Welcome to E-News from Native Americans in Philanthropy!

Giving flows in a circle with good things and good news. I've had the good fortune of sitting in such circles. One circle was of women sharing stories and being reminded of the power in the beginning of each day when we begin it in a good way. The second circle was in the evening, a gathering of friends, laughing so hard my side hurt, sharing food and being reminded of how good the day is when we begin and end in a spirit of care, reflection, and commitment. In these circles we honor our ancestors, treasure the earth, sky, seasons, the gift of life and we do out best work together, bringing our best gifts forward on behalf of our communities.

Native Americans in Philanthropy brings to our circle of members some exciting announcements. First, the birth of Marcus Jason Snyder, son of Neely and Jason Snyder, both September 29 weighing in at 9 lbs. 9 oz! Baby and mom are doing well. Neely will be on leave until mid-November. With the assistance of our interns, Mike Coyne and Deanna Standing Cloud-Green, NAP is humming right along in preparation for our second announcement, The 3rd Annual Native Philanthropy - National Gathering to be held in Washington DC, May 2 & 3 at the Holiday Inn on the Hill. Reserve your room now by calling 1-800-638-1116 and identify yourself with Native Americans in Philanthropy. Make your flight arrangements early, mark your calendars and watch for more details!

Other news to share includes a Native Philanthropy regional gathering held in San Diego, September 15 in partnership with Potlatch Fund. We explored the wealth of knowledge in the room and the opportunities to raise visibility, knowledge and resources with Native communities in the Bay and surrounding areas.

"Building a Shared Understanding" was the theme of a daylong regional gathering at Mille Lacs Casino and Resort in Onamia, Minnesota. In partnership with the Minnesota Council on Foundations, we presented findings from our "Mapping Native Assets" research project, convened tribal and urban Native representatives and foundations to share their knowledge, present them with challenges and opportunities and begin the identification of strategies to build trust, respect and greater understanding among our communities and sectors. The report can be downloaded here from the website.

NAP is on the road, participating in the Diversity in Philanthropy Project, Philanthropy Northwest 30th Anniversary Conferences, IMN Native Finance Conference at Foxwoods Resort, and Indiana Center on Philanthropy 20th Anniversary events this fall. NAP members and board members are attending such gatherings as: NCAI, Grantmakers in the Arts, Grantmakers in Education, Independent Sector, Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Hopi Foundation Leadership Project and Potlatch Fund Gala.

We are also pleased to share that with a grant from the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisory and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Native Americans in Philanthropy is in the process of revising the Native Fundraising Curriculum developed with Indiana Center on Philanthropy in 1996. The new curriculum called "The Art of Giving" will include updated Fund Development strategies and donor education. It will be piloted through Fond du Lac Tribal Community College and select community gatherings before being formally released in late 2009.

You should have received the NAP Membership Directory by now. You will find it useful in your networking. There are two corrections/additions at the end of the newsletter. Please add Larry Smith and Kim Sundet Vanderwall to you directory.

We strive to include more and new resources to share on the NAP website and to link them directly to your websites. Please send us links for any information we can assist you in sharing with the network of Native philanthropy.

Enjoy the Fall E-Newsletter of Native Americans in Philanthropy and news we have to share.

-Joy
Anung Agoodag Giiwadinoog

Announcements

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

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

View more announcements

NAP Events

May 02, 2008
Native Philanthropy - National Gathering
NAP will host a national gathering to celebrate outstanding philanthropic practices in Indian Country and share knowledge of best practices in Native nonprofits and Native philanthropy. Members of Native Americans in Philanthropy will also convene the Annual Meeting followed by a reception.

The Native Philanthropy - National Gathering will be held Friday, May 2 and May 3, 2008.
Location: Holiday Inn on the Hill
Washington, DC
Reserve your room now by calling 1-800-638-1116 and identify yourself with Native Americans in Philanthropy.
View NAP Sponsored Events

General Events

November 06, 2007
Giving in the Connected Age
What is the essence of the connected age? Why is it different? And what do we need to change about our work as grantmakers to be successful? Do you ask yourself any of the following questions: How can I integrate technology into my work? What do I need to pay attention to? How do I get started? About the Program This program will provide an opportunity to learn about new technology and methods of connecting, and will highlight how members of our community use these methods to enhance and support their work. Come join us for a half-day follow-up to the January All Member Gathering to learn how the Philanthropic sector can be engaged with and informed by technology. The program will begin with a keynote from Allison Fine, the author of the highly acclaimed book, Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age . The keynote will be followed by an engaged discussion moderated by Chris Gates, Executive Director of PACE around specific examples from foundations that have used technology to inform their strategic planning and grantmaking, and will conclude with a networking lunch. Discussion Speakers Diana Scearce, The Monitor Institute and consultant to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation's Nitrogen Wiki Project Other speakers invited and will be confirmed shortly. Check back for more information Other Program Information Presented by NCG and PACE Sponsored by Walter and Elise Haas Fund, The Whitman Institute, Community Tecnology Foundation Financial Support from the Whitman Institute Directions to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Register here
Location: 2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300
Montain View, CA

January 18, 2008
Awakening Consciousness & Forming Alliances: Indigenous Peoples and Philanthropy
IFIP Conference: Mexico and Central America Regional Gathering - January 18-20, 2008

Join members of the philanthropic community on IFIP's first-ever regional convening scheduled to take place in Queretaro, Mexico, which features an optional post-conference trip to Oaxaca to explore the cultural richness and political reality of the state. This inaugural international gathering will bring donors and Indigenous leaders from around the world together to discuss emerging issues facing Indigenous communities. It will also explore new approaches to funding and provide strategies relevant to Indigenous issues and concerns primarily in Mexico & Central America.

This groundbreaking event is the first of several funder gatherings which IFIP will be planning in regions around the World in the coming years and will explore new ways to build true partnerships, provide real examples of best donor practices, and raise broader awareness of cultural, environmental and globalization issues in the region.

This convening will include informative sessions on issues faced in the region by funders and indigenous groups; Networking and Strategy sessions; Learning and discussion with indigenous leaders; Mexican history and culture; site visits to local indigenous communities.

A Call for Sessions is available until September 15th. To find out more about this event, please visit: www.internationalfunders.org.
Online Registration will begin in October, 2007.
Location: Queretaro, Mexico

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Job Postings

The California Wellness Foundation
Communications Associate
View This Job Posting

The California Wellness Foundation
Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Programs
View This Job Posting

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Resources

Stories of Success from Tribal and Native-Serving College
Rebuilding Hope, Reclaiming History and Culture, Restoring Health: Stories of Success from Tribal and Native-Serving College

The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development is rebuilding, retooling and restoring hope to the community and tribal college system.


Institute for Nonprofit Management
Nonprofit organizations work to meet the needs of the community. The Institute for Nonprofit Management works to meet the needs of nonprofits. Through high quality educational and training programs, INPM supports the development of a strong, informed and effective nonprofit sector. INPM's educational and training programs will teach you what you need to know to build your community through management and leadership in nonprofit organizations.

View resources

Corrections

Apologies from Native Americans in Philanthropy. These members name were accidentally dropped from the Membership Directory.

Larry Smith
Director - Third Millennium Initiative
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
550 W. North Street, Suite 301
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3272
Tel: 317-278-8979
Fax: 317-684-8968
Email: larrsmit@iupui.edu

Kim Sundet Vanderwall
Vanderwall Consulting
395 W County Rd C
Roseville, MN 55113
Phone 651 483-2524
Fax 612 677-3499
kim@vanderwallconsulting.com
www.vanderwallconsulting.com