Working in unprecedented partnership with other organizations, Native Americans in Philanthropy attracted more than 200 participants to its annual conference to promote more philanthropy in Native communities. The Native Philanthropy Institute was held on April 5-7, 2009, at the tribally owned Hyatt Tamaya Resort & Spa in New Mexico. 

Speakers such as New Mexico Secretary of Indian Affairs Alvin Warren and Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to be elected chair of the nation’s largest tribe, addressed the gathering. Partnerships with International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP), New Mexico Association of Grantmakers, and First Nations Development Institute helped increase both attendance and the quality of conversation, according to Joy Persall, executive director of Native Americans in Philanthropy.

“We worked in unprecedented partnership to design this gathering,” said Persall. “We received positive feedback about the great opportunity for conversation about funding indigenous work that crosses continents and other boundaries, thanks to the involvement of our partners.”

To read more about the 2009 Native Philanthropy Institute, click here.