- (800) 416-8102
- info@nativepartnership.org
- 16415 Addison Rd, Suite 200, Addison, TX 75001-3210
May 19 is Native Nonprofit Day: You Can Help Build a Brighter Future
By Joshua Arce
I shared earlier this year about how the continued need and challenges in remote Tribal communities go beyond the giving season and November, which is Native American Heritage Month. Coming up on May 19 is one more way to remember Native Americans – it’s Native Nonprofit Day!
2023 is the second annual Native Nonprofit Day hosted by the Native Ways Federation and serves two aims: increasing support for Native-led nonprofits and helping America understand why #giveNative is so important.
Last year, PWNA saw corporations and foundations stepping up corporate social responsibility for Native causes, such as Google, General Motors, Boeing, Levi Strauss, Synchrony Bank and Olo for Good. This investment in Indian Country is a step in the right direction as businesses and individuals learn how rural Tribal communities are facing the lowest social equity in the country.
Overall, less than 1% of all U.S. charitable giving goes to Native causes (four-tenths of one percent to be exact) – even as 1 in 4 Native families are facing food insecurity and only 16% of Native Americans hold a college degree, compared to the 40% of Whites that do. For funding to be fair and relevant, non-Native organizations need to be more NativeAware®.
In this recent Public Television (PTV) short, I explain some of the barriers that limit Native giving, ranging from staffing to cultural norms and business misperceptions. To learn more, I encourage you to visit our PTV landing page.
This Native Nonprofit Day, do something different. Take the time to learn about the life-changing work of PWNA or other Native nonprofits on the forefront of critical issues such as the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) and their fight to protect the Indian Child Welfare Act or the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and their fight for Missing and Murdered Indian Women (MMIW). Participate in our Bingo learning game, pledge to be more NativeAware® and donate to support Native causes.