The California Tribal Fund

Aug 26, 2021

About the California Tribal Fund

The First Nations Development Institute is a non-profit that improves economic conditions for Native Americans through direct financial grants, advocacy and policy work, and technical assistance and training. In 2020, they launched the California Tribal Fund, a program created to support California-Native-led nonprofits and tribal programs in controlling and protecting their food systems, water, languages, traditional ecological knowledge, and land.

Funded by The California Endowment, Swift Foundation, and 11th Hour Project, the California Tribal Fund developed as the result of a workshop held in early 2020. The workshop involved collaboration between First Nations board members and staff from the California Indian Basketweavers’ Association. They created an Advisory Council to discuss the needs of California’s tribes and create solutions, like the California Tribal Fund.

Impact on frontline communities

Only .01% of foundation giving goes to Native communities and causes in California, yet California represents 12% of the total Native American population in the United States.

The First Nations Development Institute

The California Tribal Fund aims to change this dynamic. The goals of the California Tribal Fund are to:

Ensure Federally recognized tribes, non-recognized tribes, and Tribal nonprofits can control and protect their food systems, water, languages, traditional ecological knowledge, and land.
Connect philanthropic supporters with those doing grassroots work to advance California’s Native communities.

Read about their COVID-19 Resiliency Grantees and the amazing work they are doing.