- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Finance
Native communities receive a tiny fraction of philanthropic funding in the United States. For every $1,000 foundations give away, only a few dollars reach Native communities — a gap that says less about need or impact and more about how philanthropy sees Indian Country.
In Episode 3 of Difference Makers 3.0, Northwest Area Foundation President and CEO Kevin Walker joins host Brian Edwards to discuss why that gap exists, how philanthropy’s assumptions can limit investment in Native communities, and what happens when foundations choose to approach the work differently.
Walker leads one of the few major foundations with a long-term commitment to Native communities. Since 2012, Northwest Area Foundation has directed 40% of its grant dollars to Native-led organizations — a commitment the foundation continues to meet today.
The conversation explores how that decision came about, what philanthropy often misunderstands about Indian Country and why Native CDFIs represent one of the clearest opportunities for long-term economic impact.
Here are highlights from the conversation.
On committing 40% of grant dollars to Native-led organizations:
“We realized that if we wanted to stay the course with our Native partners, we needed to intensify our effort. So we made a commitment that four out of every ten grant dollars would go to Native-led organizations — and we’ve been honoring that commitment ever since.”
On rebuilding relationships with Native communities:
“There were Native leaders who were frustrated with the way the foundation had gone about its business. One of our early goals was to rebuild our reputation in Indian Country and deepen those relationships.”
On shifting how philanthropy measures success:
“We view ourselves as learning together with our grantee partners rather than auditing whether they did the thing or not. Measures of success are co-determined with the organizations we invest in.”
On why Native CDFIs matter:
“These organizations are changing an unfair game for their communities. They are making fair participation in the economy possible in places where it really hasn’t been.”
On philanthropy’s ‘deficit mindset’ toward Native communities:
“Some funders only see the challenges — poverty, politics, social problems. What I see instead are incredibly talented and resourceful people who have been under-resourced. That’s an enormous opportunity for impact.”
On what effective partnerships require:
“Listen long before you speak. Show up and build relationships. And keep your word. Those things sound simple, but they’re not always easy.”
On encouraging other foundations to engage Native communities:
“If you’re unsure where to start, get to know Native CDFIs. These are institutions that understand their communities and are creating economic opportunity in a Native-controlled way.”
Visit Difference Makers 3.0 to listen to the full episode and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
