During the second quarter of 2022, the Northwest Area Foundation approved 21 grants worth $1,978,256.
The second quarter’s funding supports grants that reflect the new grantmaking approach we began implementing at the start of 2022.
Our grantmaking supports organizations within our region of eight states and 76 Native nations that are advancing long-overdue change in deep connection with the land they inhabit and communities they serve—Native Americans, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, and people in rural areas. They’re on a journey to build social, racial, and economic justice—helping communities thrive on their own terms.
We include grants of $10,000 or more in the list below. For information on grants of less than $10,000, please visit our grants database.
Descriptions of highlighted grants appear in our quarterly grants blog — Q2 Grants: How Grants for Northwest Native Lending Network and One Economy Inform Our New Grantmaking Approach
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Economic Development Corporation of Portland, OR, received $100,000 to support efforts of the Northwest Native Lending Network (NNLN), a community of practice of Northwest Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and other ally lenders, to increase the visibility of Native lending in the Pacific Northwest and build a robust regional lending network, working collaboratively to support sovereignty and equitable economic development in Indian Country. Grant term: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023
Four Bands Community Fund Inc. of Eagle Butte, SD, will receive $200,000 over five years to support its work as part of the Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition to bolster the Indigenous finance industry and accelerate economic growth in Native communities. Grant term: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2027
Funders Together to End Homelessness Inc. of Boston, as fiscal sponsor for Workforce Matters, received $85,000 to support the launch of the Fund for Workforce Equity. Grant funds will also increase support for peer-to-peer funder conversations focused on better understanding and supporting underserved populations like tribal nations, Indigenous communities, and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Grant term: May 1, 2022 – Dec. 31, 2022
Island Mountain Community Development Financial Institution of Hays, MT, will receive $200,000 over five years to support its work as part of the Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition to bolster the Indigenous finance industry and accelerate economic growth in Native communities. Grant term: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2027
NACDC Financial Services Inc. of Browning, MT, will receive $200,000 over five years to support its work as part of the Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition to bolster the Indigenous finance industry and accelerate economic growth in Native communities. Grant term: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2027
Native360 Loan Fund Inc. of Grand Island, NE, will receive $250,000 over two years to support its efforts in Iowa and South Dakota to expand loan products, build broad coalitions, and raise awareness about the needs of Native Americans living in urban communities. Grant term: Aug. 1, 2022 – July 31, 2024
Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation of Crow Agency, MT, will receive $200,000 over five years to support a resiliency fund for itself and its Crow Nation Innovation Center (CNIC), a planned business incubator located at Crow Agency, MT—work that is part of the Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition. Grant term: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2027
Rosebud Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) of Mission, SD, received $75,000 to enhance its learning and development department in its work to advance the holistic human development of the following groups: youth, college students, REDCO employees, adult community members, and other professionals that support Rosebud Sioux citizens. Grant term: April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation of St. Paul, MN, received $10,000 to support the development and maintenance of the Philando Castile Peace Garden. Grant term: May 1, 2022 – Dec. 31, 2023
Summit Academy OIC of Minneapolis received $150,000 to support its efforts to foster economic mobility across Minnesota for low-income individuals and populations of color by training them for jobs that offer career advancement and do not require a four-year degree. Grant term: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023
The Directors Council of Des Moines, IA, received $50,000 to support One Economy Financial Development Corporation as it addresses financial inclusion efforts—with a focus on individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses in the Black community and a goal to address the unbanked, underbanked, and a few small businesses through the provision of financial education, technical assistance, and lending. Grant term: May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2022
White Earth Investment Initiative of Ogema, MN, will receive $250,000 over two years to support its efforts to build staff capacity and expand partnerships that will benefit the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, its members, descendants, and reservation community. Grant term: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024
Wind River Development Fund of Fort Washakie, WY, will receive $200,000 over five years to support a resiliency fund for its non-physical infrastructure project focusing on scalable solutions for building an Indigenous finance ecosystem and stimulating growth in Native economies. Grant term: June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2027
