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Press Release
First Nations Development Institute awards nearly $2 million to Native nonprofits and Tribes leading innovative, youth-focused programs
LONGMONT, Colo. (February 6, 2025) – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) today announced the awarding of $1.925 million in technical assistance and grant support to 33 Native-led nonprofits and tribes to develop and enhance projects that empower and inspire Native youth. Grants will help advance programs that focus on increasing youth leadership and providing opportunities for intergenerational transfer of knowledge.
Abi Whiteing (Blackfeet), First Nations Director of Native Arts, Language, and Knowledge, said the selected programs involve teaching Native languages, interacting with tribal elders, and sharing tribal traditions. “These projects are crucial to boosting confidence in Native youth, revealing potential, and creating leadership opportunities that have a direct benefit for Native communities and for all society,” she said.
Through the 33 community partners, First Nations expects to reach hundreds of Native youth, giving them a sense of place and connection that cultivates a future of bright and capable leaders, Whiteing said.
The grants are administered through First Nations’ Native Youth and Culture Fund, which was established in 2002 based on the knowledge that Native youth represent the future of Native communities.
The two-year grants were made possible with support from the Bezos Family Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Weingart Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the California Endowment, and the 11th Hour Project.
The following Tribes and nonprofit community partners were chosen through a competitive application process, and grants were awarded across three funding areas:
Support from the Bezos Family Foundation to foster leadership building, intergenerational mentoring, and language development to preserve, strengthen, or renew cultural identity, belonging, and resilience; and to expand youth access to cultural customs, beliefs, and traditional Native art forms using both traditional and modern technologies to revive and preserve tribal language, arts, and history.
- Aha Kukui O Molokai, Hoolehua, Hawaii, $60,000
- Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Lame Deer, Montana, $20,000
- Chickahominy Indian Tribe of Virginia, Providence Forge, Virginia, $60,000
- ‘Ekolu Mea Nui, Hauʻula, Hawaii, $60,000
- Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation, Winnebago, Nebraska, $60,000
- Huliauapa’a, Kailua Honolulu County, Hawaii, $60,000
- Igiugig Village, Igiugig, Alaska, $60,000
- Knik Tribe, Palmer, Alaska, $60,000
- Kul Wicasa Wopasi, Lower Brule, South Dakota, $60,000
- Sicangu Community Development Corporation, Mission, South Dakota, $60,000(This organization received an additional grant of $25,000 through a generous individual donor, Marjie Findlay.)
- Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada, Sparks, Nevada, $60,000
- Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, Zuni, New Mexico, $60,000
Support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to provide structured day or overnight camp programs that focus on recreational, cultural, educational, language, Native youth leadership, and intergenerational mentoring activities and provide opportunities to connect the outdoors.
- Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission, Glennallen, Alaska, $60,000
- Camp Laugh A Lot, Custer, South Dakota, $60,000
- Euchee Yuchi Language Project Inc, Supulpa, Oklahoma, $60,000
- Movement Strategy Center: Return to the Heart Foundation, Oakland, California, $60,000
- Native Movement, Fairbanks, Alaska, $60,000
- Native Village of Shaktoolik, Shaktoolik, Alaska, $60,000
- Piikani Lodge Health Institute, Browning, Montana, $60,000
- Sacred Bundle, Cass Lake, Minnesota, $60,000
- Tulalip Foundation, Tulalip, Washington, $60,000
- Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, Inc., Wallowa, Oregon $60,000
Support from Weingart Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the California Endowment, and the 11th Hour Project through First Nations’ California Tribal Fund for nonprofit program and activities that specifically serve Native youth in California.
- Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival, Fresno, California, $60,000
- Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, Upper Lake, California, $60,000
- Indigenous Youth Foundation, Inc., Willits, California, $60,000
- Mechoopda Indian Tribe, Chico, California, $60,000
- Paah Aama Paddle Club, Lower Klamath Basin, California, $60,000
- Potter Valley Tribe, Ukiah, California, $60,000
- Rincon Indian Education Center Inc, Valley Center, California, $60,000
- Save California Salmon, Orleans, California, $60,000
- Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Lakeport, California, $60,000
- Tubatulabals of Kern Valley, Lake Isabella, California, $60,000
- Wilton Rancheria, Elk Grove, California, $60,000
More information about First Nations, Native Youth and Culture Fund, and Native Arts, Language, and Knowledge Program, visit www.firstnations.org.
About First Nations Development Institute
Founded in 1980, First Nations works to uplift and sustain the lifeways and economies of Native communities through advocacy, financial support, and knowledge sharing. Through mid-year 2024, we have successfully managed 3,473 grants totaling $85 million to Native American projects and organizations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territory American Samoa. We envision a world in which Tribal Sovereignty is upheld, and Native ingenuity and knowledge are honored and respected. For more information, visit www.firstnations.org.
