May 19th is Native Nonprofit Day!
#NativeNonprofitDay is a giving initiative aimed at increasing support for Native-led organizations nationwide. It is a critical day for Native-led organizations, who struggle with receiving funding due to systemic inequalities within the philanthropic sector.
Boozhoo indinawemaaganidog,
(Greetings all my relatives)
Today is Native Nonprofit Day, a time to recognize and challenge the systemic barriers to resources Native nonprofits face. We are a community foundation built on the generosity of Minnesota’s Native communities. Yet, funding from our small endowment is entirely used for regranting to uplift Native people and ways of being. This means we face the same funding challenges as other Native nonprofits. To name just a few:
- Native Americans receive .4% of philanthropic funding.
- 67% of foundation leaders say they provide little or no funding to organizations serving Native communities.
- Philanthropy is rooted in, and continues to perpetuate, economic systems that harm Native communities.
Tiwahe challenges systemic barriers to the goals our people pursue. The dominant culture approach to philanthropy is one of those barriers. Tiwahe offers a new model for philanthropy that centers Indigenous voices and values in every decision from planning through evaluation. We help other organizations let go of dominant culture practices that hold them back.
