First Nations Receives Funding to Build Native American Assets through Racial Wealth Gap Research and Philanthropic Equity

LONGMONT, Colo. (February 17, 2021) – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) is honored to announce the receipt of funding from the Target Foundation, which will be used over the next two years to advance research on the Native American wealth gap and to build the fundraising and communications capacity of Native-led nonprofits/tribal programs focused on Native community and economic development.

Raymond Foxworth, PhD, First Nation’s Vice President of Grantmaking, Development, and Communications, said the commitment of $500,000 by the Target Foundation will allow First Nations to further explore the wealth gap and its effect on Native communities, a topic that has not been documented since 2000. Funding will also propel the organization’s Native Fundraising Community of Practice project, which is a key strategy in helping Native-controlled institutions – nonprofit organizations, community groups, and tribes – become more stable and sustainable and be able to provide services to their communities. “We are grateful for this funding from the Target Foundation and the strides it will make possible in building Native control of Native assets, and raising Native and non-Native awareness of solutions and actions for racial economic equity for Native peoples,” Foxworth said.

Specifically, research on the Native American wealth gap will lead to, among other outcomes, increased understanding and awareness by policymakers, tribal governments, philanthropy, and the public about the extent and causes of the wealth gap, as well as documentation and validation of how Native people themselves define and experience the racial wealth gap and the role Native cultural perspectives play in defining wealth and shaping views of wealth accumulation.

Further, through the Native Fundraisers Community of Practice, participants will learn skills to secure additional funding resources for programs and organizations, which will contribute to local economic development, social development, cultural preservation, and self-governance in these communities, ultimately improving the quality of life for Native community members.

More information about First Nations’ programs can be found at http://www.firstnations.org.