July 1, 2018
We Need to Change How We Think: Perspectives on Philanthropy’s Underfunding of Native Communities and Causes
Publishers: First Nations Development Institute, Frontline Solutions
Funder: Fund for Shared Insight
Native American organizations and causes play a vital role in Indigenous communities but are chronically underfunded. With support from the Fund for Shared Insight, First Nations engaged Frontline Solutions to conduct research on the philanthropic barriers to funding Native American NPOs. From June 2017 to April 2018, Frontline conducted 42 key informant interviews with leaders and staff from philanthropic foundations and Native-led NPOs. The results of these interviews are analyzed in this report. Philanthropic foundations are presented in two categories: 1) foundations that fund Native organizations and causes ("funders") and 2) foundations that do not fund Native organizations and causes ("non-funders"). This separation is intended to provide insight into how institutions that fund Native causes may differ from those that do not. The perspectives of leaders of Native-led NPOs are also presented here to lift up Native voices and solutions to philanthropic underfunding. The report concludes with respondents' recommendations for building partnerships between philanthropy and Native-led NPOs that will produce lasting change.