Entitlement, permitting, and site readiness across the region
HOW PARTICIPATION WORKS
Designed to be light, useful, and safe to join.
Non-binding guidance only. The Council does not make funding decisions, provide underwriting, or replace the role of lenders or investors. It is a collaborative resource, not a funding source.
No fiduciary duty. Membership carries no institutional liability and no financial obligation for members or their organizations.
Founding cohort of 10–15 members. Members serve staggered two-year terms, keeping the Council's expertise continuous over time.
A working council, not a standing committee. Meetings are focused on live regional projects and real finance questions — early visibility into deal flow across four counties.
COUNTY & TRIBAL PARTICIPATION
Council members serve as individual finance and development professionals — not as representatives of government bodies.
County partners participate in an informational role — receiving project pipeline updates electronically through a single designated staff contact, with no meetings to attend and no governing responsibilities.
Engagement with Tribal Nations is relationship-based and informational, structured with full respect for tribal sovereignty and with no obligations created by participation.
HAVE A PROJECT?
Connect your project with North Edge staff.
Communities, nonprofits, businesses, tribes, and public agencies are all welcome to bring projects forward. If the financing picture isn't clear yet, North Edge staff can help you determine whether your project is a fit for the Council's advisory pipeline — and point you toward the right resources either way.
REACH NORTH EDGE DIRECTLY
Prefer a conversation? North Edge administers the Council and is the first point of contact for all project inquiries.
Susan Seaman, Program Director
(707) 798-6132 ext. 212
707 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501
WHERE WE WORK
Four counties. Sovereign nations. One region.
Del Norte
Coastal gateway — fisheries, forest products, and cross-border trade with Oregon
Humboldt
Regional hub — offshore wind, higher education, and a deep working waterfront
Mendocino
Working lands — agriculture, timber, and a growing visitor economy
Lake
Inland opportunity — agriculture, geothermal energy, and recreation
Tribal Nations
Sovereign partners leading economic development across the region
WHERE THE COUNCIL COMES FROM
Built on work already underway.
2024–2026
Working group foundations
The Economic Development Finance Working Group convenes regional finance expertise through Redwood Region RISE, part of the California Jobs First initiative.
SPRING 2026
North Edge Board approval
The North Edge Board formally establishes the Regional Project Finance Council as a standing advisory body.
SUMMER 2026
Founding cohort
Founding members are invited across the ten expertise areas, with county endorsements secured across the region.
FALL 2026
First Council meeting
The founding cohort convenes to begin advising on the regional project pipeline.
NORTH EDGE
REGIONAL PROJECT FINANCE COUNCIL
The Regional Project Finance Council is administered by North Edge: Business Financing & Community Development and extends the work of Redwood Region RISE, part of the California Jobs First initiative. Serving Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Lake Counties and regional Tribal Nations, the Council provides non-binding guidance only — it does not make funding decisions, provide underwriting, or replace the role of lenders or investors.
