First Nations Development Institute believes that when armed with the appropriate resources, Native Peoples hold the capacity and ingenuity to ensure the sustainable, economic, spiritual, and cultural well-being of their communities. Based on this, we invest in Native communities and their ability to promote their economies, nurture their young people, strengthen their institutions and assets, and rebuild their Native food systems.
We focus our work in six key areas:
- Stewarding Native Lands
- Nourishing Native Foods & Health
- Advancing Household & Community Asset-Building Strategies
- Strengthening Tribal & Community Institutions
- Investing in Native Youth
- Achieving Native Financial Empowerment
Since our founding, we have successfully managed over 2,276 grants totaling more than $46 million to Native American projects and organizations in 42 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territory American Samoa. To date, we have distributed over $4.6 million in grants directly to Native populations in need through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. This investment continues to be imperative due to the inequities and vulnerabilities in Native communities that have led to devastating outcomes throughout Indian Country.