People across the U.S. receive little to no information about Native communities due to systemic erasure in media, education, and government. Decision-makers in various sectors and roles, including foundation CEOs, board members, and program officers, have not received necessary or accurate information to understand, let alone effectively support, Native communities.

“Native nonprofits have not, historically, been provided the opportunity or support to define success on our own terms, in a way that reflects the values and goals of the communities we serve. Rather, the goals and “successes” are more often defined by non-Native funders—those holding the power and monetary resources needed for Indigenous organizations to survive.” Additionally, systemic underfunding of Native-led nonprofits has created an environment of scarcity and competition that “stands in contrast to the values of collaboration and community success that have always supported Native communities to thrive.”

Excerpts and image from On Our Terms: Supporting a Thriving Native Nonprofit Sector.

Your team will receive a high-level introduction to key topics and terms that are important to understand as you begin or continue working with Native nonprofits. Gaining this fundamental knowledge will allow you to spend more time digging into the expertise and specific work of Native-led nonprofits and reduce the burden on their teams of educating you on the basics of Native communities.

Your team must commit continue learning through resources we share, other resources available online, and by building relationships with Native communities. We hope that what you learn calls you to act and more effectively support Native-led solutions.