Native Ways Federation was pleased to join the Philanos PowerUP! Texas 2026! Deputy Director Stephanie Zadora led an affinity session, served as a panelist, and received an Opportunity Advocate scholarship to join the conference.
AFFINITY SESSION
Funding Native Communities Everywhere: A Conversation With Native Ways Federation
Native-led nonprofits are working in urban, rural, and reservation communities across Indian Country to support arts and media, economic development, environmental stewardship, heath and wellness, and much more. With 71% of Native people living in urban areas, Native communities are much closer than you may think.
PANEL
Holding the Center: Uplifting BIPOC Voices in Challenging Times
Presented by Demetria Caston, Philanos Board (Moderator); Leticia de la Vara, Arizona Community Foundation; Pamela Benson Owens, Black Fund of Central Texas; Stephanie Zadora, Native Ways Federation
Designed for a time when funding to BIPOC communities has been cut, research is being silenced and stopped, and organizations are being told to scrub language from their work, this session focuses on how philanthropy can rise to meet the moment. Hear examples on how to center this work, support diverse communities and learn from grassroots organizations on how to be more effective.
Resources and reports
Start Your Research
Native Land Digital Map: Enter an address to find the tribes that call that place home and links to resources to learn more.
Tribal Land Areas Map: View mapped lands in Indian Country. Some tribal lands are very small, just 1 square mile, you may need to zoom in to a specific area to see the land areas.
Indian Reservations Map: This map has more details about the tribes associated with tribal lands and reservations, however, there are some tribal lands not represented.
Native Voices, History, and Contemporary Challenges
Letter From Minnesota: Our Work is to Protect What We Love–Diane Wilson on Traditions of American Violence, to Nature and Human Alike: An introduction to the Dakota people’s emergence, internment, and removal at the site where citizens and non-citizens are being detained today at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building.
On Our Terms: Supporting a Thriving Native Nonprofit Sector: Hear from Native leaders in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector in this report by Native Ways Federation and Melvin Consulting, PLLC to define success on our own terms. The report includes key elements to educate and advocate for collective progress that sheds light on how philanthropy can partner with and support Native communities.
Native-Led Nonprofits
7871 Tribal Nonprofits: Tribally incorporated nonprofit entities under IRS Section 7871 are eligible for tax-deductible donations, but most foundations and donors are unaware of these types of organizations exist and can receive donations. Ensure your giving circle or foundation grant eligibility criteria includes 7871 Tribal Nonprofits.
Native Nonprofit List: Our platform at GiveNative.org features over 300 Native-led nonprofits in urban, rural, and reservation communities across Indian Country supporting arts and media, economic development, environmental stewardship, heath and wellness, and much more.
Stay Updated on Native Ways Federation's Work
Native Nonprofit Day Returns May 21, 2026, for Fifth Annual National Giving Day Supporting Native-Led Nonprofits
Minneapolis, Minn. (February 25, 2026) – Native Ways Federation (NWF) announces the return of the fifth annual Native Nonprofit Day on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Native Nonprofit Day is a giving initiative aimed at increasing support for Native-led organizations nationwide in a movement driven by individuals, organizations, and communities across social platforms and beyond.
In previous years, Native Nonprofit Day took place on the third Friday, but beginning in 2026, this giving day will be held annually on the third Thursday of May. This year’s campaign theme: Plant Seeds. Nurture Growth. Create Year-Round Momentum. reflects both the spirit and the strategy behind the movement. Native Nonprofit Day calls on supporters to move beyond symbolic support and make direct financial investments in Native-led organizations.
“Native Nonprofit Day is more than a moment—it’s a movement,” stated Carly Bad Heart Bull, JD (Flandreau Santee) the Executive Director of NWF. “It’s a call to plant and nurture the seeds of Native-led power so our communities can thrive year-round. But seeds only grow when we invest in ecosystems that sustain them. We are calling on donors, partners, and community members to take action and give directly to Native-led nonprofits—organizations rooted in culture, accountability, and the lived wisdom of our people. This giving day connects supporters to leaders on the ground who are building solutions, protecting our futures, and advancing self-determination. When we invest in Native-led work, we’re not funding charity—we’re ensuring Native organizations have the resources not just to endure for a moment, but to thrive and create lasting impact for generations.”
Despite their critical role in advancing community-led solutions, Native-led nonprofits continue to receive a disproportionately small share of philanthropic funding. Native Nonprofit Day addresses this disparity by mobilizing a unified, nationwide movement that advances more just and equitable philanthropic investment, amplifies collective visibility, and supports sustainable, long-term fundraising power across Indian Country.
As host of Native Nonprofit Day, NWF provides participating nonprofits with a comprehensive campaign toolkit, customizable graphics, and virtual workshops that are all accessible at GiveNative.org. NWF also hosts the Native Nonprofit List at GiveNative.org, which is designed to connect donors directly to Native-led organizations. All these efforts are meant to make fundraising for Native-led nonprofits easier, and more impactful. Native-led nonprofits that are interested in joining the list should register by April 22nd to ensure they are approved in time for the Native Nonprofit Day campaign.
Community members, both new and long-time supporters, are encouraged to participate by donating to a Native-led nonprofit on May 21st, amplifying participating organizations on social media, and committing to sustained support beyond this campaign.
“Native Nonprofit Day is more than a moment—it’s a movement. It’s a call to plant and nurture the seeds of Native-led power so our communities can thrive year-round.”
About Native Ways Federation:
NWF was founded in 2008 by several national Native-led nonprofits to activate and expand informed giving in Indian Country. We are committed to accomplishing this through donor education and advocacy, which includes our Native Nonprofit Day campaign. Our founding members include the American Indian College Fund, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Association on American Indian Affairs, the First Nations Development Institute, the National Indian Child Welfare Association, and the Native American Rights Fund. We strengthen the circle of giving by uniting the Native nonprofit sector, advocating for Native nonprofits, and influencing philanthropy.
Our nations and communities are facing an intense and frightening moment as increased ICE activity continues to disrupt families and neighborhoods — here in Minneapolis, the home-base for Native Ways Federation (NWF), and across Mni Sota Makoce and the country. Less than two weeks after the killing of Renee Good, many of us are feeling the weight of this crisis in very real ways.
At the same time, we are witnessing the power of our people. Neighbors, tribal nations, local governments, faith communities, unions, businesses, and nonprofits are stepping up to organize, share resources, and protect one another.
Organizations like the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC) are hosting emergency Tribal ID stations in partnership with nearby Tribes. The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) opened a culturally grounded warming shelter in south Minneapolis to protect unsheltered Native community members from both extreme cold and the risks tied to increased enforcement. Local Native community spaces like Pow-Wow Grounds have become supply depots where volunteers organize and distribute food, diapers, medicine, and other essential items for people who may be too afraid to leave home during enforcement activity.
We are grateful to our friends, and NWF founding organization, Native American Rights Fund (NARF) for sharing critical resources for individuals and organizations during this time, which many community members have found deeply helpful. Like during COVID, we are seeing mutual aid, care, and collective strength show us what is possible in a changed world. We are proud of this resilience.
At Native Ways Federation, we believe our safety comes from relationship, responsibility, and standing together. In solidarity with Ice Out of Minnesota: A Day of Truth and Freedom, our office will be closed on Friday, January 23. This is a day of nonviolent moral action, reflection, and collective care — no work, no school, no shopping — only community, conscience, and action. We join many other organizations across Mni Sota in observing this day. To learn more about how you can join too, visit www.iceoutnowmn.com.
Take care of yourselves and one another. Stay safe, stay warm, and stay rooted in community.
Announcement PDF & Additional Resources
FOURTH ANNUAL #GIVENATIVE CAMPAIGN SET FOR DECEMBER 2, 2025
St. Paul, Minn. (August 14, 2025) – Native Ways Federation (NWF) is proud to announce the fourth annual national #GiveNative Campaign, Woven Together in Solidarity, which will take place on GivingTuesday, December 2, 2025. GivingTuesday is a global movement that empowers individuals, communities, and organizations to come together and transform the world through generosity. Together, through this campaign, donors and Native nonprofits weave a foundation of solidarity and shared commitment to community-led change.
With Native-led organizations receiving only a fraction of philanthropic funding, currently less than 0.5 percent, #GiveNative brings much-needed attention to the organizations doing vital work in Indian Country. The campaign reinforces a powerful truth: Native people and Native-led nonprofits hold the knowledge, relationships, and solutions to create meaningful change in their own communities.
“Solidarity means investing in Native leadership, trusting Native solutions, and amplifying Native voices,” said Carly Bad Heart Bull, JD (Flandreau Santee), Executive Director of Native Ways Federation. “That’s what #GiveNative is all about—building a future led by and for Native nations, communities, and people.”
The 2025 campaign will expand its reach and impact through a series of resources and tools designed to educate donors, uplift Native-led organizations, and create digital momentum in advance of GivingTuesday. These activities include:
- Promoting and growing the Native Nonprofit List at GivenNative.org
- Offering monetary prizes and incentives to participating Native-led organizations
- Distributing pre-made social media graphics, a digital toolkit, and additional resources
- Hosting free public webinars to support engagement and participation
The Native Nonprofit List, created and maintained by NWF, continues to grow and will serve as the central resource for donors seeking to support verified Native-led nonprofits across the country. As in previous years, Native-led nonprofits that wish to participate are encouraged to visit GiveNative.org to sign up on the Native Nonprofit List, access resources, see campaign updates, and guidance on how to activate their community during the largest giving day of the year.
We are deeply grateful to the GivingTuesday team for their continued partnership and to our founding members for their tireless advocacy in uplifting Native nonprofits nationwide. At a time when funding for Native communities faces growing challenges, solidarity must go beyond words—it must inspire action. This campaign calls on all of us to join together to increase giving to Native-led organizations and ensure more resources flow into our communities
“Solidarity means investing in Native leadership, trusting Native solutions, and amplifying Native voices. That’s what #GiveNative is all about—building a future led by and for Native nations, communities, and people.”
About Native Ways Federation:
NWF was founded in 2008 by a group of national Native-led nonprofits to activate and expand informed giving in Indian Country. We are committed to accomplishing this through donor education and advocacy, which includes our Native Nonprofit Day campaign. Our active founders include the Association on American Indian Affairs, American Indian College Fund, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, First Nations Development Institute, National Indian Child Welfare Association, and Native American Rights Fund. We strengthen the circle of giving by uniting the Native nonprofit sector, advocating for Native nonprofits, and influencing philanthropy.
Unpacking “Population Served”: A Case Study on Inaccurate Data in Philanthropy
A panel hosted by Native Ways Federation at the 2025 Joint Hispanics in Philanthropy-Native Americans in Philanthropy Conference (Albuquerque, NM)
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 from 03:00 PM – 03:50 PM MDT
Explore how philanthropy defines community-led and serving and how this data shapes decision-making. We’ll unpack challenges of misrepresentation, highlight community-driven data, and discuss changes needed to address these systemic issues.
Panelists:
- Carly Bad Heart Bull (Flandreau Santee), Executive Director, Native Ways Federation
- Aleda Gagarin, Director of Influence, Candid
- Michael Roberts (Tlingit), President and CEO, First Nations Development Institute
- Moderated by Stephanie Zadora (Seneca), Deputy Director, Native Ways Federation
Resources and reports
More materials discussed in the panel coming soon!
First Nations Development Institute publishes regular webinars and reports. Visit their Knowledge Center to learn today.
Candid hosts data and resources for nonprofits, foundations, donors, and grantmakers. Visit their website to learn more.
Our mission is to activate and expand informed giving to Native-led nonprofits in Indian Country through donor education and advocacy.
- Native Nonprofit List at GiveNative.org
- Native Nations & Communities 101 Training for Philanthropy
- On Our Terms: Supporting a Thriving Native Nonprofit Sector
Stay Updated on Native Ways Federation's Work
We’re excited to launch the 4th Annual Native Nonprofit Day campaign with exciting new resources! In 2025, we’re unveiling an improved Native Nonprofit List on the Mightycause platform, providing Native-led organizations with enhanced donation and fundraising tools.
Native Nonprofit Day is a national giving initiative dedicated to increasing support for Native-led nonprofits. Leading up to and throughout the month of May, organizations, foundations, and individuals are encouraged to raise awareness of the importance of investing in Native-led solutions—culminating in Native Nonprofit Day on Friday, May 16, 2025!
View Part 1 Recording: Get an introduction to Native Nonprofit Day and the Native Nonprofit List and explore how your organization can participate in ways that work for you. Our partners at Mightycause will also share insights on how to join and leverage the Native Nonprofit List to support your organization’s fundraising goals.
View Part 2 Recording: Make participating in Native Nonprofit Day simple and stress-free! We’ll share easy-to-use resources—including our toolkit, downloadable graphics, and customizable content—to help you participate in any way you can. Plus, our partners at Mightycause will walk you through key tools on the new platform, making fundraising smoother and more accessible than ever before.
Kickoff Call Part 1: Recording and Resources
Kickoff Call Part 2: Recording and Resources
Customizing Native Nonprofit Day Graphics with Canva
Customize with help from AI
- View template text to use with AI in this Google Doc.
- Watch instructions from our #GiveNative Kickoff Call in 2024.
- We used ChatGPT.com to create example custom content, including:
- A social media caption to use with downloadable graphics
- A 4-week social media campaign including image/video ideas and captions
Participation Tips
We’re excited to share that the Native Nonprofit List has moved to the Mightycause platform.
We believe the MightyCause platform’s giving day and fundraising features will equip Native Ways Federation and Native-led nonprofits with the tools and knowledge to enhance fundraising, engage more donors, expand visibility, and leverage data insights—not just for Native Nonprofit Day and #GiveNative on Giving Tuesday, but every day in between.
What’s New:
✔ Update your profile anytime and access fundraising tools year-round, like matching gifts and peer-to-peer campaigns.
✔ Expanded category filters will help donors better understand your impact.
✔ We’re requesting a few additional details to support exciting new opportunities in 2025 and beyond.
✔ This process may take longer than the previous form, so we’ve included a preview of the questions and copy of your last submission below to assist you.
✔ All organizations must create a MightyCause account and register here, including those listed at NativeWays.org.
✔ 7871 Tribal Nonprofits, Fiscally Sponsored Organizations, and Recently Determined 501(c)3s may need to follow special instructions in order to register.
✔ Need help setting up your profile on the MightyCause platform? It’s easy to get started, whether you’re joining the Native Nonprofit List for the first time, moving from our original platform to the new platform, or getting your profile ready for the next campaign! We’ve created quick videos to help guide you as you join the List.
Important Deadlines
Please visit GiveNative.org/p/registration for the next registration deadlines. (If you want to add the specific dates go ahead, but keeping things evergreen is ideal so we dont have to revisit this page again).
DISCLAIMER: We define “Native-led” and “Native-controlled” nonprofits as organizations with at least 51 percent of the board of directors and leadership team identifying as American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian. We also advocate for Native-led organizations whose programs predominantly serve tribes, Native communities, and peoples in tribal and/or off-reservation communities.
Han Mitakuyepi (Hello Friends and Relatives),
Over the past few weeks, our attention has been pulled in every direction imaginable by the latest actions of the federal government. While many orders have been stalled by legal action, we know the consequences of cuts to federal funding and staffing to tribes and nonprofits would be significant. Sustained access to resources and opportunities from health care to early childhood through higher education; to Native languages and cultural activities; and more—these are proven solutions to life-and-death crises in our communities.
To identify the best course of action to support Native-led organizations, our team at Native Ways Federation found it necessary to take time to reground ourselves. We did so by reflecting on the teachings and values of our ancestors that enabled our tribes and communities to thrive in the best of times and survive the worst.
I shared in my last letter that our indigenous teachings remind us that we are interconnected and that we have a responsibility to care for one another. I also recognized the flood of orders and legislative proposals are being used as an intentional strategy to divide communities and to create confusion. Our ability to survive great challenges requires us to be good relatives and lean into the power of our relationships. Relationship-building and community-building depend on generosity, reciprocity, and the courage to act when you are called upon.
Our tribes have endured centuries of U.S. policies and actions intended to harm and even eliminate our communities from existence. Native peoples know best the federal government’s history of broken promises, and we will not wait for them make or break more for our communities or for Americans, at large.
The sudden changes in federal policy are compounded by philanthropy’s long-term underfunding of Native-led solutions. Despite the critical role Native-led organizations play in addressing our communities’ most pressing needs, less than 0.3% of total foundation giving goes Native-led organizations, while Native people comprise nearly 3% of the U.S. population. Not only must philanthropy step up to address this existing inequality by increasing their giving at least tenfold, they must act urgently in the face of the current social and political challenges.
This is OUR collective story as human beings. These teachings show us that we all—Native peoples, nonprofits, foundations, donors, and allies—must do our part and we must act now. That is why we have created a new collective action campaign where we can all stand together to secure a thriving future for all generations to come:
The Power of 10:
Give Native. Give Now.
Every relationship you nurture is a drop that can ripple and grow exponentially, and when we act together with a shared voice and vision we can change the tide of giving to Native-led nonprofits.
- As a Native-led nonprofit, reach out to 10 of your strongest supporters—foundations, donors, media, elected officials, etc.—to nurture your relationships and call on them to act.
- As a foundation, give more and give urgently to ensure 10% of your overall contributions go to Native-led organizations and Native nations.
- As a donor, give $10 more a month to a Native-led nonprofit or recruit 10 friends to give to Native-led nonprofits.
- As an ally, take 10 minutes to contact your elected officials in support of continued and increased funding and staffing for programs that impact Native-led nonprofits and tribes.
In the coming weeks and months, Native Ways Federation will share more ways that everyone can play a role in ensuring Native-led nonprofits have the resources and tools to navigate these challenging times. Our collective futures, and the future of this planet, depend on it.
Visit our campaign page to learn more and stay tuned for future updates and resources.
Pidamaya. Nya:weh. Miigwech. Ahéhee’. Thank you.
Carly Bad Heart Bull
Flandreau Santee Nation
Executive Director
Native Ways Federation
Press Release Resources
Han Mitakuyepi (Hello Friends and Relatives),
We are living in incredibly challenging times, and this past week has been particularly difficult to witness, let alone process. As an organization founded to support Native-led nonprofits, Native Ways Federations stands with our sector, tribal nations, and our communities, as we collectively navigate an uncertain future. Our indigenous teachings remind us that we are interconnected and have a responsibility to care for one another. These values are not only essential to our survival but our ability to thrive on this planet. Our Board Chair, Cheryl Crazy Bull, American Indian College Fund’s President and CEO, recently wrote:
“Every one of us has a gift to give, no one person’s gift is greater than another’s, and we cannot afford to squander anyone’s talents. We believe we are all relatives. We are colleagues, classmates, family members, and community members. In short, we are all connected. That is the very definition of community.”
What happens to one of us affects all of us. Yet, we are witnessing a strategy unfolding that intends to divide communities, create confusion, and disrupt generations of progress towards equity and justice benefitting all communities. Policies and actions targeting our immigrant and transgender relatives, dissolving DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives, and threatening federal funding streams and jobs pose significant risks—not just to specific groups, but to all of us.
Unfortunately, these challenges are not new to Tribal Nations and communities. Federal policies and practices have long been used as tools of oppression against Native peoples—from boarding schools to forced relocation and more. Yet, our ancestors fought for future generations, ensuring that we are here today. Their resilience and commitment to community continue to guide us and we will stand together against hate and division, advocating for our nations, nonprofits, families, and the planet.
Now, more than ever, the work of Tribal Nations and Native-led nonprofits is critical. However, the volatility of the federal policies presents a particularly large challenge for our communities. Tribal Nations rely on federal funding and cooperation to provide essential services, a responsibility the United States must uphold due to treaty obligations. Many Native-led nonprofits also depend on government funding to serve Native people—78 percent of whom live off-reservation and in cities.
During this critical moment, philanthropy has the opportunity to step up in a big way for our communities by committing to sustained action and investment. Native Ways Federation has spent the past few years attempting to address systemic underfunding by philanthropy, with Native-led nonprofits receiving only 0.27 percent of private foundation dollars. A report we published last year recommended that foundations commit 10 percent of their giving to Native-led nonprofits to address decades of underfunding and historical injustices.
We are calling on our relatives in philanthropy to provide immediate, unrestricted support to Native-led nonprofits, including direct service providers, policy and advocacy leaders, systemic capacity builders, and research and innovation practitioners. Private foundations have great flexibility in determining how their resources are spent. While they have used this power to respond in times of crisis before, it is critical that foundations hold their ground and even double-down on supporting the communities who are being most impacted by the recent and emerging administrative actions and policies. It is not illegal to support our nations, communities, and people—it is vital, especially during times like this.
While we do not know what each new day will bring, Native Ways Federation remains focused on our mission—to activate and expand informed giving to Native-led nonprofits across Indian Country. We know Native nations and nonprofits have the solutions to address the issues our communities are facing, and we are proud to host the Native Nonprofit List, a searchable resource highlighting Native-led organizations who are working throughout Indian Country. We will continue to monitor, respond, and engage with our partners to ensure that Native-led nonprofits have the resources they need to provide critical services, accurate information, and defend the sovereignty of Tribal Nations as we all navigate a rapidly changing environment.
To that end, our work continues. Please join us and support us in this work. You can sign up for our newsletters and follow us on social media to get the latest updates or contact us at [email protected].
In solidarity and with gratitude to you all. Wopida tanka eciciyapi ye.
Carly Bad Heart Bull
Flandreau Santee Nation
Executive Director
Native Ways Federation
Press Release Resources
We are excited to kickoff the 3rd Annual #GiveNative campaign for Giving Tuesday!
Through this recording, you’ll learn about #GiveNative, all of the resources we have created, and how your organization can participate any way you are able.
#GiveNative is a community wide movement to spread awareness of giving to Native-led nonprofits and Giving Tuesday is recognized as the largest global generosity movement. By continuing to launch a #GiveNative campaign on Giving Tuesday, Native Ways Federation hopes to spread awareness of the importance of Native-led nonprofits on the largest giving day of the year: Tuesday, December 3, 2024. Learn more at GiveNative.org
On Our Terms: Supporting a Thriving Native Nonprofit Sector
Native Nonprofit List
- New Organizations: Apply Here to Join the Native-led Nonprofit Participant List
- Existing Organizations on the List: Contact Burrell at [email protected] for instructions
Customizing #GiveNative Graphics with Canva
- Canva Pro Donations for Nonprofits
- Getting Started with Canva Tutorial
- Access Pre-made and Customizable Graphics for #GiveNative
Customize with help from AI
- View template text to use with AI in this Google Doc.
- We used ChatGPT.com to create example custom content, including:
- A social media caption to use with downloadable graphics
- A 4-week social media campaign including image/video ideas and captions
Participation Tips