New Lakota dictionary

News Category Tag: Announcements

New Lakota dictionary is available at http://www.lakhota.org, or at: Stores.Language.

» Posted: May 12, 2008

Indigenous Peoples Critical of Position on Carbon Trading of

News Category Tag: Announcements

New York City, NY Indigenous Peoples attending the Permanent Forum are outraged that their rejection of the carbon market has been ignored in the final report of the 7th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII). The final report of the PFII hails World Bank funded carbon trading, like the Clean Development Mechanism, as good examples of partnership despite the human rights violations and environmental destruction they have caused. Indigenous Peoples attending the 7th session of the Permanent Forum are profoundly concerned that our key recommendations on climate change are not being taken into account by the Permanent Forum. "This Permanent Forum was created precisely to recognize, promote, and support the rights of Indigenous Peoples," says Florina Lopez, Coordinator of the Indigenous Women's Biodiversity Network of Abya Yala. Contacts: Juan Carlos, Amazon Alliance, 202-285-0153 (Spanish) Marcial Garcia, Kuna People, ariasmarcial@hotmail.com (Spanish) Jihan Gearon, Indigenous Environmental Network, 218-760-1370 (English). Please take a few moments to check out our My Space Page!Revolution. Learn more about the Campus Climate Challenge! ClimateChange. Join the IEN Newsletter!
Newsletter.

» Posted: May 12, 2008

Dollar General Accepting Applications for Back-to-School

News Category Tag: Announcements

Back-to-School Grants program provides funding to assist elementary,
middle, and high schools in meeting some of the financial challenges they face in implementing new programs or purchasing new equipment, materials, or software for their school library or literacy program. In order to be eligible, schools must be located in Dollar's 35-state operating territory and must be within twenty miles of
the nearest Dollar General Store. A store locator is available
online at:LiteracyGrants. Complete program information and application instructions are
available at the Dollar General Web site at GeneralDollar

» Posted: May 07, 2008

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewas Receives Nearly $1 Million

News Category Tag: Announcements

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewas Receives Nearly $1 Million Grant for Loan Consolidation and Community Development Prior Lake, MN- A grant of nearly $1,000,000 from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will fund debt consolidation and community development. This press release and other information may be downloaded from the SMSC website at http://www.shakopeedakota.org/.

» Posted: April 30, 2008

First Nations Development Institute is inviting Letters of Intent

News Category Tag: Announcements

First Nations Development Institute is inviting Letters of Intent for its Little Eagle Staff Fund grant program. Native Community-Based Nonprofit Development Organizations (NCNDOs) and Native Community Serving Financial Institutions (NCSFIs) play a key role in creating an "enabling environment" for economic development in Native communities. In 2001, First Nations Development Institute launched its Little Eagle Staff Fund (LESF), which provides financial and economic development organizations with early stage investment and capitalization so that they can increase organizational capacity and enhance their development of new financial products and services. The goal is to support Native community based development organizations, especially financial institutions, so that they can promote economic development in Native communities. First Nations expects to award approximately 4-6 grants ranging from $15,000 to $45,000 under this initiative in 2008. LOIs are due June 23, 2008. All LOI applicants will be notified by Friday, July 18th, 2008, as to whether they will be invited to submit a full proposal. The full proposal will then be due on August 15th, 2008. Awards will be announced in late August or early September 2008. To submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), please download the application documents at FirstNations.

» Posted: April 30, 2008

Red Cloud Indian School students lead nation in prestigious Gates Millennium

News Category Tag: Announcements

PINE RIDGE, South Dakota
Eight students from Red Cloud High School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation have received the coveted Gates Millennium Scholarship, tying two other schools nationwide for the highest number of scholars selected from a high school in the country. This is also the highest number of scholars to come from Red Cloud since the scholarship's inception in 1999. "This is an unprecedented day for Red Cloud," says Fr. Peter Klink SJ, president of Red Cloud. "This is a tremendous achievement for our students, and a testament to the faculty and entire student body for their hard work throughout the academic year. I couldn't be more excited for these students." For more information about Red Cloud�s Gates Scholars, or to interview the students or faculty, contact Robbie Pipe On Head at 605/867-1105 or RedCloudSchool.

» Posted: April 30, 2008

150 Years of Immigration in Minnesota: Call for Artists

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Minneapolis Foundation invites artists to submit work for its upcoming Immigration in Minnesota exhibit. As a part of the State of Minnesota's Sesquicentennial recognition, this exhibition will highlight the immigration
experience to Minnesota both historical and current through photographs and a variety of visual mediums. We encourage submissions from artists of all generations and backgrounds. We would like submissions from non-professional as well as professional artists. Our goal is to represent the immigration experience from multiple populations who now make up our state's culturally diverse landscape.
This exhibit will be on view at The Minneapolis Foundation office from May 1 to August 31, 2008.
For more information, please contact Trevor Roediger at 612-378-1189 or museumservices@gmail.com.

» Posted: April 14, 2008

Scholarships for VOTER technology training

News Category Tag: Announcements

If you're planning on a voter project this year and you're wondering how you're going to manage the data from your membership database and the voter list, you should come to our training at the end of April. (This training is part of our VOTER project.) With the Voter Tech Training coming up very soon, we're expediting awards for scholarships and travel funds. You can apply as part of your application for the VOTER Project following the procedures here scholarships and travel funds if you aren't ready to complete the whole proposal now, you can apply on the course registration page available from here, just remember to request a scholarship and say that you will be submitting a VOTER Project proposal.

» Posted: April 11, 2008

Potlatch Fund 2008 Community Building Grant Cycle

News Category Tag: Announcements

Potlatch Fund is excited to announce the 2008 Community Building Granting Cycle to benefit Native organizations and peoples. Grants will be awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000.The name, Potlatch Fund, reflects a Northwest coastal tribal traditional ceremony and in the Chinook language potlatch means to give or a gift. Historically potlatches were occasions when individuals shared their good fortune through the distribution of gifts to members of their tribe as well as those of neighboring tribes.
Types of Community Building Grants, General Support Grants: Funds to be used for general support of an organization (operational or other). Project Grants: Funds to be used for a well defined, specific project of an organization.Who is eligible to apply? Organizations applying for funding must meet the following criteria:
- The organization must be native-led and serve Northwest natives.
- The organization must be located in the Washington, Oregon, Idaho or Montana.
- The organization's mission must be aligned with the mission of Potlatch Fund.

Applications must be postmarked by Friday, April 18, 2008.
Late, faxed or emailed proposals will not be accepted. For more information go to The Potlatch Fund website

» Posted: April 11, 2008

Status of American Indian & Alaskan Native Families Today

News Category Tag: Announcements

For a copy of the report go to http://www.nuifc.org. For more information on the NUIFC and this report, please contact Janeen Comenote at jcomenote@unitedindians.org or 206-829-2229.

» Posted: April 07, 2008

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Receives $1 Million SMSC Grant

News Category Tag: Announcements

In fiscal year 2006, the SMSC provided a $1 million grant for the Elderly village, which will be one of the first state-licensed, federally certified nursing facility on an Indian reservation. In 2005 the SMSC gave the CRST a $3 million loan for the same project. It will provide about 60 jobs for local residents. The facility will contain 60 beds: 50 skilled nursing beds and 10 assisted living beds. The 50,000 square foot facility will be open to both Indian and non-Indian patients. This press release and other information may be downloaded from the SMSC website at www.shakopeedakota.org

» Posted: April 07, 2008

First Nations Development Institute

News Category Tag: Announcements

First Nations Development Institute Open grant cycles Community Building Deadline April 18, 2008. Download application:
Potlatch Fund 2008 Spring Newsletter can be viewed on-line here.

» Posted: March 25, 2008

Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Family and Informal Caregiver Support Program

News Category Tag: Announcements

It is an undeniable fact that most frail older adults are cared for by family, friends and other nonprofessionals. It is a difficult challenge for many. For most there is no alternative. As a society, we simply do not have the resources to provide professional caregivers and support services to everyone who needs assistance. But we do have community assets which can be used in more creative ways. With this funding initiative, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation will help community partnerships develop innovative ways to support these devoted caregivers.FOR FURTHER INFORMATIONhttp://www.hjweinbergfoundation.org/
CaregivingRFP@theweinbergfoundation.org

» Posted: March 25, 2008

Reservation Communities Receive Boost for Entrepreneurship

News Category Tag: Announcements

First Nations Development Institute�s Little Eagle Staff Fund letters of inquiry will be due to First Nations Development Institute on Monday, June 2, 2008. Eligible applicants will be tribal programs and Native nonprofit organizations that focus on asset and wealth creation programs in Native communities. Grants will strengthen program administration, management and implementation. More information about the LESF program and the application process will be available through First Nations website beginning April 4, 2008.http://www.firstnations.org/

» Posted: March 25, 2008

Red Lake Students Make CookBook

News Category Tag: Announcements

Students on the Red Lake Indian Reservation have put together a cookbook with the help of a General Mills employee group. The company's American Indian Council, which consists of employees with American Indian heritage, donated $20,000 for the project and worked with the students to complete "The Taste of Red Lake Cookbook." High school junior Rob Pemberton Jr. said students had fun working on the project. "The cookbook is a positive symbol of the Red Lake Nation, and it teaches other communities about traditional food from Red Lake," he said. The Red Lake Indian Reservation was the scene of a school shooting in March 2005 that left 10 people dead and seven people injured. The cookbook includes traditional and contemporary recipes collected from families and friends, along with nutritional information. Xerox Corp. has donated the printing for the first 1,800 books. Profits will go toward a community picnic, scholarships and school improvements. Cookbooks, $10, can be ordered via e-mail at tasteofredlake@red lake.k12.mn.us; by phone, 218-679-3353; by fax, 218-679-2321; or mail, Taste of Red Lake Cookbook, c/o Red Lake High School, P.O. Box 499, Red Lake, MN 56671.

» Posted: March 24, 2008

Longhouse Native artist grant programs

News Category Tag: Announcements

the "House of Welcome" Longhouse Education and Cultural Center at The Evergreen State College, we are pleased to announce the second round of national grant opportunities for Native artists in the U.S. With funding support from the Ford Foundation and the Fund for Folk Culture, artists and organizations can apply for grants through the Native Creative Development Program and the National Native Master Artist Initiative: Artist Teaching Artists. The deadline for letters of inquiry is June 1, 2008.For more information and application materials, please see: http://www.evergreen.edu/longhouse/grantprograms.htm

» Posted: March 24, 2008

St. Paul Travelers Foundation helping underserved and minorities

News Category Tag: Announcements

Travelers is one of the largest providers of property and casualty insurance products in the United States. The St. Paul Travelers Foundation funds a wide range of programs, particularly those designed to help the underserved and minorities. Emphasis is placed on efforts in Minnesota and Connecticut, where the company has a large presence. However, national organizations may receive support for specific initiatives that fit within the foundation's funding priorities. Special consideration will be given to those national requests that support or leverage the potential of other grantees, and those that directly aid local initiatives.For more information visit: http://www.travelers.com/iwcm/docs/TRV_CA_guidelines.pdf

» Posted: March 24, 2008

Susan Jenkins to receive the Louis T. Delgado Distinguished Grantmaker Award!

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Louis T. Delgado Distinquished Grantmaker Award will be given to Ms. Susan Jenkins,Choctaw Nation. Susan is the Executive Director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation
in Cherokee, North Carolina. Susan provided leadership for the foundation since its' inception, developing the grantmaking strategy and building infrastructure. Susan has brought vision, leadership, and creativity to her work and works to bridge gaps between mainstream philanthropy and Native philanthropy. She has forged new ground in Native philanthropy by working to ensure that an endowment was established
at the Cherokee Preservation Foundation through use of gaming funds. Ms. Jenkins exhibits the qualities and values inherent in the Louis T. Delgado Award with her
tireless commitment to Native leadership, Native philanthropy and continual advocacy for increased resources to Indigenous communities.

» Posted: March 20, 2008

April Lea Go Forth to receive the Flying Eagle Woman Award!

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Flying Eagle Woman Community Based Philanthropy Award recipient this year is
Ms. April Lea Go Forth is a-ni-yv-wi'ya, Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Go
Forth is founding Director of the nonprofit corporation Resources for Indian Student Education (RISE) in Alutras, Modoc County, CA. April is presented with the Flying Eagle Woman Award because of her humanitarian efforts and promotion of Indigenous
rights and culture in her community and nationwide.

» Posted: March 20, 2008

Launch of Disability Funders Networks New Accessible Website

News Category Tag: Announcements

Disability Funders Network Board and Staff are Pleased to Announce the Launch of Disability Funders Networks New Accessible Website:http://www.disabilityfunders.org/

» Posted: March 20, 2008

National Museum of the American Indian Visual and Expressive Arts Grants Awarded

News Category Tag: Announcements

The National Museum of the American Indian has announced the recipients of their Visual Arts and Expressive Arts Grants. The Visual Arts Grants support exhibitions and installations of contemporary Native American art, as well as publications and critical writing. The Expressive Arts Grants support the creation and presentation of new works with an emphasis on collaboration. For the full press release, visit: http://www.nmai.si.edu/press/releases/20080314_Grant_Recipients.pdf

» Posted: March 20, 2008

Request for Proposals for Research Funding for the Tribal Tobacco Use Project

News Category Tag: Announcements

ClearWay MinnesotaSM announces its Request for Proposals (RFP) for Fiscal Year 2009 titled, Research Funding for the Tribal Tobacco Use Project: Measuring Tobacco Use in Minnesota's Tribal Communities. This project seeks to enhance our understanding of traditional and commercial tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure in the American Indian communities in Minnesota. One Full Community Academic Research Award (CARA) will be funded for an amount not to exceed $750,000 for a period not to exceed three years. The RFP, supporting application materials and additional information about ClearWay Minnesota are available at www.clearwaymn.org. Letters of Intent are due April 16, 2008 by 4:30 p.m.Full applications are due June 9, 2008 by 4:30 p.m. Consider applying or circulate this notice to others who may be interested. If you have questions regarding the RFP, please contact Joanne D'Silva, Research Program Manager, at 952-767-1434 orjdsilva@clearwaymn.org

» Posted: March 20, 2008

Tribal facilities called inadequate

News Category Tag: Announcements

Tribal facilities called inadequate, despite testimonials to progress WASHINGTON - Tribal jails, schools and health facilities remain in a radical state of disrepair or inadequacy, due primarily to lack of funding, according to the consensus of tribal witnesses before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs March 6. more http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416839&na=570

» Posted: March 17, 2008

San Francisco Arts Commission's Cultural Equity Grants Program Announces Opportunity for Native

News Category Tag: Announcements

The San Francisco Arts Commission has announced a new one-time grants opportunity to support projects guided by strong and capable Native American artistic leadership for which there is resonance within the community. The Cultural Equity Grants program is open to applicants based in San Francisco whose activities are scheduled to take place June 15, 2008 - June 30, 2009, in the city and county of San Francisco. Deadline is April 1, 2008, for more information go to:b>http://sfartscommission.org/

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY WITH THE INDIAN LAND TENURE

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) is looking to hire current
undergraduate or graduate students as interns for the summer of 2008.
The internships are full time positions over the course of 10 to 12
weeks(400 hours) beginning on June 9, 2008. Salaries will be
commensurate with experience and qualifications. For more information contact: hvalandra@indianlandtenure.org

» Posted: March 13, 2008

Grant opportunity for financial/investor education!

News Category Tag: Announcements

Through its grant program, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation http://www.finrafoundation.org/ (formerly the NASD Investor Education Foundation) funds research and/or educational projects that support its mission of providing underserved Americans with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary for financial success throughout life.In 2008, the foundation is especially interested in applications that focus on the following areas: new marketing and distribution channels for financial and investor education; helping Americans manage their finances and investments inretirement; meeting the financial and investor education needs of underserved audiences; and using behavioral finance to improve saving and investing. For complete grant application guidelines and summaries of funded projects, see the foundation's Web site.http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10011723/finraFor additional RFPs in Education, visit:http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_education.jhtmlDeadline: April 11, 2008; and July 12; 2008.

» Posted: March 13, 2008

Who Are America's Poor Children?

News Category Tag: Announcements

The following report includes information that 40% of American Indian children live in poor families and that states that American Indian children are disproportionately poor. Who are America's Poor Children? The Official Story, November 2007 From the National Center for Children in Poverty, this fact sheet provides demographic information on children in the United States who are considered poor based on the national poverty threshold. Between 2000 and 2006, the number of children living in poverty increased 11 percent, which equates to 13 million. For more information, please see:http://nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_787.pdf

» Posted: March 13, 2008

Ground Breaking Report on Health and Health-Influencing Behaviors Among

News Category Tag: Announcements

The report finds additional evidence that American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban areas face major hurdles in reaching health status similar to their fellow Americans. Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national telephone survey conducted yearly and coordinated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show America Indians and Alaska Natives living in selected urban areas were more likely to report difficulty accessing health care, had higher rates of risk behavior, and experienced worse health outcomes than the general population. To down load a copy of the report, please visit: Reported Health and Health-Influencing Behaviors Among Urban American. For more information on the report findings, please contact: Maile Taualii MaileT@uihi.org

» Posted: March 12, 2008

Otto Bremer Foundation announces its new executive director.

News Category Tag: Announcements

Effective Thursday, May 1, Randi Ilyse Roth will begin her duties at Otto Bremer Foundation as its new executive director. Randi currently serves as the independent, court-appointed monitor in a civil rights lawsuit brought by African American farmers against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prior to that, for seventeen years she served as a staff attorney and then as executive director of the Farmers Legal Action Group, Inc. For more information go to http://www.ottobremer.org/.

» Posted: March 12, 2008

The Foundation Center releases its 2008 edition of Foundation Giving Trends.

News Category Tag: Announcements

According to the 2008 edition of Foundation Giving Trends, a comprehensive analysis of all grants $10,000 or more released by 1,263 of the largest private and community foundations in the United States released by the Foundation Center, health surpassed education on the share of grant dollars received. Overall, the nations largest foundations increased funding across all program areas in 2006 with international giving experiencing a near 50 percent increase. For more information, or a free downloadable PDF of the highlights from Foundation Giving Trends, visit:http://www.foundationcenter.org/

» Posted: March 12, 2008

Spread the Word.

News Category Tag: Announcements

Form 990-N Now Available, Searchable The new Form 990-N Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) is now available online for filing by smaller nonprofit organizations. The new e-postcard system is administered by IS member, the Urban Institute. The IRS is asking nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and tax practitioners to help spread the word about this new reporting requirement. The public also now has access to the information filed on the Form 990-N
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=169250,00.html. through a searchable database.

» Posted: March 12, 2008

Matching Grants Now Available To Promote Asset-Building

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Health and Human Service's Office of Community Service's (OSC) has $19 million available under the Assets for Independence (AFI) Program, for organizations wishing to start or expand their matched savings accounts programs, otherwise known as Individual Development Accounts (IDA). Tribes across the country are using this resource to build assets in their communities. IDAs are matched savings accounts designed to help low-income families. Funds can be used to purchase a home, start businesses or pursue educational opportunaties. The savings are matched, therefore encouraging low-income families to build wealth and plan for the future. Visit First Nations Development Institute on the Web at www.firstnations.org Applications due by March 25.

» Posted: March 10, 2008

Calls for Submissions for Anthology of Rural Medicine in the 21 century

News Category Tag: Announcements

Beyond the Country Doctor
Published by Kent State University Press and Hiram College Center for Literature, Medicine and Biomedical Humanities. It is no longer the country doctor taking care of the farmers and ranchers. Today a diverse group of clinicians have added cell phones and PDAs to their black bags, minister to a multi-colored patchwork quilt of patients.
We want to show the breadth of rural medicine in the United States today. We are looking for poems, essays, and short stories (fiction and creative nonfiction, max 5000 words) written by health professionals(doctors, nurses, midwives, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, mental health providers, paramedics and students of all of the above. We are not able to pay for your contributions. The book will be published in Fall, 2009. We are willing to consider already published work as long as we can secure permission to reprint it from the original publisher. Work should not include the identifying information of patients unless permission is granted. Authors with contributions published in the collection will receive a free copy of the anthology. Submission due by April 15, 2008 by email attachment to: zink0003@umn.eduFor more information go towww.alliesmediaart.com

» Posted: March 10, 2008

Call for Nominations - Community Spirit Awards

News Category Tag: Announcements

First Peoples Fund, a national nonprofit organization invites you to nominate an artist from your American Indian community for their ninth annual Community Spirit Award, recognizing individuals who have made substantial contributions to their communities. Following a rigorous selection process, four individuals will be honored with a $5,000 fellowship.

Community Spirit is an expression that speaks of the unselfish generosity and reciprocated love these artists have for their Indian community. The same spirit that guides artists' work also drives them to do service in their communities. This process of bringing spirit back to the community is part of a sacred honor system that First Peoples Fund works to strengthen through recognition of these artists. Community Spirit also describes the teaching of gifts that promote and sustain indigenous cultures. Recipients of this award must demonstrate these acts of Community Spirit through their art form. First Peoples Fund seeks artist who demonstrate these values we hold strongly:
1.) Deeply rooted and maintain direct ties to their tribal community.
2.) A commitment to building the strength of native communities by sharing their skills and talents with others in their respective communities.
3.) An artistic practice that passes on the traditions and the life ways of the people.

Nominated artists must be: practicing artists of demonstrated maturity in their field, continually practicing artists for a minimum of 10 years, and be a documented affiliate of a United States tribe. In addition to Visual Arts, First Peoples Fund also recognizes traditional forms of Performing Arts and Literary Arts. Nominate your candidate online at www.firstpeoplesfund.org by April 11, 2008.

» Posted: February 27, 2008

Pro Patria Award to Choctaw Nation

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has earned Oklahoma's committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve's highest honor, the Pro Patria Award. General John W. Hubbard will present the award to Chief Gregory E. Pyle on Friday, February 15th at 10:00 a.m. in the Durant Tribal Complex auditorium.

"We support our employees who serve in the military," said Chief Pyle. "We have also gone to great lengths to support military personnel who are Choctaw and friends of Choctaws." Some of those efforts include transportation to and from Fort Bliss, Texas for National Guardsmen as well as welcome home and departure ceremonies and meals for the 180th.

On several occasions, a special need has been brought to the attention of the tribe. Many thank you notes have come back to the tribal offices from soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who have received special knives that can cut vehicle harnesses or safety straps quickly, walkie-talkies so that transport teams can talk to each other when their visibility was too low to actually see each other, phone cards and other great items in Care Packages, and an ultrasound machine to check for embedded shrapnel.

"The Choctaw Nation has been very willing to support those serving our great country through all branches of the armed services," said Chief Pyle. "Employees are highly honored for their willingness to serve and the tribe is excited at receiving this award."

"Our Tribal Council members are tremendous advocates for veterans and active military." Chief Pyle explained that the Council approved funding to establish a Veterans Advocacy Program, an annual Veterans Ceremony and provided property and funding for a Veterans Cemetery.

The Choctaw Nation has also been nominated for the 2008 Freedom Award in the category of large employer. According to Walter Cross, the Executive Director of Oklahoma Employer Support of Guard and Reserves, the Freedom Award is presented to only fifteen nation-wide outstanding employers of Guard and Reserve members and is presented in Washington D.C. by the Secretary of Defense.

» Posted: February 13, 2008

14th Annual Oweesta/L.E.A.D. Institute 2008 National Conference

News Category Tag: Announcements

First Nations Development Institute presents: THE RETURN OF INDIAN COUNTRY'S MOST INNOVATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE - Denver Colorado

Topics Covered:
*Nonprofit Management Development
*Financial/Investment Education Literacy
*Asset Management Policy in Indian Country
*Creating an Enabling Environment for Entrepreneurship
*Native Philanthropy
*Economic Development in Indian Country

Who Should Attend
*Tribal Leaders
*Native American Community Leaders
*Staff and Board members of Native American nonprofit organizations
*Native American individuals interested in launching or expanding organizations or businesses
*Representatives from foundations, and the banking and financial industry

For more information about the conference, or to register, please contact Montoya Whiteman, Associate Director of Training Technical Assistance, at (303)774-7836 ext. 18 or email: mwhiteman@firstnations.org

Conference sponsorship opportunites available.

» Posted: January 24, 2008

Common Ground Grantee Awards

News Category Tag: Announcements

American Composers Forum Announces:
Common Ground Grantee Awards

American Composers Forum is pleased to announce the names of the recipients of the First Nations Composer Initiative's Common Ground Grant Awards. Common Ground is funded by the Ford Foundation's IllumiNation grant program. Individual awards were granted ranging from $500.00 to $7,500.00. Grants are designed to give an immediate financial boost to composers, performers, and other makers of new music at a time when this help would have a significant career-enhancing effect. The application process is simple and straightforward.

The Common Ground Program is inclusive, and therefore encourages Indigenous composers, performers, and sound artists working in diverse genres/mediums to apply. Artists are encouraged to take risks in their creative endevours. Common Ground is designed to fill the gap in funding for artists who are particularly interested in creating work without the burden of artistic compromise. Common Ground aims to give timely aid to those Indigenous musicians who are strongly dedicated to their art, who show artistic merit, and who propose an excellent project. We wish to award grants to varied artists from the many genres of music represented in Indian Country, and from diverse Indigenous cultures.

The following artists received Common Ground awards in the latest grant cycle:

- Cochise Anderson - (Choctaw, Minnesota) School Residencies & Performances at Fond du Lac and Choctaw Reservation Communities
- Contemporary Music Forum - (Washington D.C.) To Commission Native Composer for the National Museum of the American Indian's Classical Native venue
- Joseph FireCrow - (Northern Cheyenne, Connecticut) Attend and perform at major concert venue with audience of 15,000, Live performances and studio production work
- Robert Guerrero - (Tlingit/Haida, Washington) Concert venues & studio production work
- Elizabeth Jaakola - (Ojibwe, Minnesota) Large concert venue of new works
- Keith Knight - (Choctaw, Oregon) Professional Development & Residencies
- Jennifer Kreisberg - (Tuscarora, Connecticut) Studio production & Language revitalization work
- Native Era - (Lakota, South Dakota) Studio production work and reservation tours
- Post Commodity - (Multi-Tribal, Arizona) Studio production, collaborative performances in America & Europe with Yugoslavian Poet
- Ivan "Magor" Jirous, Silvermoon Productions - (Multi-Tribal, Arizona) Studio production, concert venues, K-12 mentorship

The next deadline for application for the third round of grants awards for musical projects throughout North America is April 1, 2008. Please go to www.fnci.org/opportunities to download the Common Ground RFP.

» Posted: January 24, 2008

Motion to allow tribes to receive food donated under section 170e3 of the IRC

News Category Tag: Announcements

Last week Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska introduced S.1132, a bill that would change the federal tax code to allow tribes to become eligible recipients of donated food. You can help this bill become law by thanking Senator Murkowski for her leadership and asking Alaska�s two other elected representatives for their support. In other news, Food Bank of Alaska (FBA) is sponsoring two federal programs, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). FBA is seeking summer programs, after-school programs, day care and adult day care facilities, and shelters that may be interested in receiving funds for meals and snacks through the SFSP and CACFP. For more information: http://www.foodbankofalaska.org/viewPage.php?ID=116

» Posted: December 12, 2007

Announcing the 2008 Community Spirit Award Honorees

News Category Tag: Announcements

Frank Dominquez, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash - Califonia Contemporary Arts: Mixed media/installation

Margaret Hill, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe - Minnesota Traditional Arts: Birchbark/sweetgrass

Marietta King, Blackfeet - Montana Visual Arts: Oil Pastel

Jeanette "Molly" Parker, Passamaquoddy - Main Traditional Arts: Ash Sweetgrass baskets

First Peoples Fund extends our gratitude to this year's CSA Selection Committee for their commitment and generous spirit:

Georgia Wettlin-Larson, Assiniboine/Nakota; Tina Kuckkahn, Chippewa; Linley Logan, Seneca; Ron Martinez Looking Elk, Taos Pueblo.

For more information from First Peoples Fund, please visit their website.

» Posted: December 11, 2007

NPAction Update

News Category Tag: Announcements

A new online voter registration tool is being made available to nonprofits by Rock the Vote and Young Voter Strategies. The two groups dedicated to mobilizing young voters merged in August 2007.

NPAction, an online resource hosted by OMB Watch, provides access to tools and information for nonprofit advocacy from a wide range of organizational partners and sources in order to encourage greater participation by nonprofits in the policy arena.

For more information, contact:

NPAction
1742 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington DC 20009
(202) 234-8494
E-mail: npaction@npaction.org
Web: www.npaction.org

» Posted: December 07, 2007

Morris K. Udall Scholarship Program

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Scholarship Program awards eighty $5,000 merit-based scholarships for college sophomores and juniors seeking a career in tribal health, tribal public policy, or the environment. Scholarship recipients participate in a five-day Orientation in Tucson, AZ, to learn more about tribal and environmental issues. Applications must be submitted through a Udall Faculty Representative at the student's college or university. More information about Faculty Representatives can be found on the Udall website. The application deadline for the 2008 academic year is March 4, 2008.

» Posted: December 04, 2007

American Indian Ambassadors Program

News Category Tag: Announcements

Announcing Recruitment for the 2008/09 Class. This is a leadership development and community building initiative based on traditional Indigenous values for Native Americans seeking to:

-positively impact their community
-strengthen their ability to improve their communities well-being
-reaffirm cultural values identity
-incorporate traditional values into strategies for the future

The next class will be formed in 2008, and the deadline for applications is January 8, 2008. For more information, please visit AIO's website, or call 505-842-8677.

» Posted: December 04, 2007

Majority of U.S. households give an average of $2,045 to Charity, New Study Shows

News Category Tag: Announcements

As the holiday giving season approaches, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University did a survey, finding that almost one third of U.S. households give in some years but not other years.

INDIANAPOLIS - About six in 10 U.S. households contribute to charity routinely, according new findings from the Center on Philanthropy Panel Study (COPPS) released today by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

The ongoing survey asked the same 8,000 families about their charitable gifts made in 2000, 2002 and 2004. While the total percentage of households that gave was similar in all three years (67 to 69 percent), the study found that a fairly large proportion of all U.S. households-nearly one third-shift between donating and not donating.

Because COPPS asks the same families about their giving in different years, for the first time researchers can determine the proportion of people nationwide who switch back and forth between giving and not giving.

"Nonprofits' ability to encourage donors to keep giving is vital to raising needed funds. Finding that a sizeable portion of people who give in one year do not make any gifts at all the following year opens the door to greater understanding of the factors that influence people's giving, and what causes those behaviors to change." said Eugene R. Tempel, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

"The more we understand these factors, the more we can help donors, nonprofits and policy makers understand philanthropy and their roles in shaping it," Tempel added. "We will continue to examine the COPPS data in greater detail to ascertain motivations for changes in giving."

Center researchers found that 56 percent of households gave donations in each of the three years. Another three in 10 households (29 percent) contributed to charity in some but not all years studied. Just under 15 percent did not contribute at all in any of the years studied.

The study found a large difference in amounts given by households who give routinely and those who give intermittently. Persistent donors, those who gave in each of the three survey years, made total charitable gifts averaging $2,659 in 2004. Occasional donors (who gave in one or two of the three years and who donated in 2004) contributed an average of $820.
These and other COPPS findings about giving in 2004 released today represent the latest nationally representative information about annual household giving available. The Center on Philanthropy Panel Study is the largest and most accurate study of charitable giving by U.S. households over time ever conducted.

Overall, 68 percent of U.S. households donated $25 or more to charity in 2004, the most recent year for which household giving data are available. Among households that gave, the average total amount given in 2004 was $2,045.

"The new data also give us important insights into the ways in which people give, such as the fact that the average donor household gives money to two or three different types of nonprofits," said Patrick M. Rooney, director of research for the Center on Philanthropy. "About 45 percent of households give to religious organizations such as houses of worship, while 60 percent give to secular organizations and 37 percent give to both types."

Other key findings about giving in 2004 include:


The largest percentage of households gave to religion, donating an average of $1,858.
28 percent gave to meet others basic needs, giving $182 on average.
27 percent made contributions totaling an average of $502 to "combined purposes" such as United Way, Jewish federations, and other charities that raise funds to redistribute to a variety of recipient organizations.
23 percent donated to health causes, giving an average of $257
Just over 24 percent of households gave in late 2004 or in 2005 for relief efforts related to the 2004 Asian tsunami, with an average gift of $121.
Higher income donor households, those with incomes of $100,000 or more, give a lower percentage of their income on average (2.2 percent of income) than do those with incomes under $50,000, who give 4.2 percent of their income.
However, higher income households are more likely to give: 93 percent of higher income households reported donations of $25 or more to charity, compared to 56 percent of lower income households.


COPPS is conducted every two years (beginning in 2001) in conjunction with the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), a landmark recurring survey by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research initiated in 1968. COPPS data and analysis help the nonprofits that depend on charitable giving understand how and why people give and strengthen their operations to raise vital resources to meet human needs and enhance the quality of life in communities. They also allow policy makers to evaluate the potential impact of tax law changes that could stimulate or hinder giving by changing tax rates, tax brackets, or the types of donations that can be deducted from income taxes.

Key results of the latest survey, including percentages of households giving in 2004, average amounts contributed broken out by type of recipient organization, such as education or arts, and other findings are available under the Center on Philanthropy Panel Study section here

Working papers by scholars using COPPS data are also available from the Center on Philanthropy. Topics include how parental giving is linked with their adult children's giving; the amounts and percentage of income given to religion by adherents of different faith groups; and the relationship between living in an ethnically diverse community and charitable giving.

Scholars and nonprofit professionals who would like to access the COPPS dataset free of charge online in downloadable formats may contact Melissa Brown at msbrown@iupui.edu or 317-278-8964.

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, a part of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy, improving its practice, and enhancing participation in philanthropy through research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising, and management of nonprofit organizations.

» Posted: December 04, 2007

7 Petitioners File for Hearing on Uranium Mine Expansion

News Category Tag: Announcements

First Request for Nuclear Regulatory Commission Hearing in 17 years

WASHINGTON, D.C. On November 12, 2007, seven Petitioners from parts of the poorest region in the United States asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to participate in decisions relative to uranium mining and its harmful effects in northwestern Nebraska and the Lakota (Sioux) Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Southwest South Dakota. According to NRC sources, this is the first request to intervene in an NRC proceeding relating to the expansion of an existing uranium mining operation in approximately 17 years. The petitioners are Thomas Cook, Chadron Native American Center, Slim Buttes Agricultural Development Corp., High Plains Community Development Corp., Western Nebraska Resources Council, Debra White Plume, and an Oglala Lakota nonprofit organization called Owe Aku.

Canadian-owned Crow Buttes Resources, Inc. (CBR) is asking the NRC for a permit to expand uranium mining in and around Petitioners' towns, farms, and Indian territories. Petitioners assert that CBR's process currently consumes and contaminates 4.7 billion gallons of water per year from the High Plains Aquifer which is also the water source to communities in eight western states. The petition (see www.bringbacktheway.com for text) challenges CBR's request for an additional 2.4 billion gallons a year to expand its operations. CBR's application is made while drought is depleting the aquifers at 160% of recharge.

In addition to the use of additional valuable water resources, CBR has admitted to:
- a spill of approximately 300,000 gallons of radioactive liquid waste at its mine in Crawford, Nebraska;
- failure to clean up one-third of the spills equaling approximately 100,000 gallons of radioactive liquid waste;
- admission that a broken coupling led to a one gallon per minute leak for several years into the Brule aquifer. It is believed that the leak resulted in toxic contamination of at least 525,000 gallons of water per year; and
- admission of a leak that contaminated 25,000 sq. ft. of the Brule aquifer.
From existing operations, CBR has had no less than 23 reported leaks of radioactive material. Petitioners assert that this contradicts CBR's statements that they have operated without any environmental impact and indicates that CBR should not be allowed to expand its existing operations. As one member of the Western Nebraska Resources Counsel stated, "In our book, you clean up your first mess before you are allowed the opportunity to create a new mess."

Petitioners are asking the NRC for a chance to submit evidence that a slow-moving, underground radioactive plume of contaminated water is moving through several inter-connected aquifers. It is believed that CBRs admitted contamination of the aquifer "plumes" through the Arikaree, Brule and High Plains aquifers. CBR's expansion application to the NRC states that the toxins that have leaked into the aquifers probably enter the human body through water as well as food sources exposed to the contamination. These toxins include Radon-222, Thorium, Uranium and inorganic Arsenic. As part of the application process, Petitioners seek an evaluation of CBR's proposed expansion relative to the health and environment of people and wildlife relying on the aquifers. The Arikaree aquifer lies directly under the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Petitioners believe there is a link between 98 wells that were closed on the Western side of the Reservation because of radioactive contamination and unusual incidences of cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, miscarriages and infant brain seizures.

Indigenous Petitioners from Native American communities also assert that the United Nations' Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples applies. Article 32 acknowledges that Indigenous peoples have a right to "free, prior and informed consent" with respect to development, utilization or exploitation of mineral resources. It further provides that "[s]tates shall provide effective mechanisms for just and fair redress for any such activities, and appropriate measures shall be taken to mitigate adverse environmental � impact." To date, no opportunity has been provided for members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe or Native communities to analyze CBR's License Amendment or its affect on Indigenous lands and resources. Petitioners stress that it would be entirely consistent with international human rights standards if the NRC affirms the Indigenous peoples' right to intervene in the permit process for CBR's application.

It is currently unknown when to expect a decision from the NRC.

Contact: Debra White Plume, Executive Director, Owe Aku, 605-455-2155, lakota1@gwtc.net. Or Kent Lebsock, Owe Aku International Human Rights Project, 917-751-4239, iamkent@verizon.net.

» Posted: December 03, 2007

HEEF Receives 2007 Outstanding Philanthropic Organization Award

News Category Tag: NAP News

Hopi Education Endowment Fund were presented the 2007 Outstanding Philanthropic Award at the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference in Sedona, Arizona.

On behalf of HEEF, LuAnn Leonard (Executive Director) was among others who were honored to accept the award. After receiving the award, LuAnn made the following comments:

"Just so you get an idea of where we come from . . . Imagine being 75 miles from the nearest conveniences such as a bank, a dry cleaner or 90 miles from a Starbucks. Some might say we are in the middle of nowhere but we're exactly where we should be, on our aboriginal homelands in Northern Arizona.

We're a small staff of 3 supported by a Board of 29 generous members from across the US. We came into our jobs with no fundraising experience but had a deep commitment and desire to help ensure the future of our Hopi people. Terms such as direct mail, planned giving, charitable remainder trusts were foreign to us.

Individuals such as Barbara Poley and Loris Taylor helped to plant the seed of Philanthropy while others such as Alice Ferris, Jim Anderson, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Non-Profit Resource Center have helped to cultivate and nurture the seed.

Throughout this growing process we've seen individuals leave a legacy through planned giving, we've experienced the excitement of securing a major sponsor to underwrite an event and we've learned that through the process of forging relationships with donors all examples that we've been taught are possible and achieve able.

We recognize that there are many organizations throughout Northern AZ deserving of this recognition and are humbled and thankful to be selected by the Northern AZ AFP.

It is with great pride that we accept this award as it honors the visions of our Hopi leaders past & present. Askwali!"

Congratulations to the Hopi Education Endowment Fund - friends of Native Americans in Philanthropy.

» Posted: December 03, 2007

American Bison are sent back to the Lakota in South Dakota

News Category Tag: NAP News

Watch this amazing video. A herd of American Bison (Tatanka) are sent back to the Lakota in South Dakota. Sponsored by the Catalina Island Conservancy. Directed, cut and shot by Shawn Thompson. Made possible by a gift from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. Watch the Video Now!

» Posted: December 03, 2007

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

News Category Tag: Announcements

Support for Indigenous Community Programs
Seva Foundation: Native American Grants Program
The Seva Foundation serves people around the world who are struggling for health, cultural survival, and sustainable communities. Seva's Native American Grants Program provides support to Native American-led organizations working to devise solutions to the challenges that face their communities, with emphasis on spiritual and cultural renewal, health and wellness, protecting Mother Earth, economic development, education, and indigenous youth. Grants are provided to nonprofit organizations, Indigenous Nations, and public agencies that provide programs in urban and rural Indian communities throughout the United States. The next application deadline is March 1, 2008. Visit the Seva Foundation website for application guidelines.

Grants Target Economically Isolated Populations
Hitachi Foundation: Business and Communities Grants
The purpose of the Hitachi Foundation's grantmaking strategy is to enhance the well-being of economically isolated people in the United States. The Foundation's Business and Communities Grants program invests in path breaking practices for use by business and nonprofit organizations to mutually address community problems. Through this program, the Foundation supports partnerships that enable economically isolated people to retain and advance in their jobs, earn living wages, and accumulate savings and assets. Full proposals may only be submitted at the Foundation's invitation. However, the Foundation has developed a web-based system for inquiries from nonprofit organizations. Visit the Hitachi Foundation website for program details and online inquiry instructions.

Funds for National and International Projects
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 to �help people help themselves.� Specifically, the Foundation supports children, families, and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. For greatest impact, the Foundation targets its grants toward specific areas, including health, food systems and rural development, youth and education, and philanthropy and volunteerism. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the southern African countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Proposals are accepted online year-round. For more details, visit the W.K. Kellogg Foundation website.

Services for Disabled Children Supported
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation
The Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States that are dedicated to providing direct care or services for children with special needs, acute illnesses, or chronic disabilities. Preference is given to small organizations that might not otherwise be helped. Grants support new ideas and approaches to providing services as well as equipment purchases. Requests are accepted from January 1 through August 31, annually. Visit the Innovating Worthy Projects website for application guidelines.

Grants for Pacific Northwest Organizations
Charlotte Martin Foundation
The Charlotte Martin Foundation is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth in the areas of athletics, culture, and education. An additional focus of the Foundation is preserving and protecting wildlife and habitat in the Pacific Northwest. Support is provided to nonprofit organizations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington that address the Foundation's priorities. Online applications may be submitted at any time. Visit the Charlotte Martin Foundation website for details on the Foundation's focus areas and online application information.

» Posted: December 03, 2007

Women's Leadership Scholarship

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Women's Leadership Scholarship (WLS) formerly known as the Native Leadership Scholarship program creates educational opportunities for women who are grassroots leaders, organizers, and activists from the Global South and/or from indigenous groups. WLS invests in women's leadership by supporting non-doctoral graduate education in human rights, sustainable development, and public health.

Pre-applications for the 2008-09 academic year are due March 14, 2008. For more information please visit www.nativeleaders.org where you will find a more complete description of the Scholarship guidelines and eligibility requirements.

» Posted: November 28, 2007

Honoring Nations 2008 Call For Nominations and Applications

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Honoring Nations 2008 awards cycle is open for nominations and applications. Since 1998, the Honoring Nations program, administered by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, has awarded 92 tribal programs, initiatives, and/or collaborations that reflect the vitality and promise present in Indian Country.

To nominate a program or apply for an award, visit the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development website, or phone 617-496-4229. Eligibility requirements are listed on the website. The application deadline is January 11, 2008.

» Posted: November 28, 2007

House passes legislation to designate a Native American Heritage Day

News Category Tag: NAP News

Posted: November 16, 2007
by: Staff Reports / Indian Country Today

WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation Nov. 13, introduced by Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., that encourages the designation of the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. The Native American Heritage Day bill, H.J. Res. 62, encourages the establishment of a day to pay tribute to American Indians for their many contributions to the United States.

''Native Americans have enriched American culture throughout their proud history,'' Baca said. ''It is important that we recognize these contributions and ensure all Americans are properly educated on the heritage and achievements of Native Americans. For years, I have fought to ensure Native Americans receive the recognition they deserve, and today, I am proud the House has passed this vital bill.''

The Native American Heritage Day bill encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day, through appropriate ceremonies and activities. It also encourages public elementary and secondary schools to enhance student understanding of American Indians by providing classroom instruction focusing on their history, achievements and contributions.

''This bill will help to preserve the history and legacy of Native Americans,'' Baca added. ''Native Americans and their ancestors have played a critical role in the formation of our nation. They have fought with valor and died in every American war dating back to the Revolutionary War. We must encourage greater awareness of the significant role they have played in America's history.''

The Native American Heritage Day bill is currently supported by 184 federally recognized Indian tribes throughout the nation. The bill has also gained wide support in the House of Representatives, including co-sponsorship from the chairman of the Native American Caucus, Rep. Dale Kildee.

Baca has been an active member of the Native American Caucus in the House of Representatives since first coming to Congress in 1999.

» Posted: November 20, 2007

First Nations Development Institute Fellowship Program

News Category Tag: Announcements

First Nations Development Institute is pleased to announce travel fellowships for their upcoming national Native investor education Train-the-Trainer event on December 4 & 5, 2007. To learn more about the travel fellowships, visit our website

» Posted: November 20, 2007

Request for Proposals: Tribal Tobacco Education

News Category Tag: Announcements

We are releasing two Request for Proposals (RFPs) focused on tribal tobacco education and policy work. We will fund up to six projects in Minnesota Indian country to education about the harms of commercial tobacco use and secondhand smoke and advance comprehensive smoke-free tribal policies on tribal lands. The two RFPs are:

1. Tribal Tobacco Education and Policy (RFP CD-08-01)Up to five projects may be funded on reservations for one year. They will be renewable based on performance. Amount: $150,000 per year.

The purpose of this Tribal Tobacco Education and Policy RFP is to support the development of a reservation initiative to promote American Indian health and advance comprehensive smoke-free tribal government policies on tribal lands in Minnesota.

2. Tribal Tobacco Education and Policy Collaborative (RFP-08-02)One project will be funded for two-years and is renewable based on performance. Amount: $400,000 ($200,000 per year).

The purpose of this RFP is to support the development of a leadership collaborative (e.g., a network or coalition) to promote American Indian health and advance comprehensive smoke-free tribal government policies on tribal lands in Minnesota.

This visionary, reservation-based initiative will provide strategic leadership and technical assistance to Tribal Tobacco Education and Policy Grantees (RFP CD-08-01) and other stakeholders to advance their work.

The RFPs and all necessary documents for applying are available for download at Clearway Minnesota's homepage or by contacting Jaime Martinez, Director of Community Development.

» Posted: November 20, 2007

Call For Sessions for AGAG 2008 Annual Retreat

News Category Tag: Announcements

The Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group invites grantmakers and affinity group colleagues to submit a session proposal for the AGAG 2008 Annual Retreat taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, February 7-8, 2007.

For more information and guidelines, please download the Call for Sessions document, or visit our website at www.africagrantmakers.org . All proposals are due by Friday, November 30, 2007.

» Posted: November 20, 2007

Shakopee Mdewakanton Becoming A Charitable Player

News Category Tag: NAP News

Prior Lake, Minn. (AP) ― The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the owner of Mystic Lake Casino, plans to hand out $21 million this year, making the tribe a major philanthropic player in Minnesota and possibly the most generous tribe in the country.

To read this article, click here

» Posted: November 20, 2007

Giving is easy, picking charity is hard

News Category Tag: Announcements

By Kara McGuire, Star Tribune

Last update: November 15, 2007 � 5:53 PM

Each year I plan to be more mindful when it comes to charitable giving. The next thing I know, it's November and I find myself with a pile of solicitation letters and a pile of unanswered questions. Which charities need my money the most, I wonder. How much should I give? And how do I learn more about smaller nonprofits in my neck of the woods?

I figure I can't be the only person in this pickle.

So on behalf of all hasty charity check writers, I asked three philanthropic pros to help us donate money, time and stuff more wisely.

"Identify a cause that is important to you," says Helen Ng of the Charities Review Council. That might be supporting research for a particular disease or an organization that works on making cities more bike-friendly. "Those are the gifts that are going to mean the most," adds Christine Durand, communications director for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

To read more click here

» Posted: November 16, 2007

Call for Women's Leadership Scholarship Applications

News Category Tag: Announcements

A funding opportunity for women pursuing non-doctoral level graduate education, The Women's Leadership Scholarship (WLS) (formerly the Native Leadership Scholarship) program creates educational opportunities for women who are grassroots leaders, organizers and activists from the Global South and/or from indigenous groups. WLS invests in women's leadership by supporting non-doctoral graduate education in human rights, sustainable development, and public health.

For more information, visit nativeleaders.org

» Posted: November 13, 2007

Foundations Step in to Support... The Center of American Indian and Minority Health

News Category Tag: NAP News

Since its inception in the early 70s, the Duluth campus of the Medical School has recruited and guided Native American men and women who wish to become physicians. I am one of those graduates. Today I direct the Center
of American and Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH), where we encourage and support young Native Americans to go to school, stay in school, learn to
appreciate science and math, apply to medical school, and become Native American physicians. By I mean physicians who have learned to effectively integrate Native American traditions with their medical practices.

Our vision for CAIMH is in jeopardy because of massive federal Title VII funding cuts of $1.1 million. We have cut programs, staff, and initiatives. As a result, our momentum is flagging, plans for growth have stalled, and educational and health care initiatives to address Native American Health disparities will suffer. I am honored and gratified by the support we have received from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux and the Medtronic and Otto Bremer Foundations for our medical student programs. We also need gifts to rebuild our elementary and high school programs, because many
Native Americans need guidance at an early age if we expect them to enter college. In that regard, some call
our Center a pipeline. I call it a path to a brighter future.

The Minnesota Medical Foundation has helped us raise our visibility as well as funds. You can read more about us in the MMF online story, preserving a Critical Pathway.

About the author:
Joycelyn Dorscher,
jdorsche@d.umn.edu, a member
of the Turtle Mountain Band
of Ojibwe, has been with the
Center for 10 years.

» Posted: October 30, 2007

U of M receives $12.5 million gift from Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

News Category Tag: Announcements

UMN News
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (10/19/2007) --

Leaders of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) joined University of Minnesota officials today to announce a $12.5 million gift from the SMSC to the university. Ten million dollars will go to support the construction of TCF Bank Stadium and $2.5 million will go to a matching endowment fund, creating a $5 million endowment to provide scholarships, with a preference given to American Indian students. The $10 million stadium gift is the largest single private gift ever to Golden Gopher Athletics.

The Dakota people, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and all tribes in Minnesota have traditions that extend back thousands of years, said university President Robert Bruininks. This gift will tangibly link those traditions with new, shared traditions that we will celebrate and enjoy together, further enriching the legacy of TCF Bank Stadium.

We thought it important to support this cause as a way to encourage a better understanding of the history and role of Indians in Minnesota, said Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Stanley R. Crooks. The U of M is a fine institution of higher learning and what better place to promote the role of Indians in this state. The endowment will provide opportunity for more Indian students to seek out a college education at the university so that they can better serve their tribal communities. We need Indian doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants and leaders to help Indian people be self-sufficient.

In recognition of the significance of the gift, both the west hospitality plaza - the largest and most central plaza for the stadium - and the scholarship will be named in honor of the SMSC. The proposed name of the plaza, along with more details about the design, will be announced at a later time.

Bruininks said the university will work with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to design and build a plaza that will exhibit and celebrate the history, presence and cultural contributions of American Indian tribes in Minnesota.

TCF Bank Stadium, which is scheduled to open in Fall 2009, is being funded in part by $86 million in private gifts and sponsorships. With the SMSC gift, the total amount raised is $73 million, with $13 million yet to be raised.

More about TCF Bank Stadium can be found at www.umn.edu/stadium.

» Posted: October 25, 2007

National Museum of the American Indian accepting applications for Visual & Expressive Arts Grants

News Category Tag: Announcements

National Museum of the American Indian Visual and Expressive Arts Grants include funding for exhibitions and publications, with the goal of increasing the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the work by living Native artists and strengthening the scholarship in this underserved field. Supported activities include exhibitions, installations, publications, and critical writing, which should interpret and present the work of contemporary Native visual artists to the public and encourage dialogue and critical commentary about contemporary Native visual arts. The grants will be competitive, awarded by application only. The selection panel will include NMAI curatorial staff and outside experts in the contemporary art field. At least 50% of the proposed project artists/authors/curators must be Native American.

The amount of each award will be $7500-$15,000 per project. Funds may be used to cover artist, curator, or author fees; hard costs such as shipping, printing, reproduction rights, and exhibit materials. Project budgets must show a minimum 50% match by the applicant organization or other anticipated funding sources. Funds may not cover entertaining (i.e., reception costs), postage, advertising, travel, operating expenses, competitions, or fundraising.

The NMAI Visual and Expressive Arts Grants must be credited in all publicity and written material. The NMAI is able to present this opportunity for creative artists thanks to generous support from the Ford Foundation's IllumiNation grant program. A mid-term and final report will be required.

Please visit www.americanindian.si.edu for more information about this amazing opportunity!

» Posted: October 25, 2007

Native American Rights Fund National Winners Announced for Young Native American Artist Competition

News Category Tag: Announcements

BOULDER, CO-The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is pleased to announce the winning entries for its upcoming 2nd Annual Art Show "Modern Day Warriors: Empowering the Young Voices of Native America." NARF sponsored the national art competition open to Native artists ages 15-35 years. Thirty-nine artists representing 34 different American Indian tribes from across the country participated in this year's competition. A total of 103 works of visual art were reviewed by a national jury comprised of artists and non-profit, business, media, publishing and marketing professionals who chose a total of 50 works of art to be exhibited at the NARF Modern Day Warriors Art Show on November 10th in Boulder.

For more information contact:
Crystal Echo Hawk
Native American Rights Fund
Assistant Director of Development
1506 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80302
Tel: 303.447.8760
www.narf.org

» Posted: October 25, 2007

Blackfeet auction raises money for Indian community

News Category Tag: Announcements

By JODI RAVE
Lee News Service Tuesday, October 02, 2007

EAST GLACIER, Mont.,--Two bidders, a cowboy and an Indian, quickly drove up the price on a painted buffalo robe Saturday night at the Harvest Moon Ball here.

"Seven thousand, now going eight who'll give me 11?" asked auctioneer Fred Burow. A blond-haired Rusty Garrett calmly tipped his black cowboy hat to signal he was still in the game. The ballroom audience whooped and clapped their hands. The auctioneer coaxed J.D. Colbert, a Chickasaw/ Choctaw from Denver, Colo., to bid higher.

The man in the black hat from Tucson, Ariz., ended the duel with a $12,000 final bid, prompting a German woman at a nearby table to joyfully wave her arms in the air. It was Angelika Norman, the wife of Darrell Norman, painter of the buffalo robe.

Some 200 people in Glacier Park Lodge punctuated Garrett's bid with wild applause. But he and Colbert were only warming up, as the art auction continued through the night in "the big tree" lodge where 800-year-old cedar and pine poles soar 50 feet to the wood-planked ceiling. Read this article...

» Posted: October 12, 2007

First Round Grants Publicized for the Cutlrures of Giving: Innovation and Impact program

News Category Tag: Announcements

Inaugural Grants Made from Fund Created to Advance Giving among Emerging Donor Communities
$1.59 Million from W. K. Kellogg Foundation Cultures of Giving Fund goes to 14 U.S. Grantees (including Native Americans in Philanthropy)

NEW YORK (September 24, 2007) - Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has announced the inaugural grantees of the Cultures of Giving Fund, an innovative initiative created by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to empower emerging donor communities - notably the African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American and underserved immigrant communities - to lead, develop and grow philanthropic resources that address community causes. Grants totaling $1.59 million were awarded to 14 non-profit organizations across the United States and include six challenge grants to stimulate and increase the impact of giving from donors from the targeted communities. The remaining eight grants support the development and dissemination of training tools and other services to help community-based organizations engage these donors and strengthen their connections to social change issues. View Press Release & List of Grantees.

This project was supported by the Cultures of Giving Fund, established at the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors with major support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

» Posted: September 27, 2007

A Step Forward for Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations

News Category Tag: Announcements

New York City, September 13, 2007: Thirty years - nearly to the day - after Indigenous Peoples were first invited to Geneva, Switzerland to declare their issues to the global arena, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP), setting a minimum international standard for the protection and promotion of the rights of the nearly 400 million Indigenous Peoples of the world.

"This was an historic day, and a step forward to help assure Indigenous Peoples" treaty rights, human rights, and self-determination," stated Tonya Gonnella Frichner, North American Regional Representative to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2008-2010). A citizen of the Onondaga Nation, Ms. Frichner is President of the American Indian Law Alliance, which has participated in a lead role in the development and articulation of the Declaration since early in the process and also the Vice Chair of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, an international Indigenous Peoples' organization involved with human rights advocacy.

With a majority vote by governments of 144 Yes, 4 No (U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia) and 11 Abstentions, this Declaration is uniquely situated as being the sole UN Declaration which was drafted in concert with the rights-holders, Indigenous Peoples. The forty-six articles represent many decades of work by Indigenous leaders, human rights advocates, governments and UN agencies. It was interesting to note, however that Mexico, which had taken a strong role in the negotiation process, was not listed as a sponsor as expected. Now adopted, the next step for governments of the world is to set forth their intended implementation strategies by reviewing and assessing their respective countries' policies, legislation, programs and other applications in light of this new standard in all their dealings with Indigenous Peoples.

A milestone in the legacy of the UN system, the Declaration directly addresses Indigenous Peoples' human rights - including both individual and collective rights, cultural rights as well as rights to language, health, and education, among many others - and further articulates a mandate for free, prior and informed consent by Indigenous Peoples to development on Indigenous territories.

The 144 yes votes by members of the UN General Assembly (GA) supporting the adoption echo around the world to the great joy of Indigenous Peoples and human rights champions. Unfortunately, those present at the GA noted that of the 144 governments that voted for the Declaration, some 20 said in explanation of their votes that, for them, "individual human rights superceded collective rights, or that the Declaration must not challenge the territorial integrity or political rights of the state." Others, like the Swedish Ambassador, appeared to limit Saami territorial and resource rights in Sweden in regard to herding rights.

The statement by Norway's Ambassador, however, was most welcomed in that he noted an understanding that the Declaration illustrated, but did not limit, ways in which Indigenous Peoples may exercise their self-determination. He also asserted that the 1970 Declaration on Friendly Relations offered the correct interpretive context for the DRIP. Finally, although he regrettably noted that Norway would, "continue with military exercises" on Indigenous territories, he at least recognized that they had to meet the test of a 'significant threat' to "the public interest."

Indigenous leaders are very concerned about such positions. For instance, "the public interest" test could possibly be interpreted as a government's interest in mineral or water rights, or halting a blockade or march. In light of this, Tupac Enrique (Xicano-Nahuatl) director of Tonatierra, an Indigenous community development and human rights organization said, "We got out of the domestic cage, but now government-states are attempting to cage us within the parameters of territorial integrity and political unity, internationally, through the wording of the Declaration . . . This is unacceptable!"

Strong opposition to the Declaration's adoption came from the negative voting countries, such as Canada, which wrote, "In Article 26, the document states: 'Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired.' This could be used by Aboriginal groups to challenge and re-open historic and present day treaties and to support claims that have already been dealt with." Such remarks clearly mandate a close eye by human rights advocates, Indigenous nations, and governments as the implementation process unfolds around the world, impacting the lives, cultures, territories and futures of Indigenous Peoples.

As Indigenous leaders around the globe embrace the great potential inherent in this new human rights instrument, they also recognize there is much work still ahead of us all to assure protection of Indigenous Peoples' rights for generations to come. "This is a significant and momentous day in our history. A time when Indigenous communities and nations should take a lead role in breathing life into this new human rights document," noted Christopher Peters (Pohlik-lah), President of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development.

---------------------------------
Contacts:
Tonya Gonnella Frichner, President, American Indian Law Alliance, email: tonya@ailanyc.org
Tupac Enrique Acosta, Director, Tonatierra, email: chantlaca@aol.com
Tia Oros Peters, Executive Director, Seventh Generation Fund, email: tia7gen@pacbell.net

» Posted: September 17, 2007

Rural Nonprofits Must Overcome Significant Hurdles to Attract Funding

News Category Tag: Announcements

Report studies disparity in giving between urban and rural nonprofits, suggests ways to bridge gap.

Washington, D.C. - Grantmakers' perceptions of rural life, geographical isolation and capacity-building needs greatly reduce rural nonprofits' ability to secure funding, finds the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy in its latest report, Rural Philanthropy: Building Dialogue from Within.

NCRP will be presenting these and other findings, as well as recommendations on how to strengthen foundation giving in rural areas, during the Council of Foundation's Conference on Rural Philanthropy in Montana next week. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) inspired the Council to hold this conference after he spoke at the group's annual gathering last year.

Rural Philanthropy expands upon a 2004 NCRP report titled Beyond City Limits: the Philanthropic Needs of Rural America, which found that less than 1 percent of U.S. grantmaking foundations allocated money for rural development between 2001 and 2002.

The report defines areas as "rural" if they had population densities of less than 500 people per square mile "Rural nonprofits" are tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organizations located in or are serving rural areas. Roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas.

NCRP conducted focus groups with nonprofit leaders serving rural parts of California, Florida, Kentucky, Montana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. Participants revealed that they were concerned with how positive and negative perceptions of rural society may undermine foundations' willingness to approve grants.

"Generalities have the effect of masking contemporary issues affecting rural America, making it harder for rural nonprofits to attract grant-money," said Aaron Dorfman, executive director of NCRP.

Rural Philanthropy offers substantive recommendations on ways to make philanthropy more responsive to rural America, such as expanding flexible, multi-year grants for staff and technical assistance.

Rural Philanthropy is available for free download on the NCRP Web site. Hard copies are also available for $5 to members and $10 to non-members. For media interviews or to receive a media copy, please contact Yna Moore.

NCRP is a national watchdog, research and advocacy organization that promotes public accountability and accessibility among foundations, corporate grantmakers, individual donors and workplace giving programs. For more information on NCRP or to join, please visit: www.ncrp.org or call (202) 387-9177.

» Posted: August 27, 2007

Johanns Announces $4 Million in Grants for Tribal Colleges

News Category Tag: Announcements

Washington, August 7, 2007 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced the award of nearly $4 million in grants to 14 tribal colleges in seven states. The funds are being provided through the USDA Rural Development Tribal College Grant program.

Education is an effective economic development tool," Johanns said. "The grants to these institutions are one of the many ways Rural Development helps rural communities provide for their economic, business and social needs."

The funding awarded today will help tribal colleges purchase equipment, build or renovate classrooms, make needed repairs, and finance infrastructure improvements. In Wisconsin, for example, the College of Menominee Nation will receive $350,000 to buy furniture and fixtures for the library. Northwest Indian College in Washington state will get $45,700 to equip a new child daycare building. Sitting Bull College in North Dakota will receive $350,000 to construct a financial operations center. Read more about this release and see the list of grantees.

» Posted: August 09, 2007

I-35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE

News Category Tag: Announcements

While we at Native Americans in Philanthropy are thankful that our families are safe, the damage caused by the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis will have significant, long-term impact on the lives of those affected by the tragedy. Our hearts go out to everyone affected. Several organizations are providing relief efforts to those affected.

Below is a list of organizations providing relief efforts in response to the bridge collapse:

American Red Cross Twin Cities Area Chapter. Local organization meets all standards. The Charities Review Council has reviewed the organization. (612) 871-7676

Memorial Blood Centers Local organization meets all standards. The Charities Review Council has reviewed the organization. (888) GIVE-BLD

Minnesota Helps Fund: Bridge Disaster Fund. A collaboration of local funders to facilitate local contributions to disaster relief efforts. The purpose of the fund is to collect contributions and distribute them effectively to help the victims, rescuers, and families affected by the bridge collapse.

Salvation Army Northern Division Local organization. Review with the Charities Review Council is currently in progress. (651) 746-3400

Note: This list will be updated as information becomes available.

The FBI has issued an alert warning of bogus bridge-tragedy appeals. Protect yourself by verifying organizations before giving at the Charity Review Council's online at:http://www.smartgivers.org/home.html

» Posted: August 06, 2007

RURAL NONPROFITS MUST OVERCOME SIGNIFICANT HURDLES TO ATTRACT FUNDING

News Category Tag: Announcements

NCRP Press Release: Rural Nonprofits Must Overcome Significant Hurdles to Attract Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/2/2007

Contact: Yna Moore
NCRP
202.387.9177 ext.17
ymoore@ncrp.org

Washington, D.C. - Grantmakers' perceptions of rural life, geographical isolation and capacity-building needs greatly reduce rural nonprofits' ability to secure funding, finds the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy in its latest report, Rural Philanthropy: Building Dialogue from Within.

NCRP will be presenting these and other findings, as well as recommendations on how to strengthen foundation giving in rural areas, during the Council of Foundation's Conference on Rural Philanthropy in Montana next week. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) inspired the Council to hold this conference after he spoke at the group's annual gathering last year.

Rural Philanthropy expands upon a 2004 NCRP report titled Beyond City Limits: the Philanthropic Needs of Rural America, which found that less than 1 percent of U.S. grantmaking foundations allocated money for rural development between 2001 and 2002.

The report defines areas as "rural" if they had population densities of less than 500 people per square mile "Rural nonprofits" are tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organizations located in or are serving rural areas. Roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas.

NCRP conducted focus groups with nonprofit leaders serving rural parts of California, Florida, Kentucky, Montana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. Participants revealed that they were concerned with how positive and negative perceptions of rural society may undermine foundations' willingness to approve grants.

"Generalities have the effect of masking contemporary issues affecting rural America, making it harder for rural nonprofits to attract grant-money," said Aaron Dorfman, executive director of NCRP.

Rural Philanthropy offers substantive recommendations on ways to make philanthropy more responsive to rural America, such as expanding flexible, multi-year grants for staff and technical assistance.

Rural Philanthropy is available for free download on the NCRP Web site. Hard copies are also available for $5 to members and $10 to non-members. For media interviews or to receive a media copy, please contact Yna Moore.

NCRP is a national watchdog, research and advocacy organization that promotes public accountability and accessibility among foundations, corporate grantmakers, individual donors and workplace giving programs. For more information on NCRP or to join, please visit www.ncrp.org or call (202) 387-9177.

» Posted: August 06, 2007

Potlatch Fund - 2007 Native Arts Granting Cycle

News Category Tag: Announcements

Potlatch Fund is excited to announce the 2007 Native Arts Granting Cycle to benefit Native arts and cultures in the Northwest. Projects must be active during the granting period of October 2007 - September 2008. Grants will be awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000.

Types of Native Arts Grants
* Grants to individuals artists for their projects.
* Grants to arts organizations for arts projects.

Applications, in MS-Word format, may be downloaded from www.potlatchfund.org

» Posted: July 24, 2007