by: Kloe Adams

Games Editor

The Indigenous Tomorrows Fund received a total of 720,000 dollars from the Newman’s Own Foundation and Novo Nordisk. Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), a coalition of grantmakers, tribal leaders, and other advocates for increased philanthropic support of indigenous organizations, organized the fund. NAP originally began hosting native youth grantmaker programs that taught indigenous young adults about the philanthropic sector. Newman’s Own Foundation offered to take that learning a step further by giving them a chance to run an entire fund themselves. 

NAP distributed the donations to 24 finalists, who proposed original projects focused on food sovereignty as well as health and wellness in tribal communities. Grant recipients are tackling these issues in a variety of ways. For example, there is a multi-generational collective of Shinnecock women in New York who farm kelp to clean up the local bay. Additionally, an Arizona-based community center grows culturally significant crops such as Apache giant squash. They distribute the fresh produce and train youth through hands-on land management. In total, the inaugural cycle received more than 400 applications. With such popularity, the pilot program aims to increase its funding to one million dollars next year.

This program diverges from a usual grant initiative, in which wealthy funders typically dictate the terms of their giving. Communities receiving the donations are not expected to be directly involved behind the scenes; it is especially uncommon for young people to receive responsibilities beyond a purely advisory role. Center for Effective Philanthropy President Phil Buchana commented, “There’s this recognition that a lot of philanthropic mistakes are made when answers to problems other people are experiencing are cooked up by consultants in conference rooms, rather than being informed by those whom donors actually seek to help.” Philanthropy professionals, elders, NAP staff, and program officers sometimes attend grant meetings; however, their presence only spurs conversation and never dominates, according to younger participants.

Another unique aspect of the grantmaking team has been the selection process. Rather than focusing on accomplished resumes or community engagement, NAP prioritized those who came directly from native communities, thereby allowing participants to continue the legacies of their ancestors and pass down traditions with future generations in mind. “Indigenous youth are reconnecting to their culture and to healing more and more,” Newman’s Own Foundation Indigenous Communities Officer Jackie Blackbird said. “Projects like the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund help them also build that confidence and learn more about challenges in communities.”

(Sources: ABC News and AP News)