Here’s how young Native Americans responded when Newman’s Own and Novo Nordisk let them grant $720K
NEW YORK (AP) — Armed with hundreds of thousands of dollars Newman’s Own Foundation and creator of Ozempic Novo NordiskYoung Native Americans are leading the fight against persistently high rates of food insecurity in tribal communities.
In a rare example of agency for a beneficiary community, 21 emerging Indigenous leaders recently drafted selection criteria, evaluated applicants and selected two dozen finalists to share the $720,000 pool. Organized by Native Americans in philanthropy, participants ages 16 to 24 said the inclusive process reflects Indian Country’s values of self-determination and intergenerational engagement that more donors should embrace.
“Funders can listen to Indigenous youth to know where to direct resources,” said 28-year-old Philanthropy program manager Savannah Baber.
The resulting Indigenous Tomorrows Fund was so successful that organizers wanted to increase next year’s pot to $1 million. Native Americans in Philanthropy — a coalition of grantmakers, tribal leaders, and other advocates Increased philanthropic support of domestic organizations – provided half of this financing. They are still looking for partners to pledge the other $500,000.
The pilot program was highly unusual for a grant initiative. Despite shifts towards trust-based philanthropy defended by MacKenzie Scott and others that lift restrictions on how donations can be used, with wealthy funders often dictating the terms of donations. It is still unusual for the communities receiving donations to be so directly involved behind the scenes, let alone handing over the reins. And it is particularly unusual for young people to take on responsibilities beyond, say, a seat at the table or a purely “advisory” role.
However, more participatory approaches are gaining popularity across the industry. Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, said there was growing sentiment towards “top-down philanthropy”. But it is less common for funders to delegate decision-making authority to others.
“It is acknowledged that many philanthropic mistakes are made when answers to problems experienced by others are made up by consultants in conference rooms rather than being informed by the people the donors are truly trying to help,” Buchanan said.
The fund’s focus on food insecurity made sense for Native Americans in Philanthropy, given the severe impact the issue has on Native communities. Settler colonialism forced them into unfamiliar reservations and reduced their ability to follow generations-old traditional food practices.
Although rates have fallen, recent studies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that American Indian/Alaskan Native households still lack access to adequate food at twice the rate of white residents. Child obesity is high. Affordable, healthy food is even harder to come by in rural food deserts.
Recipients of the $30,000 grants are tackling these issues in a variety of ways. There is a multi-generational community of Shinnecock women in New York who grow seaweed to clean a bay. Or an Arizona-based community center that grows culturally significant crops like the Apache giant squash, distributes fresh produce, and educates youth through hands-on land management.
The fact that philanthropy donates so little to Native American-led organizations means there is little private money for such efforts. Less than 0.5% of funding from major foundations in the U.S. goes to Native American nonprofits, according to a 2019 study report In the field of Philanthropy by Sincere and Native Americans.
Native Americans in philanthropy were already working to reverse this trend. The group hosts an Indigenous Youth Donors program that teaches Indigenous young adults about the philanthropic sector. Newman’s Own Foundation offered to take this learning a step further by giving them the chance to manage the entire fund themselves.
Funders identified food sovereignty and health issue areas. Because Newman’s Own broadly supports child nutrition efforts, Baber said the foundation wants Indigenous youth’s perspectives on advancing food justice. They joined Novo Nordisk because they were interested in healthy living.
Grantmakers proceeded independently from there. However, this autonomy did not mean that they were completely on their own. Young philanthropy professionals, elders, NAP staff, and funders’ program officers sometimes attended the meetings. However, according to young participants, their presence only stimulated conversation and never dominated it.
Participants said it wasn’t their successful resumes or community involvement that made them ready to join the grant team. This was something more innate that many giants of philanthropy lack: that they come directly from indigenous communities.
They were encouraged by their peers’ interest in restoring land stewardship practices and ensuring access for future generations. Newman’s Own Foundation Indigenous Communities Officer Jackie Blackbird said interest was highlighted by the volume of bids; This opening cycle received more than 400 applications.
Whether the projects fostered a better understanding of the food cultures of indigenous languages or sustainably cared for local ecosystems, grant reviewers found a constant in their colleagues’ embrace of past cultural knowledge to solve today’s problems. They felt that the project allowed them to continue the legacy of their ancestors, who passed traditions on to future generations.
“Indigenous youth are reconnecting to their culture and increasingly finding healing,” Blackbird said. “Projects like the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund also help them build that trust and learn more about the challenges in communities.”
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