Native Nonprofit Day: Why it Matters and How You Can Help

Published May 15, 2024    By Helen Oliff

Donations and charitable aid to tribes come in abundance around November – Native American Heritage Month. But the challenges and needs in Tribal communities are prevalent year-round. Besides our work on the reservations, many other nonprofits better the lives of Native Americans too.  2024 marks the third annual Native Nonprofit Day hosted by the Native Ways Federation. So, we all join in to spotlight the needs of Native Americans on a national scale. This increases support for Native-led nonprofits and helps America understand why being #NativeAware is so important.

Did you know that less than 1% of all charitable giving in the U.S. goes to Native causes? Or that this leaves one in four Native families facing food insecurity and even more lacking access to clean drinking water? Do you wonder why do only 16% of Native Americans hold a college degree when 40% of Whites do? Or why Native children are three times more likely than Whites to live in deep poverty? It’s not just luck of the draw.

How You Can Help

There are tons of ways you can create positive change for those living in Tribal communities. If you’re passionate about nutrition, education, or even pets on the reservations, there’s a Native nonprofit out there for you. Here are just a few ways to get involved today:

• Advocate to Congress with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.  NABS is the first and only national organization advocating for Natives impacted by Indian boarding schools. 
• Buy Native online or at local powwows to support Indigenous livelihoods.
• Help boost Native careers by searching through the resume database provided by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), a nonprofit that aims to advance Indigenous careers in S.T.E.M.
• Donate to PWNA or another Native-led nonprofit on May 17, or join the Heritage Circle at Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA) to plan a legacy gift.

No gift you make or action you take is too small to make a difference in the lives of Native Americans. We encourage you to learn about the life-changing work being done by PWNA or other Native nonprofits at the forefront of critical issues. Visit www.nativepartnership.org or take the pledge to become more NativeAware® today.