Native Americans & Philanthropy

Nov 07, 2022

Forest Tenure Funders Group;

One year on from the Pledge announcement, this first report from the Forest Tenure Funders Group provides an overview of donor progress in 2021. The report describes how donors are working together, in dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and local community-led organisations. 

Sep 14, 2022

Rainforest Foundation Norway; Rights and Resources Initiative;

This report assesses donor funding for IPs' and LCs' tenure and conservation between 2011 and 2020 to learn from historical trends and outline key opportunities to improve the effectiveness of this funding over the next five years. It proposes to make donor funding more fit for purpose—which means that climate, conservation, and rights funding is channeled in ways that are relevant and appropriate for IPs and LCs and ensures funding engagements are led by their organizations—and flexible, long-term, gender-inclusive, timely and accessible, and mutually accountable.The report findings, organized according to the "Fit for Purpose" criteria for IP and LC funding, include:IP and LC-led: Only 17 percent of IP and LC tenure and forest management funding between 2011 and 2020 mentioned an IP or LC organization, indicating that a low share of funding is under the leadership of Indigenous and community organizations.Mutually Accountable: There is a lack of accountability and transparency from donors towards IPs and LCs, inhibiting IP and LC understanding and influence over donor priorities and decisions. Most private foundations, who represent the majority of the IPLC Forest Tenure Pledge donors, do not share data on their projects systematically.Flexible and Long-term: Donors have increasingly been providing funding through long-term funding agreements, which provides IP and LC organizations with much-needed predictability and security. Yet, a lack of flexibility to change or adapt priorities within projects restricts IP and LC organizations in addressing diverse community needs, imminent threats or seize on windows of opportunity.Gender Inclusive: Only 32 percent of IP and LC tenure and forest management funding included gender-related keywords, despite the essential role of women in IP and LC forest management and their notable exclusion from many governance structures and forest management decisions.Timely and Accessible: Due to strict eligibility and administrative requirements of bilateral and multilateral donors, IP and LC organizations must overcome considerable barriers to access funding. Funding for IP and LC tenure and forest management has therefore generally relied on traditional ODA funding structures, with national and international organizations acting as intermediaries.

Mar 09, 2022

4 Rivers Consulting, LLC;

At its core, this guide is about relationships. These are not relationships that may exist in the jargon of the non-profit or philanthropy worlds, usually termed "grants" and framed by "project periods." These are relationships dependent on time, listening, understanding someone else's perspective and desires, and letting go of power and control to work together respectfully and reciprocally.It is about world views and how people with differing views and experiences can come together to first know each other. If the getting to know you part goes well, folks might identify common goals, then work together to advance some or all of them. As we look around the world, we see this is not easy work; struggles are ongoing for money, land, water, and what the land provides. Climate change is heightening and contributing to these struggles.

Feb 01, 2022

The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund;

Native Peoples have experienced environmental racism and devastation for generations but contribute the least to climate change. Indigenous communities are often the most negatively impacted by environmental destruction. Native leaders are fighting on the frontlines for environmental justice. Indigenous practices offer healing and sustainable alternatives to land and resource exploitation. But funding to Indigenous-led organizations is not equitable. This report outlines the complex problems facing Native communities and specifically the challenges for Indigenous-led organizations addressing climate change. We share in this report ways for funders to develop and deepen relationships with Native-led nonprofits and to support their community organizing and advocacy efforts.

Jan 01, 2022

Center for Disaster Philanthropy;

This report is intended to provide a review of the first two years of the Native American and Tribal Communities Recovery Program. It is intended for use by this program's funder, Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) funders, disaster funders and other organizations working with Native communities. It also provides a snapshot of accomplishments, learnings and areas that need more work. The Native Program just completed its second year of focused disaster recovery work in Native communities. Eight grants were awarded to Nativeled organizations totalling $750,000. Also, technical assistance was provided with the goal of increasing local disaster recovery capacity.

Dec 01, 2021

First People's Fund; NORC at the University of Chicago;

In early 2020, a research team from NORC at the University of Chicago, in partnership with First Peoples Fund and supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, set out to explore the scope of performing arts practices that Native creators and communities are engaging in across the United States. This study was prompted by the fact that the importance of visual and craft-based forms of creative expression in and for Native communities has been well documented in research, yet comparatively little research has focused on the practices and impacts of Native creators who engage in performance-based forms of expression. The aim of this study is to shine a brighter spotlight on those performance-based creators. The pandemic, social upheavals, and calls for systemic change that have occurred since this research began underscore the importance of centering Native creators' voices as the performing arts sector, and society more broadly, emerges from the pandemic and grapples with how to begin anew.

May 01, 2021

Kindle Project;

The Indigenous Women's Flow Fund (IWFF) is an Indigenous-led grantmaking program that nourishes community-sourced initiatives and offers solutions and alternatives to systems in crisis. Grounded in trust-based philanthropic approaches, IWFF brings together five Indigenous women from across the United States, for a three-year period, to be decision-makers over grantmaking dollars and shape the program according to their vision.

Mar 01, 2021

The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP);

Recent years have seen increased attention from philanthropic leaders to questions about race, systemic racism, and systemic inequities. This increased attention was heightened by the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequities and the national protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by police. Since early 2020, some foundations have made greater efforts to address systemic inequities by increasing their funding to nonprofits serving communities of color. More than 40 percent of foundations report increasing their funding to nonprofits serving Black communities, and a little more than a quarter report doing so for nonprofits serving Latino communities. However, other communities affected by systemic inequities, including Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Native American communities, appear to have been overlooked. These communities have not received much increased support from foundations during the same period. Across four research studies the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) has conducted in the past two years, we've noticed two concerning trends emerge for AAPI and Native American nonprofit leaders and communities (trends that we do not see for nonprofit leaders and communities of other races/ethnicities):1. AAPI and Native American nonprofit leaders report having less positive experiences with their foundation funders than nonprofit leaders of other races/ethnicities. This has been the case during, as well as prior to, the pandemic.2. Despite the significant challenges facing AAPI and Native American people, most foundations continue to overlook nonprofits that serve these communities.We are sharing these results in a two-part series. The first report in the series focuses on findings about AAPI communities and leaders. This second report focuses on findings about Native American communities and leaders. Both reports include stories of nonprofit leaders from these communities, in their own words.

Jan 01, 2021

National Indigenous Women's Resource Center;

Coping with the disappearance of a loved one or community member is very difficult. The fact that AmericanIndian and Alaska Native women experience higher rates of domestic violence and sexual assault than anyother population of women in the United States has broad ramifications. One consequence of this reality is thatdomestic and sexual violence occurs on a spectrum of abusive behavior and can include abduction and murder.If a woman you know is missing, taking immediate action is very important. The quicker you respond, the fastershe may be located and provided the help needed.

Dec 21, 2020

Native Americans in Philanthropy;

This report analyzes philanthropic investments in response funds led by Indigenous people and communities, shares the perspectives of community leaders who organized these efforts, and provides key actions for the philanthropic sector to invest in a thriving and sustainable future for Indigenous communities. The report reviews important lessons from the ongoing crisis in Indigenous communities and calls on philanthropy to invest in Indigenous-led organizations and initiatives, to maximize general operating support, diversify vehicles for investment, identify regions and communities that face serious funding disparities, invest in Indigenous community strengths and leadership—not their deficits, and invest in tribal policy advocacy and tribal leadership.

Dec 21, 2020

Native Americans in Philanthropy;

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been severe in tribal communities. As cases of infection increased over the last several months, particularly on tribal reservations in the Southwest, the public became even more aware of the grave community infrastructure inadequacies across Indigenous communities. These include challenges to small business and employment, lack of access to healthcare and supplies, and inadequate access to food and housing.This report analyzes philanthropic investments in response funds led by Indigenous people and communities, shares the perspectives of community leaders who organized these efforts, and provides key actions for the philanthropic sector to invest in a thriving and sustainable future for Indigenous communities.

Dec 01, 2020

Native American Budget Policy Institute; State of New Mexico Indian Affairs Department;

This report is informed by the relatives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, along with advocates, law enforcement, legislators, organizations and community members. Our goal is to share the words and experiences of families to expose gaps in our justice system and in the resources and services for families, victims and survivors. Our hope is that this report reflects the voices and experiences of our communities and every person who has been impacted or knows someone who has been impacted by this profound crisis in our state.The MMIWR Task Force would like to recognize everyone who shared their experiences and contributed to this report and for efforts to bring awareness, justice, critical change and real solutions to the state of New Mexico. This report consists of four main sections, as outlined below:The first section provides an overview of the MMIWR legislation that serves as the foundation for the work of the task force and the research summarized in this report.The second section is an overview of the background and contextual considerations for MMIWR in New Mexico.The third section provides a summary of the findings of the research conducted for the state of New Mexico so far. This includes analysis of data provided by jurisdictions and case studies of information provided by families.The fourth section is an overview of the core findings from our research, and policy recommendationsgenerated by this research and the wider community. We conclude this fourth section with a discussion ofthe next steps for the MMIWR Task Force and research partners. 

Dec 01, 2020

International Funders for Indigenous Peoples;

This body of work is a gathering place to bring together the wealth of knowledge about Indigenous-led funds and the wisdom of Indigenous leaders in philanthropy; to create a space where Indigenous leaders in philanthropy can learn from each other, and where funders can understand effective and decolonial approaches to grantmaking. This body of work is also a call to action. An invitation for actors within the philanthropic community to reflect upon their power and privilege, and listen to the leadership of Indigenous peoples. The International Funders for Indigenous Peoples commissioned this work in 2020, to amplify the voices of these Indigenous leaders and Indigenous-led funds, so that their calls for stronger support can be answered. To embark on this journey of greater understanding, one must start by humbling oneself to listen deeply and learn; to step outside of the Western and non-Indigenous notions dominating philanthropy; and to open the mind to Indigenous worldviews. This landscape scan will take you on a journey to Indigenous communities,cultures and worldviews all over the world. It will take you into communities who have their own history and understanding of,visions for philanthropy that is richly rooted in ancestral knowledge and cultural values of giving and sharing. If we can make space for the leadership of the Indigenous peoples and communities demanding respect and recognition in philanthropy, together we can transform the way we do grantmaking.

Nov 01, 2020

CHANGE Philanthropy; Native Americans in Philanthropy;

Provides statistics on Native Americans in Philanthropy