First Nations Development Institute Receives $87,500 Grant From Bank of America for Native American Student Programs

LONGMONT, Colorado (December 6, 2012) – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) today announced it has received a grant for $87,500 from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. The grant will support First Nations’ national programs and operations, as well as financial education activities for Native American high-school students in New Mexico.

First Nations currently works extensively with the Gallup-McKinley County School District in New Mexico. With the grant, First Nations will look to expand its efforts there to further enhance the financial literacy of the students. The First Nations model provides a curriculum that meets standards of cultural competency for the largely Native American student body, and which uses an integrated approach of classroom instruction, interactive exercises, and experiential learning events.

First Nations works to “Strengthen American Indian Economies to Support Healthier Native Communities” by improving economic conditions for Native Americans through technical assistance and training, advocacy and policy, and direct financial grants in five key areas:

Financial and investor education

Combating predatory lending

Native American business and asset development

Strengthening Native American nonprofit organizations

Improving Native food systems and health.

First Nations supports economic development projects across the U.S. for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities. Founded in 1980, First Nations began its national grantmaking program in 1993. Since then, it has provided $18.9 million in grants to 814 Native programs and projects in 36 states. The organization works to restore Native American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own – be they land, human potential, cultural heritage or natural resources – and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native American communities.

Bank of America’s philanthropic giving supports local programs that address the nation’s high unemployment rate, by providing $22 million in grants to nonprofits providing workforce development and educational programs that connect individuals to employment success. The bank looks for programs that help the unemployed and underserved, including young people, gain the training and education opportunities that translate into employment and post-secondary success. These efforts are part of the bank’s three-year $50 million goal announced at the White House last summer to support workforce development and education initiatives leading to economic self-sufficiency through employment.