In This Newsletter:

• NAP News
  • Call for Proposals: 2012 Native Philanthropy Institute
  • CoLA Applications now available!
  • Regional Action Network Gatherings
• Profiles on Native Leadership: Dawn Spears
• Member News
• Partners and Allies
• Calendar
• Resources
• Ways to Support NAP

NAP NEWS

CALL FOR PROPOSALS:  2012 Native Philanthropy Institute
The 2012 Native Philanthropy Institute will be April 26-27, 2012 at the Westin LAX located in Los Angeles, CA.  Native Americans in Philanthropy will create opportunities for attendees to build new and deepen existing relationships, promote knowledge and resource sharing, highlight examples of philanthropic and community partnerships, broaden and enhance the Native leadership pipeline, and explore intersections of identity and equity within diverse communities.

Native Americans in Philanthropy is pleased to announce its Call for Proposals for the 2012 Native Philanthropy Institute.  This year’s conference theme is Sustainable Native Futures: Leaders and Partners for Philanthropy.  The conference planning committee is seeking session proposals for inclusion in the conference program with specific interest around the topics of Leadership, Strategic Grantmaking/Partnerships and Organization Development.  Session proposals are due December 15, 2011.  

View more information and download proposal guidelines here.

Applications Now Available for the Circle of Leadership Academy
Native Americans in Philanthropy and The Center for Leadership Innovation are pleased to announce their partnership for delivery of the Circle of Leadership Academy (CoLA).  CoLA is an 18-month leadership development program that is designed to enhance and empower Native American leadership in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors.  CoLA engages emerging and mid-career Native American leaders and educates them in the field of philanthropy and nonprofits through professional development, networking and mentorship opportunities.  More information about CoLA can be found here.

The first national summit will kickoff CoLA on April 24-25, 2012 in Los Angeles, CA.  Applications and References are due to the Native Americans in Philanthropy office by Friday, December 16, 2011.

Regional Action Network Gatherings
As Native Americans in Philanthropy continues to deepen engagement with its members, partners and allies, a second round of Regional Action Network Gatherings is scheduled for the Fall of 2011.  All are encouraged to engage in this opportunity to join NAP board members and staff as they highlight opportunities for partnership, share resources and illustrate programs available through NAP that work to advance philanthropic practices grounded in Native values and traditions.

Gatherings have been scheduled for each of the regions.  Please click on your region's link below to register for FREE.  For more information and to learn what region you are in click here.  Regional gatherings are offered in a 1/2-Day format and for a copy of the agenda click here.

Northwest Region - Visit us at our booth during the NCAI Annual Convention on October 30 - November 4.

Pacific Region - December 1st in Oakland, CA at The California Endowment- and December 15th in Los Angeles, CA at The California Endowment.

Northeast Region - Sessions were held October 12th in Washington, D.C. at the National Congress of American Indians and October 13th in New York, NY at the North Star Fund.

Southeast Region - Visit us at our booth during the USET Annual Conference on November 7 - 10.

Midwest Region – November 29th in Chicago, IL. at John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Southwest Region - December 2nd in Chandler, AZ at the Wild Horse Pass Casino.

Central Region - November 28th in Stroud, OK at the Sac and Fox Nation Learning Center.

The next round of RAN Gatherings is being scheduled for February and March 2012.  If you would like to host an upcoming regional gathering please contact Daniel Lemm via e-mail for more information.  All RAN Gatherings are free and open to the public.  We encourage you to bring a friend, colleague and/or tribal leader to the gathering.

PROFILES ON NATIVE LEADERSHIP

Profiles on Native Leadership: Dawn Spears (Narragansett), New England Foundation for the Arts & NAP Treasurer

Dawn Spears’ appreciation for Native American art and history was instilled in her as a child and carried on into her career.  Raised by a single mother, Choctaw artist Diosa Summers, Dawn explained,  “I have been exposed to the arts all my life—with my mother being an artist and educator.”  One of the ways Dawn shows passion for her culture is as a current member of the Eastern Woodland Dancers.  With the dance group, she attends the Biennial Bermuda Reconnection Festival on St. David's Island.  The festival allows for descendants of the Pequot who were sold into slavery in Bermuda to get reconnected with their original tribe.  She has also served on the board at Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum in Rhode Island and is an officer for the United for Justice Campaign.  Dawn has been working in the arts, teaching and demonstrating throughout New England for over twenty years.

Prior to joining the New England Foundation for the Arts, Dawn devoted a decade to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) where she was involved in a variety of cultural initiatives.  At MPTN, she worked with in the Cultural Resources department and the Youth Cultural program.  The Schemitzun Feast of Green Corn, New Years Sobriety Pau Was (pow wow), Foxwoods Dance Troupe, and the One Nation Dance Troupe were among her areas of responsibility.  She was also involved in the Pequot Language Project and the Biennial Algonquian Languages Conference.  During her time at MPTN, she was able to work in many significant roles, but to her, one thing remained constant: she feels she has been fortunate in her career because all of her positions were not “jobs” to her.  She believes they were an extension of her passion for community, culture, and the arts.

“My time at MPTN brought invaluable experience, exposure to countless artists, and entertainers, champion dancers, and native language professionals.  I was a member of the dance troupes that traveled regionally and to France, Italy, Hong Kong, and we danced at the 1996 Inauguration ceremonies,” said Dawn.  “It gave me an opportunity to expand my knowledge and grow professionally as I moved from support staff to management,” she continued.  

After ten years with the MPTN, Dawn left to begin working on her own art again by teaching and demonstrating throughout the region.  The things that remained steady in her focus were family, community, as well as making and sharing traditional arts.  Dawn eventually sought a chance to work within her community.  She looked to the Narragansett tribal government for an opportunity, feeling she had experience that could be used within her own tribe.  “I also felt that if I ever wanted to serve in the capacity as a council member, this would be a means of orientation, familiarizing myself prior to pursuing that role,” she explained.  Dawn is currently serving her second term as Tribal Secretary and serves as Vice Chair of the tribe’s Language Committee.

Her lifelong interest and devotion towards art eventually brought her to work for the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA).  She was first introduced to the regional arts organization back in 2006 during a convening of local Native American artists to identify the needs of that area.  “I was one of the artists who attended their preliminary artist gatherings.  I knew at this convening that I wanted to be involved,” she stated.  Dawn had also worked with Theresa Secord (Penobscot) of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, and who was a NEFA board member at the time.  She was soon introduced to NEFA’s executive director, Rebecca Blunk, and the director of programs, Jane Preston, and met with them to discuss the early stages of the organization’s Native Arts program.  Dawn’s current role as program manager for NEFA has her overseeing the organization’s Native Arts program.  In addition to regional and national funding opportunities for Native American artists and organizations, the program provides professional development workshops for artists, holds artist gatherings twice a year, serves a resource for Native artists and arts professionals, and established the program as an advocate for New England artists.  

The Native Arts program is just one of eight program areas at NEFA.  The program cultivates and promotes the arts in New England and nationally by supporting Native American artists and organizations through an interconnected system of grants, professional development, and network building.  It promotes both the preservation of traditional art forms as well as their contemporary expressions in and across artistic disciplines.  NEFA accomplishes this through the National Native Artist Exchange and the Native Arts New England programs.  “Our regional program, Native Arts New England, provides grants of up to $3,000 to New England-based artists and organizations for artistic projects that involved or benefit their communities,” said Dawn.  The National Native Artist Exchange has a wider focus area and supports artistic exchange and collaboration between artists from different regions of the US, with grants up to $1,500.  In both programs, the grant awards support the artistic development, creation, and documentation of their work.  “Together, these regional and national support structures help Native artists build entrepreneurial skills, reach broader audiences, connect with new markets for their work, and gain access to financial resources.  A lasting community benefit is a key criterion for all projects,” she explained.

One of Dawn’s responsibilities as a program manager is to provide grant application workshops prior to each deadline throughout the six states of New England.  The workshops were initially designed to answer questions and guide applicants through the grant application process but have since evolved into professional development sessions for Native artists.  They offer grant writing training for the artists who often have minimal experience with the grant application process.  “By design, the program serves as an entry point for Native artists, connecting them to other funding and marketing opportunities at NEFA and elsewhere.  The Native Arts Program also hosts Artist Gatherings twice a year for grantees and other community members.  These gatherings foster community among Native artists,” explained Dawn.  

In 2009, NEFA initiated dialogue for a partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Preservation Foundation after noticing a lack of participation from Southeastern tribes in NEFA’s national funding opportunities.  “The Cherokee/New England Exchange was initiated in 2009 with talks of connecting New England to the Eastern Band of Cherokee in a community-to- community exchange.  We opened with matchmaking four pairs of artists,” said Dawn.  She continued, “I would like to replicate this in other communities across the nation.”  Dawn noted that many artists get comfortable working within their own region and this program offers an opportunity for artists to reach outside of their comfort zone and connect with an artist from another region.   NEFA currently supports this effort through their National Native Artist Exchange program.  As the program continues to grow, NEFA will continue to look for support to do more focused work such as supporting master apprenticeships, business and leadership development opportunities, youth opportunities, as well as environmentally focused projects.

It wasn’t until she came to work for NEFA that Dawn had considered working in philanthropy.  “I find myself naturally wanting to help and encourage artists, so this was an easy role for me to fill.  In many ways I am a late bloomer, but I work hard to meet the needs of artists and to be the resource that they need, when they need it,” she said.  Dawn believes that the regional programs that NEFA has are some of the best ways she is able to support and work within philanthropy while also giving back to her local community.  “I appreciate having the opportunity to work within my community and my region to provide this tremendous service and opportunity,” said Dawn.  She cites the work that NEFA does at a national level as important as well due to the lack of presence Native Americans often have in those larger circles.  “Any time that we can put ourselves into a new arena, we are making ourselves known,” she stated.

For Dawn, Native Americans in Philanthropy is work that identifies, connects and establishes relationships that can support the larger community.  “In a lot of ways, it’s about education, raising awareness, and being an advocate.  As we are in many other circles in society, we are a minority in this field.  I enjoy this role because it has been educational for me to learn and see firsthand just how under-represented we are in this field…As a cultural group, we are one of the smallest, which is hard to believe when you consider the fact that we are indigenous to these lands,” said Dawn.  Dawn explained that her art and work professionally reflects all facets of her life and allows her to represent her culture as an educator.  “Being able to dispel the myths and stereotypes of our people is my way of thanking those who came before me,” she said.  Although, like most others, she feels there is a lot of work to be done within the field of philanthropy as it relates to Indian Country, Dawn does see several positive changes such as more structured systems of giving and the establishment of more Native community foundations.  One very significant change is mainstream foundations opening up and being more culturally sensitive.  She hopes the changes continue to be positive.

She encourages anyone who has an interest in working in philanthropy to explore opportunities within the field.  She said, “It’s an interesting world with so many avenues that one could focus on from art, the environment, or social justice.  Whether you are someone who has the resources to support an effort or someone who wants to be the agent who is working to make a change—you will find a great sense of satisfaction as you make the connections and help channels funds where they are needed.”

Her mother, who lost her battle with cancer—leaving many of her art projects unfinished, continues to be a source of inspiration for Dawn and in the work she does.  “My mother has been my inspiration, she was a strong independent single mother who cared for her children but also became known for her work as an artist and educator,” she said.  “Her story has given me the strength to aim higher.  Life is short and we need to make sure that we give what we can, while we can,” she continued.  In her personal and professional life, Dawn continues to work in the arts—in her own work through a variety of mediums over the years.  Influenced by her mother’s own strength and commitment, Dawn surrounds herself with strong female role models and considers herself very fortunate to have, who she regards as, some of the top professional Native women in her circle of friends.
 

MEMBER NEWS

New & Renewed Members
NAP would like to take the time to recognize and welcome our new members and our recently renewed members.  Thank You!

Organizations
Aetna Foundation

Where’s your thank you?
Thank you to those who sent us a ‘Thank You’ in your Native language.  Here is what we have so far.  Is yours on the list?

Email the words thank you and the name of your tribe and language to Elaine.

Northwest Area Foundation Awards Nearly $1.6 Million to Boost Native Business Sector
The Northwest Area Foundation has announced grants totaling $1.59 million to seven organizations working to increase the number and strength of reservation-based Native businesses.

The grants were awarded through the foundation's new two-year Native American Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, which aims to bolster Native financial institutions that work to help establish new businesses and jobs. The announcement comes on the heels of recent foundation-sponsored roundtable discussions with Native and philanthropic leaders during which social entrepreneurship was identified as one of several investment pathways for creating thriving Native communities.

The Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network (ONABEN), which will lead the initiative, was awarded $491,627 to support an educational cohort in which participating Native organizations will meet regularly to learn and share best practices. To read the full press release, click here.

PARTNERS AND ALLIES NEWS

Featured Story: Critical Towers for Emergency Services on Yurok Lands
By Heather Bernikoff, California Consumer Protection Foundation

In the winter of 2005/06, severe storms caused mudslides and flooding in Northern California and the Yurok Reservation, located in parts of Del Norte and Humboldt counties, felt the impact.  Power and phone outages occurred, making it difficult for people, especially elders, to access emergency services. Additionally, the Yurok Tribe's rural emergency services radio relay became disabled due to their power source, a diesel generator, being flooded.
 

 Klamath River mouth near the Yurok

The pressing situation highlighted the lack of access to phone lines and the internet in those rural communities.  The Yurok Tribe recognized the need to build the infrastructure to support telephone and broadband service, as well as emergency communications.

The tribe approached the California Consumer Protection Foundation (CCPF) with their proposal to construct two telecommunication towers on the Yurok Reservation and acquired a planning grant of $12,000 in 2006.  In August 2009, the Tribe received an additional $50,000 grant from CCPF under the Community Collaborative Fund to begin construction, which it leveraged to obtain approximately $524,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture.

"CCPF played a critical role in launching this project," said Jim Norton, broadband manager for the Yurok Tribe.  "Their dedication and assistance really helped our project come to fruition."

One tower is complete and two additional towers are in the beginning stage of construction.  These three towers will serve approximately 2,000 tribal members and other residents on the Reservation and in the surrounding communities.  They will also provide wireless coverage in that area of the North Coast.   

Pictured: Heather Bernikoff and Jim Norton

The tribe's innovative strategy to bring these services into rural communities at a reasonable cost has become a model and is a perfect example of finding the "next best use" for settlement funds.  In this case, the funds were the result of the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE (now Verizon), which took competition - and service - out of the marketplace.

In fact, the Yurok Reservation and surrounding communities were once served by Verizon land lines, but due to a non-compete agreement between Verizon and another wireless service provider, they were unable to get any infrastructure investments for enhanced and affordable services, such as wireless coverage and broadband.

"Now that we are on the verge of delivering our first bandwidth, my phone rings several times daily with people asking, 'How soon?'" said Norton, "It's the question of the year."  Critical services are now fully connected to this innovative telecommunications system with the rest of the residents soon to follow.
 
To maintain these towers, space on the towers will be rented to other businesses offering a variety of services.  Currently, the tribe is in discussions with cell phone providers, radio stations and the government.

Photos courtesy of CCPF

America Healing: Black Foundation Executives Program
Over the next two years, Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) is working in close concert with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and other racial/ethnic affinity groups, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), and Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) to advance the foundation’s racial equity and racial healing work.  In partnership with WKKF, ABFE will bring together potential donors in regions across the country to highlight the programs and projects that are addressing systemic racism and the resulting issues and disparities that are preventing equal access to opportunity for our nation’s children.

Metrics for Movement Building
Audio and resources from LGBTQ Funders recent Symposium    
On September 21st, Funders for LGBTQ Issues convened a small group of grantmakers together to discuss attitudes/tensions around impact analysis and the use of metrics in movement building, and to share and brainstorm strategies for analyzing the LGBTQ movement's trajectory and the impact of their grantmaking. A group of about 30 grantmakers from 19 foundations participated in the symposium, Metrics for Movement Building.  Listen to audio from the gathering and view related articles here.

Indian Land Tenure Foundation Launches New Indian Estate Planning Project in Minnesota
Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) has launched a new will writing initiative—the Minnesota Indian Estate Planning Project.  The three-year project will provide free community education and estate planning services for tribal members of four Minnesota Indian nations—Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

The Minnesota Indian Estate Planning Project will address the loss of economic control Indian people experience as a result of a land ownership system created by the Nelson Act of 1889 (the act that divided Minnesota reservation lands into allotments) and the federal laws regarding inheritance of Indian land title.  In particular, the Project will address problems related to fractionated ownership of Indian land title, also known as “fractionation” which, over several generations, results in a dramatic increase in the number of ownership interests in allotments of Indian land.
To read the full press release, click here.

CALENDAR
The Center for Leadership Innovation (TCLI) 2012 National Summit
TCLI is convening its 2012 National Summit in New Orleans, January 17th – 20th, 2012 and we’re hoping that you’ll plan to attend.  Register by November 15th and save 50% on your registration fee.

We’ve got a great lineup of sessions and community tours.  We’ve engaged expert speakers and practitioners from The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, The Nonprofit Finance Fund, the Leadership Learning Community, Mestiza Leadership International, and TYTHE Design to share their knowledge about social sector innovation, financing, and design thinking.
For more information and how to register, click here.

NeighborWorks Training Institute
Washington, DC – December 12-16, 2011
Washington, DC is a perfect setting for the NeighborWorks Training Institute.  While DC is in many ways a dynamic and prosperous city, at the same time it's also a city with many communities in various stages of revitalization.  Perhaps more importantly, it's a city that plays an important role in influencing the state of communities across the country -- including yours.  Join NeighborWorks in Washington, and gather with colleagues to build your skills and grow your knowledge.  Network with your peers and learn about the latest best practices in the free afternoon workshops, at the networking reception and while exploring the many sites in this amazing city.  Enhance your career with nationally renowned training or by working toward a professional certificate.  Then return to your community with increased capacity and renewed enthusiasm for the important work you do.
For more information and to register, click here.

For more events, visit our website.

RESOURCES

Educational Website Project: Indians of the Midwest, Past and Present
The Newberry Library announces the launch of a multimedia educational website supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, titled Indians of the Midwest, Past and Present. The website focuses on Native people of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to explore several contemporary issues with roots in the history of the region: tribal sovereignty; hunting, fishing, and gathering rights; casinos and other tribal businesses; treaties; identity; museum collections and repatriation; stereotypes and their uses. Read more about the website here.

For more resources from NAP, click here.
Visit our website for a complete list of job postings.

Got NAP? Can’t wait until the next e-Newsletter? Want More NAP now?
Get updates on what NAP is doing and where we are going. Join the Native Americans in Philanthropy Facebook Page or follow us on LinkedIn!!

Not a member of NAP? Or need to renew your membership?
It’s easy! Go online right now to and pay later: http://nativephilanthropy.org/membership/join_now
 

WAYS TO SUPPORT NAP
There are a number of ways you can support NAP. There is something for every level of commitment. Here are just a few:
 
Membership - You can become a member of NAP with a level of your choosing. Individual gifts from members provide a large source of funding for general operating expenses such as our office space, phones, and other daily activities that are not always supported through grants.  Check out the benefits of membership here.
 
In-kind services/donations – Promote your business or products to Native communities. Donate your products or services to NAP for distribution at NAP events, programs attendees, and other opportunities.
 
Corporate and Foundation underwriting – NAP has a range of regional and national work that is sustained though programmatic-supported grants. If you are a funder and you are interested in partnering with NAP or would like to know more about the work NAP is doing, contact Elaine.
 
Major Giving – Individuals may offer unrestricted, philanthropic support in larger amounts (typically $1000+). Major gifts are the sustaining funds that often support the ongoing, strategic efforts of NAP’s work across the country.
 
Endowment – Your gift can be designated to go into the NAP Endowment.  Endowments are funds that are earmarked and invested as principal to remain intact in perpetuity to ensure the security and growth of NAP.
 
Planned Giving - You can leave a powerful legacy — to ensure the future financial stability of Native philanthropy in your community.
 
Volunteer activities – You can volunteer your time to NAP. Volunteer opportunities range from helping with mailings to leading panel discussions at events and organizing special events.
 
How will you support NAP?  Email us today.