Applications Open for First Nations' Native Arts Initiative

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 August 30, 2018.

The Request for Proposals for the Supporting Native Arts grant opportunity can be accessed at http://www.firstnations.org/grantmaking/2018NAI. First Nations invites interested applicants to join one or both of our remaining Application Q&A webinars. The webinars are as follows:

• August 15, 2018, 1 p.m. Mountain Time (expect 1 – 1.25 hours), Registration URL:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6824848286129370883

• August 23, 2018, 11 a.m. Mountain Time (expect 1 – 1.25 hours), Registration URL:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8435348047309628931

First Nations will award about 15 Supporting Native Arts grants of up to $32,000 each to Native-controlled nonprofit organizations and tribal government programs that have existing programs in place that support Native artists and the field of traditional Native arts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to increasing the intergenerational transfer of knowledge of traditional Native artistic practices and perpetuation and proliferation of traditional Native arts. 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 that support arts programming include:

• Master/apprentice artist opportunities

• Archiving and collections/ preservation efforts

• Promoting artist-focused convenings

• Artist business plan and entrepreneurship training

• Communal artist spaces for Native artists

• Artist-in-residence opportunities

• Artist-led workshops and arts classes

• Artist financial literacy and business development training

• Strengthening Native-led juried art show and market capacity and artists’ capacity to enter art work

• Artists cooperative development

Examples of allowable activities that support organizational infrastructure growth include:

• Governance training for organization’s Board of Directors

• Organizational strategic planning

• Strengthening technological and informational systems

• Financial management

• Organizational and/or programmatic marketing and communications plan

• Strengthening project management systems

Entities eligible to apply include U.S.-based, Native-controlled, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, tribes and tribal departments, tribal § 7871 entities, or Native community-based groups with eligible fiscal sponsors committed to supporting Native artists as well as the perpetuation and proliferation of Native arts, cultures and traditions as integral to Native community life. Applicants located in urban areas are eligible if they are located in one of the geographic regions listed and are able to demonstrate a close tie to one or more tribal communities in one of the eligible geographic regions. Grants will not be made to individual artists or for-profit organizations.

Proposals for the Native Arts Initiative grant opportunity will be accepted online and must be submitted by no later than 5 p.m. Mountain Time on Thursday, August 30, 2018.