Native communities in the United States have long engineered and implemented innovative solutions to universal problems. This means that opportunities for impact are abundant when philanthropy invests in Native communities, Native-led organizations, and Tribal Nations.

No matter the issue that your grantmaking focuses on—from education to climate to strengthening democracy—there are Native institutions and Native leaders doing critical work, fueled by a long tradition of successful ingenuity, adaptation, and resilience. Likewise, for funders that take a place-based approach to grantmaking, chances are that there are Native communities and organizations that share your geography and can benefit from your investment.

Research conducted by The Bridgespan Group in partnership with Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), finds that when funders neglect Native communities, they squander an opportunity to become more effective grantmakers and shortchange their potential for impact against their own stated philanthropic goals. Our research draws on insights from interviews and listening sessions with more than 40 leaders from Native communities across the United States and offers funders practical advice on partnering with Native people to build a better world.

Currently, less than one percent of philanthropic dollars explicitly benefits Native Americans, and Native-led organizations receive roughly only half of that funding. Native-focused philanthropic portfolios remain exceedingly rare among philanthropic institutions, and only 20 percent of large foundations give to Native communities and causes at all. Even funders who increased their overall support for communities of color in recent years often continued to overlook Native communities.

Given the current backdrop of federal funding to Tribal Nations and Native communities, the need for philanthropic engagement is only heightened. Some Native organizations, like NDN Collective, have launched responsive funds in anticipation of the federal funding gap.

We see the audience for this publication as funders curious about engaging Native communities and Tribal Nations, but who remain unsure how to make the case, how to approach the work, or where to get started. This report aspires to support their journeys and provide examples from the experience of other funders already engaging in this work. We present our full research in three parts:

1. Assets and Attributes—Understanding the Strengths of Native Communities: A primer for funders new to engagement with Native communities
2. Bright Spots—Entry Points for Funders to Support Native Communities: An analysis of ready entry points for funder engagement
3. Bigger, Bolder—Next-Level Opportunities to Support Native Communities: An exploration of a set of bolder opportunities ripe for funders ready to deepen their commitment to Native communities and Tribal Nations

There are entry points for investment in Native communities for any funder. As you will read in the full report, Native communities accomplish extraordinary things—in every state, across urban and rural landscapes, in a wide range of issue areas—all despite innumerable constraints and obstacles, including limited financial resources. It means the potential for impact is so much more.

Download the Full Report