The Land, Water, and People
As the first caretakers of the land in these United States, Indigenous peoples have a special connection to the land, water, and many species that share their world. The Earth is a part of their culture, creation stories, and ways of life. Indigenous peoples have been stewards of the environment since time immemorial, preserving the land, water, and species that have sustained their communities for generations. They have long learned the delicate balance of sustainable practices while living in harmony with the environment. Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) recognizes the importance of this relationship and supports Native-led climate and conservation work.
Tribal Conservation Pledge & Funding Collaborative
NAP is partnering with the Christensen Fund and Biodiversity Funders Group to launch a new Tribal Nations Conservation Pledge & Funding Collaborative. This initiative calls on the philanthropic sector to significantly invest in conservation projects led by Tribal Nations and aims to reach $100 million in new commitments. This pledge and fund will serve as a centralized platform to inform, coordinate, and fund Tribal Nation conservation work.
The Pledge
To join the pledge, donors can commit to allocating a specific amount of programmatic dollars or a percentage of annual programmatic spending over the next three (3) years toward Tribes, inter-Tribal organizations, and Tribal consortia working on biodiversity and conservation efforts. These include
- Tribal Nation natural resource and conservation programs and project
- Inter-Tribal projects, regrant, and/or technical assistance programs
- Tribal consortia
- Native-led conservation NGOs working in direct partnership and service of Tribes or Tribal-led initiatives
- Non-profit fiscal agent recommended by a Tribal Nation for conservation projects
Collaborative Fund
To assist donors in deploying support, NAP and The Christensen Fund are also announcing a new collaborative fund housed at NAP that will directly fund Tribes, inter-Tribal organizations, and Tribal consortia working on biodiversity and conservation efforts. Through its Tribal Nations Initiative, NAP will develop an advisory committee of Tribal leaders to help guide this fund. NAP will also work with its partners to identify projects that are leveraging partnerships with federal agencies to maximize the impact of public-private partnerships. A portion of this fund can be combined to help leverage federal matching funds, such as the recent announcement from NFWF to prioritize 10% of conservation funding for Tribal Nations.
Learning Circle
In partnership with The Christensen Fund and Native Americans in Philanthropy, Biodiversity Funders Group (BFG) will offer donors the opportunity to participate in a Tribal Funding Learning Circle as a complement to their financial commitment. A network of some of the most influential environment and conservation funders in the US, BFG’s mission is to support and grow a community of biodiversity grantmakers that pursues complementary and collaborative strategies. BFG will work closely with NAP to convene a series of learning opportunities that seek to engage philanthropic and tribal leaders around emerging issues and opportunities.
How To Get Involved
Philanthropic donors can join this effort in one of three ways:
- Donors can commit to the Tribal Nations Conservation Pledge by designating an amount of programmatic dollars or a percentage of programmatic spending for tribal conservation through grants that donors make on their own.
- Donors can make a monetary contribution to the fund.
- Donors can commit to the pledge and make a monetary contribution to the fund.
For more information or to join the Pledge and the Fund please contact Greg Masten at gmasten@nativephilanthropy.org.
