Native Americans in Philanthropy
Native Americans in Philanthropy
Native Americans in Philanthropy
Programs
Native Youth Grantmakers Program
Philanthropic Engagement, Education, Training - Native Youth GrantmakersThe goal of this project is to develop the leadership skills of Native youth leaders through the Native Youth Grantmakers program. As the leading national advocacy organization for Native people and Tribal communities in philanthropy, Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) is uniquely positioned to lead this work. NAP's mission is to challenge and transform the philanthropic sector to better align with Indigenous values, ensuring that Native voices especially those of Native youth are centered in decision-making processes. We believe that philanthropy plays a critical role in sustaining Indigenous traditions, cultures, and worldviews. To this end, we advocate for more substantial investments in Tribal communities and work diligently to align these investments with the values and aspirations of Native people. The Native Youth Grantmakers program is designed for Indigenous youth aged 18-24 who are connected to their community (urban, rural, or reservation) and want to grow their leadership skills, advocate for Native youth and youth programs, and learn more about the philanthropic sector. This program is a year-long course designed to be both in-person and virtual and embraces Indigenous values that can help create conditions for all communities to thrive. The Native Youth Grantmakers program is designed to empower Native youth by developing their leadership skills, building peer-to-peer networks, and increasing their active engagement within the philanthropic sector. Recognizing the vital role that Native youth play in movement-building within their communities, the program aims to create a platform where young leaders can learn from one another, coordinate strategies, and build relationships that will support their future endeavors in philanthropy or other fields. During this reporting period, the activities included several key gatherings, each offering opportunities for network building, insight into the philanthropic sector, community learning, and reflection. The gatherings focused on themes such as building relationships, which established connections among participants and with the broader philanthropic community, and growing networks, which enhanced collaboration by expanding peer-to-peer networks and introducing participants to new contacts within the sector. Youth were engaged and empowered to take ownership of their roles within the movement, fostering accountability and a deeper understanding of shared goals. Additional gatherings further enriched the program, with several cross functional events with other youth-centered programs, and meeting with funders. Through site visits to foundations and nonprofits, participants learn about the philanthropic landscape, engage with key stakeholders, and build community among peers. By centering the voices and power of Native youth within a philanthropic community of practice, we not only foster the next generation of Native leaders but also influence the philanthropic sector to better support Indigenous-led initiatives. This multi-faceted approach advances NAP's long-term goal of restoring Indigenous prosperity through aligned philanthropic investments. Native Philanthropic Professionals Working GroupNAP connects Native people working in philanthropy, provides targeted resources, and supports growth as an individual and community member. NPPWG members participate in quarterly meetings and can access NAP's library of reports and resources. These include its monthly Membership Education Sessions, which explore how Native people are tackling current and historical challenges and provide a forum to share best practices and personal stories. These sessions are designed for members working in the philanthropic sector who want to engage in deep conversations in the field and develop closer community connections. Circle of Leadership Academy Program (CoLA)This program is for early to mid-career Native professionals who want to move into philanthropic leadership. Philanthropic leadership includes executive, board, and trustee leaders of large and small foundations, community and family foundations, as well as Native-led and tribal foundations. The goal of the program is to identify, support, and build Indigenous models of leadership within the philanthropic sector by increasing the number of Native professionals in executive, board, and trustee leadership positions, while also creating a supportive ecosystem for Native leaders that reinforces cultural identity and Indigenous worldviews. The format of this program includes network meetings, mentorship, and professional development workshops.Tribal Philanthropy CoalitionThe Tribal Philanthropy Coalition is a community of practice to support, connect, and elevate the work of Tribal professionals working in the areas of grant making, grant seeking, and philanthropy for their Tribe. Tribal Leaders, Tribal philanthropy professionals, Tribal grant writers, Tribal Directors/managers and/or Tribal planners are encouraged to join this coalition to network with other professionals doing similar work, learn from others, share your priorities, challenges, needs and develop strategies together to elevate Tribal philanthropy to support Native communities. Native Voices RisingNative Voices Rising is a research, donor education, re-granting, and capacity-building collaborative created and led by Common Counsel Foundation and Native Americans in Philanthropy. Native Voices Rising is designed to support organizing, advocacy and civic engagement in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities.Since its inception in 2013, Native Voices Rising has awarded over $9 million general operating support grants to Native-led organizations. Eligible organizations are rooted in a Native community, led by Native people, hold a vision for change that improves the lives of Native community members, engage the community to take action together and/or seek to affect the policies and rules that govern the community.Native Voices Rising serves as a mechanism to build broad-based philanthropic support for grassroots groups led by and for Native communities and to amplify Native voices elevating indigenous solutions to historic harms and society's most pressing issues.In 2021, NVR launched its inaugural Advisory Council, composed of nine Native leaders, with deep experience around philanthropy and grassroots Native nonprofits. Advisory Council members serve as thought partners around NVR's strategy, programming, and organizational development. In late 2022, NAP and Common Counsel announced $10 million was raised for the 10-year anniversary, and $3.5 million was moved to Native led organizations in 2023 with multi-year grants for the first time since inception.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2.8MTribal Nations Initiative
The Tribal Nations Initiative (TNI) was launched in 2021 as a new national platform for Tribal leaders and their staff to strategically engage with the philanthropic sector around their priorities as Tribal Nations. NAP recently completed a national listening tour where it co-hosted regional listening sessions with different tribes across the country and invited Native-led nonprofits and funders to participate in the dialogue. The goal was to better understand how philanthropy can strengthen support for Tribal priorities and identify opportunities to build infrastructure for Tribal philanthropy. A report has been published outlining what was learned from this listening tour, including a rich set of qualitative and quantitative data that will guide philanthropy in their work with Tribes. In partnership with the Biodiversity Funders Group (BFG), NAP created the Tribal Nations Conservation and Climate Collaborative. This is a cross-sector partnership with Tribes that seeks to strategically connect philanthropic investments with Native-led technical assistance, and federal coordination, to support Tribes in their conservation and nature-based climate projects. It consists of a pooled fund, a philanthropic pledge, a funder learning community, and federal coordination facilitated through NAP's MOU with the Department of Interior (DOI) to stand up the Office of Strategic Partnerships. Since the launch, funding for conservation and climate related work has been raised. Through an MOU with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), NAP guaranteed and met the match for all Tribal applicants awarded under the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). Over a three year period, NAP will leverage $4.0 million to ensure funding is accessible to Tribes. Additionally, we provided joint technical assistance with our nonprofit and government partners. The overarching goal is to advance existing landscape conservation plans and/or propose to knit together a diverse stakeholder partnership that develops and/or implements new conservation plans. As part of this, projects should address priority species and/or habitat conservation actions identified in existing plans or other species recovery or conservation plans. Projects that are informed by Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and promote Tribal co-stewardship are also encouraged. With a renewed interest in returning bison to their traditional territories, from funders to government, NAP is playing a central role. Collaborating with partners such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy, and the Intertribal Buffalo Council, promising pilot projects are being identified, and additional funding for bison restoration is being sought. NAP continued its efforts in funder education through its quarterly learning series with the Biodiversity Funders Group, which serves as a new space for funders to learn about strategies and opportunities in Tribal conservation from the field. Convenings range from critical minerals and co-management, and NAP has embarked on new areas including offshore wind, oceans, and marine stewardship.NAP is focused this year on building the organization's internal capacity to support the programming within the collaborative, strengthen public-private partnerships, and partner pledges. Through this opportunity, vetted projects can be aligned with organizations seeking ways to advance conservation and make long term commitments direct with Tribes while supporting the critical work of NAP. Through our MOU with the DOI, NAP has staffed the Office of Strategic Partnerships. Collectively, we are working with Tribes, Tribal organizations, and philanthropy to build an ecosystem of federal agencies, philanthropy, private sector organizations, and NGOs to increase coordination and resources available to Tribes and Native-led organizations. Embedded in this work is collaboration with the White House Council on Native American Affairs and other Federal agencies that house initiatives focused on conservation, economic development, and revitalizing Native languages through public-private engagement between philanthropy, Tribal organizations, and the business sector. NAP's work in this area is building public-private partnerships with local and international foundations and NGOs, as well as businesses and other private sector entities in the realm of conservation and co-stewardship, economic development, climate resiliency and adaptation as well as education initiatives including those strengthening Native languages and cultural revitalization.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$4.7MIndigenous Philanthropic Research
Research & Data play a key role in philanthropy, often determining who receives funding and whether certain programs are considered successful. NAP is a hub for Indigenous leadership in philanthropic data and advocates for more accurate and timely data on Indigenous communities and the decolonization of research practices.- Contributing to a report on the 23 research gaps in child welfare. - Designed a supplement to the DAPP report titled the Indigenous Philanthropic Professionals Report in which we analyzed national demographic data derived from the DAPP report with a qualitative component of quotes from Indigenous professionals in the sector. - Contributed to the Native Voices Rising report with authorship and analyses of qualitative data sets. - Initiated, managed, and authored a study and report on assessing factors of accountability between community foundations and Native communities. This work has been expanded to look at improving equity and accountability between community foundations and tribal communities in a multi-year project. - Partnered with Bridgespan Group on a research report that seeks to stimulate non-Native philanthropic support for Native communities.- Contributed to the 2023 Tribal Nations Listening Session Report, with the central purpose of creating a clearer roadmap for increased investment and philanthropic partnerships with Tribal Nations and the communities they serve.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$112.5K
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