Building an Organizational Culture That Supports Philanthropy in Indian Country: A Funder’s Story

This article examines one philanthropic organization’s project to overcome challenges around its work in Indian Country and to build support for that work among its leadership. ClearWay Minnesota, an independent nonprofit working to reduce commercial tobacco’s harm, embarked on a project to educate its board and staff about American Indian history and culture. The project resulted in an increase in staff expertise, valuable context for the organization’s leadership, relationships built with Native individuals and organizations, and the integration of American Indian concepts into more aspects of ClearWay’s work. The organization’s board and staff report improved ability to achieve success in philanthropic efforts among this population. The need for philanthropy in Indian Country is great, and this project’s findings have relevance for all funding organizations seeking to conduct work among Native communities

In a Good Way: Advancing Funder Collaborations to Promote Health in Indian Country

Funders continue to be challenged by how to best promote work in American Indian communities that builds health equity, addresses community context, and reduces the disproportionate impact of commercial tobacco. In particular, public health programs that address substance abuse and tobacco control promote the use of evidence-based practices that tend to emphasize a one-size-fits-all approach and that are rarely researched among American Indian populations. These practices, therefore, lack cultural validity in those communities. This article examines how three organizations collaborated on work to control commercial tobacco use in Minnesota’s Indian Country, and shares lessons learned on how they came to incorporate tribal culture, respect traditional tobacco practices, and acknowledge historical trauma to inform their grantmaking