Landmark Grant for Native American Groups: OSF Contributes $10 Million

Today, in recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day, the Open Society Foundations (OSF) pledged $10 million over the next five years to Native American-led organizations, marking one of the largest grants ever made in this space. The contribution will support groups leading state and national efforts to increase civic participation and voter outreach, fight voter suppression, advance equitable policy reforms, and develop new narrative lenses that empower the community.

As you are aware, the Native American community has been deeply under-resourced for generations, receiving only half of one percent of all philanthropic dollars in 2019. At the same time, their communities face obstacles to political participation that include significant health, educational and economic disparities. The goal of OSF’s contribution is to change this and push our philanthropic peers to join in the fight.

Let us know if you’re interested in writing on this issue and OSF’s efforts to combat it. Happy to connect you with some of our grantees, who can tell you more about the lack of philanthropic contributions to Native American-led groups and what OSF’s investment means for their work.