First Nations Launches New Grant Opportunity Under Its Native Arts Initiative

LONGMONT, Colorado (February 3, 2017) – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) has launched a new Supporting Native Arts grant opportunity under its Native Arts Initiative (formerly known as the “Native Arts Capacity Building Initiative” or NACBI). Applications are due by March 9, 2017.

First Nations will award up to 15 Supporting Native Arts grants of up to $32,000 each to support projects that aim to strengthen the organizational infrastructure and/or arts programming of Native museums and cultural centers, Native-controlled nonprofit organizations, and tribal government programs. Eligible applicants must have existing program initiatives in place that support Native American artists and traditional Native art forms. Eligible applicants must also be located in and serve tribal communities in one of the following regions:

1. Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin);

2. Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California); or

3. Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington).

For this grant opportunity, examples of allowable activities around strengthening organizational infrastructure include, but are not limited to: governance training for organization’s Board of Directors; strengthening project management systems for the organization or tribal program; conducting strategic planning; and strengthening the organization’s financial management infrastructure, among others. Examples of allowable activities around supporting and strengthening arts programming include, but are not limited to: offering master/apprentice opportunities to Native American artists; offering artist business plan and entrepreneurship training; strengthening juried art show and market capacity; supporting communal artist spaces for Native American artists; and supporting and promoting Native American artist convenings and artist cooperatives, among others.

The Request for Proposals for the Supporting Native Arts grant opportunity can be accessed at http://www.firstnations.org/grantmaking/2017NAI.

Entities eligible to apply include U.S.-based, Native American-controlled, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, tribes and tribal departments, tribal § 7871 entities, or Native American community-based groups with eligible fiscal sponsors committed to supporting Native American artists as well as the perpetuation and proliferation of Native American arts, cultures and traditions as integral to Native community life.

Proposals for the Native Arts Initiative grant opportunity will be accepted online and must be submitted by no later than 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Thursday, March 9, 2017.

About First Nations Development Institute

For 36 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating grassroots practitioners, advocating for systemic change, and capitalizing Indian communities, First Nations has been working 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. First Nations serves Native American communities throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.firstnations.org.

About the Native Arts Initiative

Launched in early 2014, the purpose of the Native Arts Initiative (NAI) is to support the perpetuation and proliferation of Native American arts, cultures and traditions as integral to Native community life. It does this by providing organizational and programmatic resources to Native-led organizations and tribal government programs that have existing programs in place that support Native artists and traditional arts in their communities.