Join Us In Celebrating Our Summer 2023 Grantees!

Last Summer, Tiwahe Foundation awarded 53 grants to individuals in the areas of Culture & Language, Economic Independence, Health & Wellness, and Education.

For 30 years, The American Indian Family Empowerment Program (AIFEP) has invested in the strengths and talents of Native people residing in the greater Twin Cities Metro Area. We awarded $128,429 to 53 individuals for the Summer 2023 AIFEP grant round. This initiative aims to empower Native communities and promote their growth.

Copy of AIFEP Grantee's - COPY 2 Water Photo-2

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A message from AIFEP Coordinator (Tony Drews): I would love to take this opportunity to congratulate the most recent American Indian Family Empowerment Program Grant recipients. I have been working with some of you for almost 6 months as we started chatting about your interest in the grant round that opened on July 1, 2023. After the grant opened, I had the opportunity to connect with more of you, and I had the great pleasure of meeting many of you in person at our American Indian Family Empowerment Program application workshop. It has been an honor to work with all of you through this process and I look forward to working with each of you through the next year as you realize your grant goals. Your initiative and dedication to culture and community inspires me every day

For those of you who were not awarded a grant, I hopefully look forward to working with you through our next application deadline on March 15 to help you strengthen your application and get the investment you are looking for.

I look forward to our next grant round opening on January 1 and meeting chatting and helping all of you who are looking for an investment to support your goals.

Happy holidays.

Tony Drews

“Your spirit is strong and that will take our people forward. Thank you for trusting us with your dream, together those dreams become reality.”

Carrie Day AspinwallWisdom Council Member

Although there isn’t a precise translation of philanthropy, there is one word we use in anishinaabemowin that I think is perfect. If you looked in Lakota, Dakota, Nakota and Haudensoanse (Iroquois), you would probably find an equal word.

For us the word would be zhawenim. It does not just have a binary translation- zhawenim can mean to love unconditionally, to have compassion, empathy or pity for someone, as well as to bless them.

The very first time I applied for Tiwahe grant, I feel like I was shown zhawenim, that unconditional love.

James Vukelvich2018 AIFEP Recipient, Turtle Mountain Ojibwe descendant, Author, Speaker, and Digital Creator

To our AIFEP recipients, it has been a great pleasure to work with many of you throughout your journey, through your application process and as you saw your goals come to fruition. I am honored to be a part of your journey today as we recognize your goal and the impact it will have on our community.

Tony DrewsAIFEP Program Coordinator

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