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Dear Reader
Happy New Year! Welcome to the Winter Edition
Newsletter of Native
Americans in Philanthropy. This edition brings to
you interesting news and articles from the field. I
would also like to point out that we are gearing up
for our Annual Meeting prior to the Council on
Foundations Conference in San Diego in April.
Please exercise your membership and submit
nominations for the
Louis T. Delgado Distinguished
Grantmaker Award (pdf) and/or
the Flying
Eagle Woman Community Based Philanthropy
Award (pdf). Watch your email
later in January for nomination forms for the Board
of Directors and events at the Annual Meeting.
The new website and database are live! Thank you to
First Nations Development Institute for the
important Capacity Building Grant which supported
and sustained this important work. Please submit
any job opportunities, events you are hosting,
articles that are pertinent to those working in the
field of philanthropy as well as grant seekers on an
on-going basis. We are striving to keep the website
current and relevant. Look for more articles,
resources and
links in 2005.
If your a member, THANK YOU! If not, please renew
your membership today - memberships are for our
fiscal year - June 1 to July 31.
Joy A Persall, Executive Director
From The Executive Director
This has been a busy, exciting, ever-changing
and sometimes challenging year for anyone working
in Native American communities, wether through
philanthropy, service or activism. We've seen
sovereignty under attack and pressure applied for
tribes to balance governmental budgets. We've seen
court
rules turned and overturned and turned around again.
Sometimes we win and sometimes we take a deep
breath and go at it again. And we all know, it's
just that deep, abiding, life-giving spirit that
carries us in to the next day and the new year.
The Board of Directors continues to provide wisdom
and guidance as we strive day-to-day to bring the
pertinent and critical information in front of
funders and provide guidance to non-profits in
search of more funding.
It is your continued support through membership and
grants that give us the critical support that
sustains the work. However, when the
the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic
Development releases a final working paper version
of its report, "Philanthropy in Indian Country: Who
is Giving? Who is Receiving?" (tentative title) you
will see that
while dollars have increased, the percentage to
Native communities has not. Our work is not done.
We haven't lost ground. We have more dollars in our
communities and more Native people in the field but
it isn't enough. In 2005 you can look forward to
increased opportunities to participate with each
other in raising awareness and advocating for
increase dollars and the increased participation in
decision making at all levels by Native American
peoples.
Programming will grow in response to your
requests and your participation. Look for programs
that will involve "Issue-Based" internet and
conference call convenings, increased research and a
website that provides current and applicable
information to you, our members.
Thank you for all the past support and continued
support
you continue to show. Congratulations to the Board
and membership for new staff, new systems, new logo,
new website, and new
offices. I wish you a successful and happy New Year!
Louis T. Delgado Distinquished Grantmaker Award Nominations Invited
 The essence of Indigenous cultures is manifested
through acts of giving. As an expression of their
cultures and in honoring the principle of
generosity, Indigenous peoples give to honor,
celebrate, and show their responsibility towards
family members, friends and community.
The nominee for the Louis T. Delgado Distinguished
Grantmaker Award nominees must fulfill the criteria
of understanding and advancing the role of
philanthropy between Native Indigenous communities
and mainstream philanthropy.
Criteria for the Nominee:
- Native or Non-Native individuals, foundations, or
non-profit organization;
- Works toward the enhancement of Indigenous
communities;
- Cultivates an understanding between Native
Indigenous communities and mainstream philanthropy;
- Works to foster, facilitate and provide
professional development in Indigenous communities; and
- Encourages and facilitates philanthropic
investment in Indigenous communities.
 Download the Delgado Award Nomination Form (pdf)
Flying Eagle Woman Community Based Philanthropy Award Nominations Invited
 The essence of Indigenous cultures is manifested
through acts of giving. As an expression of their
cultures and in honoring the principle of
generosity, Indigenous peoples give to honor,
celebrate, and show their responsibility towards
family members, friends and community. The nominee
for the Flying Eagle Woman Award for Community-Based
Philanthropy should be an Indigenous person who
clearly demonstrates that they are guided by
Indigenous thinking and philosophy, including a
holistic, community centered approach to living and
giving.
Criteria for the Nominee:
- Indigenous person (i.e. American Indian, Alaska
Native, Native Hawai'ian)
Demonstrate the following characteristics:
- Generosity of heart and action
- Humble demeanor - respectful and instills/receives
a great deal of respect in return
- Creativity in thought and capacity
- Tribal community orientation
- Good sense of humor
While the nominee may not necessarily be in the
spotlight nor have received a great deal of "press"
for the work that has been done, the following
should have been demonstrated:
- Consistently working within her/his Native
community for the enhancement of that community;
- Direct involvement and initiation of projects or
community based activities that clearly are aimed to
promote/maintain/recover a traditional relationship
to land, community and spirit;
- Creativity and resourcefulness in conflict
resolution/problem solving within a Native context;
- Generosity, sincerity and compassion exhibited;
- Participation in cultural matters and other
community activities.
Download the Flying Eagle Woman Nomination Form (pdf)
Announcing, "Philanthropy in Indian Country: Who is Giving? Who is Receiving?" (tentative title)
In early 2005, the Harvard Project on American
Indian Economic Development will release a final
working paper version of its report, "Philanthropy
in Indian Country: Who is Giving? Who is Receiving?"
(tentative title) by Sarah Hicks (George Warren
Brown School of Social Work, Washington University)
and Miriam Jorgensen (Harvard Project).
Using data compiled from Internal Revenue Service
records as reported by the Foundation Center, the
paper examines grantmaking by the approximately 900
largest foundations in the United States. While the
dataset does not capture all philanthropy to Native
America, it should provide a good picture of trends
within the non-Native, formal philanthropic sector.
Key findings from the research, which examined data
for the years 1989-2002, are:
Download the Harvard Project Memo (pdf)
"Walking Together": How a community foundation and tribal foundation are redefining philanthropy in New Mexico
"I have learned that philanthropy is all about
relationships," says Gil Sanchez, a member of the
Laguna Pueblo tribe who serves on the board of
directors of the New Mexico Community Foundation.
In his office on the Pueblo 45 miles west of
Albuquerque, Sanchez sits at the focal point of
where the field of philanthropy intersects with
Tribal America in a common interest of improving
lives. In addition to his board duties overseeing a
statewide foundation, Sanchez serves as executive
director of the Laguna Pueblo Department of
Education, which established its own foundation in
1995 to support the tribe's educational needs.
In 1998, the Laguna Education Foundation
became an independent,
nonprofit organization. Its first assets were a
$300,000 allocation by the tribal council, and the
funds created a permanent endowment housed at the
New Mexico Community Foundation (NMCF). Matching the
endowment with a $75,000 grant, NMCF welcomed the opportunity to build on a series of
successful projects involving Native communities
around the state by establishing a long-term
partnership with Laguna Pueblo.
"We call the way we do philanthropy 'walking with'
our partners," says Bob Stark, NMCF executive
director. "We call our grantees 'community
partners.' Donors are 'donor partners.' The idea of
'walking with' came from our indigenous partners.
There is the Navajo idea of 'walking in beauty' ...
 Download the full story on Laguna Education Foundation (.doc)
Getting to Know Your United Way
Are you a member of a Native organization or tribal
group that has identified strategies about how to
make your community a healthier place to live, work
and play? Is there a United Way in your community? If so, I'd like to share some information with you
that may help you to better leverage partnerships
with the "new" United Ways emerging around our
country.
First, let me explain why it's critical for you to
know about the "new" aspects of United Way. For the
past 100 years, United Way's reputation has been
that of a fundraiser. This fact no longer motivates
many of our major donors to give.
Having themselves been part of absolutely stunning
changes at their own workplaces, donors want to know
that their charitable gifts are producing results
and community change. An enormous transformation
is shaking up the United Way system and has been
going on for some time. Like all journeys of
transformation, the going is rough, but rewarding.
United Ways are changing
- from fundraising to community impact;
- from a focus on agencies and programs to
investments in strategies for community change;
- from a sole focus on client outcomes to a focus on
community outcomes;
- from the donor as giver to the donor as community
investor; and
- from just a local orientation to both a local and
systems focus.
This is just a little bit of background for you to
know about United Way. But you can find out more by visiting staff at your
local United Way. Call. Make appointments. Ask
questions. What are the organization's priorities
for community change? Ask for a copy of the annual
report. How does an organization get considered for
funding? What workshops are scheduled? What
volunteer opportunities are available? That's the
best way to understand an organization-being a
volunteer. It is especially important for Native
people to get on the boards of local United Way
organizations. As a board member, you will see
United Way behind the scenes and will be able to
join with other members with the same mission-to
improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of
communities.
-- The Essential Attributes of a Community Impact
United Way, page 6. United Way of America: Fairfax,
VA. 2003
submitted by: Alice Azure, United Way of
Southeastern CT
- Vice President for Services &
Planning, Member Native Americans in Philanthropy
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