First Nations believes that Native Peoples hold the capacity and ingenuity to ensure the sustainable, economic, spiritual, and cultural well-being of their communities.
We assert that Native people are no longer willing to be the subjects of colonial patterns of community development. Native people are no longer letting outsiders define how Native communities can or should be developed, or frame Native communities in a deficit lens.
Native people are saying loudly that they have their own solutions, frameworks, and knowledge systems that can and should be at the forefront of any community, economic, and social development agenda in Native communities.
First Nations believes these Native solutions should be supported, uplifted, and implemented for the benefit of Native people, their communities, and society overall.
Upholding these beliefs call for addressing the prolonged invisibility of Native American communities and causes, and actively seeking authentic Native American engagement.
We actively address the fact that:
- Less than one percent of total private philanthropic foundation funding goes to support Native American organizations and causes. In the last decade, the share of total foundation giving to Native American communities and causes has ranged from a high of 82/100th of one percent (0.82%) in 2015 to a low of 43/100th of one percent (0.43%) in 2022.
- Private philanthropy’s efforts toward equality and equity have not always extended to Native peoples. For example, only 7% of America’s largest foundations have Native American board representation, and Native Americans make up only 4/5th of 1% (0.8%) of foundation board of director members.
We call on Native peoples, supporters, and allies to join us uplifting and sustaining the lifeways and economies of Native communities through advocacy, financial support, and knowledge sharing.
Notes
- First Nations Development Institute. (2024). “Native Americans and Board Representation on America’s Largest Foundations.” Longmont, CO: First Nations Development Institute.
- First Nations Development Institute. (2024). On the Matter of Foundation Giving: Examining the Inequity of Private Philanthropy’s Investment in Native Communities.” Longmont, CO: First Nations Development Institute.