Current Projects

Native American Fund for Health Equity

First Nations’ Native American Fund for Health Equity launched in 2022 to increase philanthropic investment in Native American organizations and tribes in Colorado that are promoting health equity on their own terms, including by perpetuating Native languages and cultural practices.

With support from a two-year $1.5 million grant from the Colorado Health Foundation, First Nations formed  a Native American Advisory Committee to invite Native-led nonprofit organizations and tribes across the state to propose investments in the programs, services, infrastructure and capacity needed to advance health equity for Native Americans.

As of spring 2023, the committee had distributed $750,000 in funds to projects addressing multiple aspects of health equity, including housing, behavioral and physical healthcare, wellness, youth and elder services, emergency assistance, family support, community organizing, infrastructure, cultural programming, and more.

Community partners include:

  • Southern Ute Indian Tribe
  • Four Winds American Indian Council
  • Haseya Advocate Program
  • Indigenous Wellbriety Program of Southwestern Colorado Area Health Education Center

In 2024, an additional $213,000 was granted collectively to the following grantees:

  • Ute Mountain Ute
  • People of the Sacred Land
  • Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Task Force of Colorado
  • Four Winds American Indian Council
  • American Indian Academy of Denver
  • Denver Indian Center Inc.
  • Denver Indian Family Resource Center
  • Denver Indian Health and Family Services Inc.
  • Denver March Powwow Inc.
  • Native American Housing Circle
  • Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow-wow Association, Inc.
  • Red Wind Consulting
  • Southwestern Colorado Area Health Education Center
  • Spirit of The Sun Inc.
  • Tallbull Memorial Council, Inc.
  • Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Advancing philanthropic support for Native-led organizations and causes

An important goal of this project is to further promote health equity by raising awareness of the underinvestment in Native communities by Colorado foundations and build relationships between Native organizations and tribes in Colorado with philanthropic institutions in the state.

Research by First Nations has found that only one-tenth of one percent (.1%) of Colorado philanthropy is awarded to Colorado Native American tribes and community-based organizations.

This finding adds to research published by First Nations in 2018, which examined community foundation giving to Native American communities and causes across 10 states. This research similarly found that, on average 15/100ths of one percent (.15%) of community foundation funding in this 10-state region goes to Native American organizations and causes annually. The findings suggest that there is very little funding interaction between Native communities and local community foundations.

Colorado Health Foundation reports it hopes that demonstrating this commitment to transparency and equity will galvanize other grantmakers to deepen investment in Native-led initiatives.

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