Being a Good Relative

A Guide for Individuals and Organizations to Support Native-Led and -Controlled Initiatives

Currently, only four-tenths of one percent of private foundation funding supports Native causes, with about half of this amount directed to organizations that may be Native-serving, but are not Native-led. Allies need to support Native-controlled and -led organizations by directly investing in these organizations’ efforts to strengthen their communities through developing effective solutions that advance their work. The immediate need is great, especially for grassroots initiatives that receive even less funding from mainstream private philanthropy than larger, more established organizations.

These recommendations were initially developed for individual donors who are starting or increasing investments in Native communities through donor advised funds, but led to important conversations about how institutional funders can support the Native nonprofit sector as well. Thus, these recommendations are for various types of funders. The project team included additional resources and actions to take on your journey to being a Good Relative.