Partnership With Native Americans
Partnership With Native Americans is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit committed to championing hope for a brighter future for Native Americans living on remote and impoverished reservations. Native-led and Native-serving, we believe the people who live and work in the Tribal communities we serve have the solutions to the problems that challenge their quality of life. Our role is to be a trusted partner and resource for community-driven efforts toward lasting change. Our mission and vision are: Serving immediate needs and supporting long-term solutions for strong, self-sufficient Native American communities.
One of the largest charities to work in Indian Country, PWNA collaborates with up to 500 Tribal partners year-round, reaching into remote communities most Americans never see and most organizations cannot reach. PWNA focuses on material aid, capacity building, and community-based solutions, taking care to respect the self-determined goals of the tribes and provide the right goods and services at the right time. We also connect outside resources directly to reservations through our distribution and partner network. Our reservation partners ensure that goods make their way directly into the hands of those who need them. Working together over 30+ years, we evolved “The PWNA Way” and our guiding principles of stewardship, volunteerism, and respect.
Our Service Area is concentrated in 9 priority states throughout the Northern Plains and Southwest regions of the U.S. We prioritize underserved and geographically isolated reservations with limited employment opportunities. Our strengths include knowledge of Native history, 30+ years of cultural competency, and the ability to adapt to the unique needs of each tribe. We also offer scholarships to eligible students nationwide. Together with our Tribal partners, we improve the quality of life for up to 200,000 Native Americans each year. For more on our material services and long-term solutions, visit the Impact page.
To create change for the better, public education is also needed. PWNA does this through the PWNA Blog, social media pages, conference and speaking engagements, and calls to action. This helps people and organizations become more NativeAware® and corrects the many misconceptions about Native people, history and funding or entitlements. We also include some public education within our direct mail packages, so we follow the Financial Accounting Standards Board guidelines, allocating a portion of the cost to programs and the bulk of it to fundraising.
Call us at 800-416-8102 to learn more about our public education.
Our Service Area
Our Service Area (links to new service page) is concentrated in 9 priority states throughout the Northern Plains and Southwest regions of the U.S. We prioritize underserved and geographically isolated reservations with limited employment opportunities. Our strengths include knowledge of Native history, 30+ years of cultural competency, and the ability to adapt to the unique needs of each tribe. We also offer scholarships to eligible students nationwide. Together with our Tribal partners, we improve the quality of life for up to 200,000 Native Americans each year. For more on our material services and long-term solutions, visit our Services (links to new service page) page.
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Core Services
Immediate Needs
Providing the right goods at the right time and in the right way.
PWNA serves 60 reservations in 12 states throughout the Northern Plains and Southwest regions of the United States. We focus on underserved and geographically-isolated Native American communities with limited employment opportunities, addressing both immediate needs and working towards long-term solutions.
We build upon assets within the communities we serve, bringing together individuals, programs and outside resources to address challenges and support positive change. This community-driven model leverages the social capital of a larger network mobilizing toward a common solution.
PWNA supports Animal Welfare groups that rescue, rehabilitate and place injured or stray animals in foster care or forever homes, ensuring well-being of animals and healthy, safe communities.
Animal welfare and the problems created from overpopulated and stray animals are immense for some reservation communities, leading to human health risk such as animal bites, rabies and the spread of disease. The Navajo Nation alone has estimates reaching as high as 6,000 stray dogs and cats, depending on the community.
Annually, PWNA helps animal welfare partners rescue thousands of hungry or injured animals:
- spay, neuter and vaccinate animals of the reservation
- educate communities on proper care of animals
- enable animal groups to care for more animals
(Related programs: Reservation Animal Rescue (RAR))
Education is a key challenge experienced by many Native communities. PWNA supports the educational development of students in both K-12 and higher education through our American Indian Education Fund® (AIEF) program.
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K-12 EDUCATION
Education is one of the most important cornerstones of self-sufficiency and quality of life. It is also a crucial factor in addressing the long-term challenges on the reservations Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) serves. Our education services assist Native American students from pre-kindergarten to high school. (See Higher Education for college services.)
By addressing both immediate and long-term educational needs, PWNA helps our partner schools and colleges motivate students and retention.
PWNA supports K-12 education partners through:
- essential school supplies for about 25,000 students on 25+ reservations
- literacy supplies and incentives to motivate reading and encourage adult-child reading time
- incentive products used by Head Start partners focused on early childhood education
(Related programs: American Indian Education Fund (AIEF))
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Education is a key to the many challenges facing Indian Country, and PWNA supports education from Headstart and K-12 to college and career. Annually, PWNA reviews about 1,000 scholarship applications, focusing on applicants who are most often in the middle range of the academic ranking but who have serious drive and a demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles.
Many Native students believe college is not an option for them and, contrary to public perception, college is not free for Native Americans. PWNA’s Higher Education Services increase college access and retention for Native American students.
- Awarding scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students, paid directly to the college they will attend
- Providing through college partners laptops or grants for pre-requisite tools that students need but often cannot afford
- Granting emergency funds to universities, tribal colleges, and other schools committed to American Indian education, retention and funding for Native American students
(Related programs: American Indian Education Fund)
Our Emergency Services provide disaster relief for tribes and seasonal weatherization assistance for Native American Elders. When disaster assistance is needed, Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) is quick to respond to the tribes in and beyond our normal service area. In addition, PWNA rotates winter readiness and seasonal services to different communities in the Plains and Southwest. Due to the expense and logistics, we are unable to offer these services to all reservations. We also assist homeless shelters and other residential facilities on the reservations we serve.
The physical environment on the reservations we support is often harsh, giving rise to a wide range of environmental disasters such as floods, forest fires, blizzards, ice storms, tornados and hurricanes. Some communities also experience acute or chronic contaminated-water emergencies. In addition, 90,000 Native Americans are homeless and 40% of Native Americans live in sub-standard, overcrowded housing. The typical wait time for tribal housing assistance is three years or more.
PWNA’s Emergency Services benefit thousands of tribal citizens a year.
PWNA’s variety of emergency services assist our reservations partners with:
- disaster relief during environmental emergencies on the reservations
- firewood and winter fuel vouchers for Native American Elders
- winter and summer emergency kits containing blankets, batteries, candles, water, nonperishable food and other items
- home repairs, window replacements, ramps for wheelchair access and weatherization of homes for the winter when there is significant risk for vulnerable Elders
- supplies for residential shelters housing the homeless, aged, disabled and domestic abuse victims
Related programs: Northern Plains Reservation Aid (NPRA), Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA), Native American Aid (NAA), Navajo Relief Fund (NRF), Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF) and Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC)
Our Food & Water services bring immediate relief from food insecurity for Native American Elders, children and families. Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) assists food bank partners across dozens of reservations.
Because low food security is an everyday issue on the reservations PWNA serves, nutrition-related disease rates are high. Contaminated drinking water is also an issue in many of the communities we serve. Although many food banks operate within our service area, a study by America's Second Harvest shows that the majority of food banks lack an adequate supply of food to meet demand.
PWNA helps meet immediate nutritional needs for thousands of people annually, especially Native American Elders.
We support our reservation food partners by:
- supplying food boxes to food pantries
- providing staple foods for Elderly Nutrition Programs and soup kitchens preparing hot meals for Elders
- providing breakfast foods for Native Elders
- distributing emergency food boxes to individual families and community-wide meals during major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter
- supporting gardening through tilling and training for Elders, families and community groups
(Related programs: Northern Plains Reservation Aid (NPRA) - formerly American Indian Relief Council (AIRC), Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA) - formerly Council of Indian Nations (CIN), Native American Aid (NAA), Navajo Relief Fund (NRF), Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF) and Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC))
Partnership With Native Americans' (PWNA) health services support hundreds of reservation programs that address preventative care, home health visits and health education initiatives for tribal members. We also support reservation partners who motivate healthy involvement in community service.
Native Americans endure a legacy of healthcare disparities, leading to disproportionate disease rates. People living on the remote reservations PWNA serves rely on Indian Health Service (IHS) clinics for medical care. Severely underfunded and understaffed for the size and location of the populations it serves, IHS focuses on healthcare crises rather than preventive care. Transportation too is an impediment to healthcare because of the long distances to clinics and the lack of transportation.
The healthy lifestyle programs offered by our reservation partners and supported by PWNA serves 250,000 Native Americans each year.
PWNA supports reservations partners offering:
- health screenings for diabetes, high blood pressure, tuberculosis and cancer
- education classes on healthy nutrition and diabetes prevention
- immunizations, pre- and post-natal care, and parenting classes
- health visits with those who are homebound or otherwise unable to access services
(Related programs: Northern Plains Reservation Aid (NPRA) - formerly American Indian Relief Council (AIRC), Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA) - formerly Council of Indian Nations (CIN), Native American Aid (NAA), Navajo Relief Fund (NRF), Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF) and Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC))
Partnership With Native Americans' (PWNA) Holiday services help our reservation partners spread holiday cheer, impact and participation at times when many families are experiencing more stress and disenfranchisement.
Our stockings are filled with practical items to meet immediate needs. In addition, children and families receive incentives and prizes when they come together to participate in spring, Easter and other community gatherings. These types of holiday events also help partners and local volunteers develop skills for future event planning and community service.
PWNA provides gift bags or stockings for children and Elders during the holiday season.
PWNA addresses partner concerns about the impact of the holiday season on their communities by providing:
- Gift bags for every Elder their program serves
- Holiday stockings for every child their school or program serves
- Personal care items for every teen their program serves
- Incentives for youth at spring break/Easter holiday events
- Thanksgiving and Christmas meals are also provided as a holiday food service
(Related programs: Northern Plains Reservation Aid (NPRA), Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA), Native American Aid (NAA), Navajo Relief Fund (NRF), Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF) and Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC))
Partnering for Disaster Relief and Emergency Preparedness
PWNA is a member of National VOAD — National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) — a nationwide forum “where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle” to support community readiness and navigation of disasters, ranging from disaster preparation to disaster relief/response, recovery and mitigation. The National VOAD coalition includes 50 of America’s most reputable organizations, 55 state/territory VOADS representing local and regional interests, and other members. PWNA is an active member in three state VOAD groups, including South Dakota, Montana and Arizona, and an honorary member of the Mountain West VOAD serving Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico — states that are home to many of the reservations we serve.
With the support of numerous funders and Emergency Management officials, PWNA is facilitating emergency preparedness planning and training projects in remote tribal communities and also providing public education on how disaster aid is different for the reservations. The norm is that tribal communities experience slow mainstream news coverage or response from outside sources during blizzards, floods, hurricanes and other conditions. This only increases the need for a community-based response, so PWNA is investing in tribal readiness before disaster strikes. Waiting until after a disaster is too little too late.
A First Responder for the Reservations
For PWNA, disaster preparedness includes having critical supplies in stock for a rapid response when unexpected emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic arise. The pandemic came on quickly and left tribal communities facing shortages of food, water, sanitizer, toilet paper and other essentials to weather the lockdowns. Communities facing a shortage of stores and a high rate of impoverishment are most affected by disasters like these yet often overlooked for disaster aid. When COVID first took hold in the U.S., Oscar-winning actor Wes Studi put together a PSA asking for donations because we had so many requests for food and water that we needed help to replenish our warehouses. Watch the video: www.nativepartnership.org/wes4covid
Besides a leading resource for disaster preparedness on the reservations, PWNA is a first responder for the reservations in 9 priority states, PWNA often coordinates its emergency response in concert with the American Red Cross, Feeding America and other nonprofits. PWNA evaluates requests from tribes outside its service area on a case-by-case basis.
Long Term Solutions
Like our Material Services, Long-Term Solutions are critical to our vision of strong, self-sufficient Native American communities and support the self-determined initiatives of reservation partners and other local leaders who are working for sustainable gains in their communities. While some of PWNA’s long-term services are new, they are already yielding positive outcomes for partners, participants, and communities on the reservations.
Only 17% of Native American students start college and only 11% complete college.
Many Native students believe college is not an option for them and, contrary to public perception, college is not free for Native Americans. PWNA’s Higher Education Services increase college access and retention for Native American students.
Our Higher Education services assist more than 350 Native students each year.
PWNA provides scholarships to undergraduate and graduate Native American students. We focus on applicants who are most often in the middle range of the academic ranking but who have serious drive and demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles. (Related programs: American Indian Education Fund)
We also:
- support transition camps to motivate a college mindset and prepare Native students for freshmen year
- make grants to tribal colleges, universities, and other groups committed to Native American education and increasing retention and funding for Native students
Education is a cornerstone for self-sufficiency and the long-term challenges facing Indian country.
Our Capacity Building services equip our reservation partners who want to make a greater contribution to their communities. PWNA has been testing and revamping our formal training service with reservation partners since 2012, resulting in a new service that is unlike any offered in Indian country. This new training is a direct result of feedback from our reservation partners about needs and next steps that will help them be more effective.
Currently, our Capacity Building program includes one service: the Four Directions Leadership Development (4D). This training is designed around a six-month program, with partners committing to personal and professional development goals and working with mentors for support in attaining their goals. Our first cohort completes training this Spring. PWNA will track and report the progress of the participating participants for up to three years after program completion.
PWNA is expanding Capacity Building services in 2015 for both Southwest and Northern Plains reservations.
Up to 23% of Native American families live with low food security, and nutrition-related disease is disproportionately higher than other Americans.
American Indian families are more threatened by low food security than other families in the U.S., and they experience the highest rate of diabetes. In addition, suicide rates for American Indians between the ages of 15 and 24 are 3 times the national average — and the second leading cause of death for their age group. PWNA’s Community Investment Projects support community champions who lead grassroots projects in reservation communities. These projects aim to positively impact the lives of tribal members and to deliver some type of sustainable gain for Native communities.
Our Community Investment Projects typically involve:
- nutrition and health projects related to food sovereignty
- youth development
- emergency preparedness
Our community investment projects are longer term in nature and involve tracking outcomes over a period of 6 months to 3 years. For samples of our Long-Term Solutions projects, see our Annual Report.
More About PWNA
MORE A PARTNERSHIP THAN A CHARITY
PWNA has a strong network of hundreds of reservation programs (our Program Partners). We work through these partners to bring much-needed relief to 250,000 Native Americans each year.
- PWNA partnerships reach into remote reservation communities that most Americans never see and most organizations cannot reach — whether due to geography, a need for reservation contacts or cultural competency, or a lack of information about specific needs.
- We operate a highly efficient warehouse and distribution system that lets us truck about 5 million pounds of materials to our reservation partners each year.
- PWNA’s reservation partners ensure goods make their way directly into the hands of the people who need them.
PWNA’s approach brings several other important benefits to those who work with us. The fact that our Program Partners are Native Americans who live and work on the reservations gives us added insights on how to work effectively on the reservations. Their success stories reflect their dedication.
Through our partnerships over the years, we evolved "The PWNA Way" and our guiding principles of stewardship, volunteerism, and respect.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SEALS OF APPROVAL
Partnership With Native Americans voluntarily participates with charity evaluators so that donors can feel confident about supporting our cause. All the seals are hard-won, and each one must be re-earned annually or bi-annually for continued use.
BBB accreditation is a mark of trustworthiness and integrity that increases loyalty, and the evaluation by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliances helps businesses improve their operations as well. The Wise Giving Alliance publishes 20 standards for charity accountability related to governance, organizational effectiveness, finance, fundraising, transparency and privacy. PWNA meets or exceeds all 20 standards. View our bi-annual BBB report >>
GuideStar Platinum Exchange member status indicates to donors that a nonprofit is proactive in transparency and impact reporting. GuideStar aims to provide information that advances transparency and helps donors make better giving decisions. They also encourage charitable giving by including a host of relevant information all in one place, from financials to annual reports, strategy, and impact data. View our annual GuideStar profile >>
Top-Rated Nonprofit status means just that — a diverse group of customers, beneficiaries, donors and collaborators have posted reviews about the nonprofit and rated it in high standing. Great Nonprofits manages an independent review portal where reviews may be posted year-round. These independent reviews inform donors and help them better understand a nonprofit’s work. PWNA is pleased that our stakeholders have deemed us top-rated since 2011. Check out our annual Top-Rated Nonprofit reviews here >>
Introduction to
PWNA by President
& CEO Joshua Arce
(Potawatomi)
Funfacts
What Sets Us Apart
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Native People Are
Served Annually
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Million in Aid to the Reservations
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Years of Service Throughout Indian Country
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