June 2016
NAP CONNECTIONS
Native Americans in Philanthropy's Monthly Newsletter
View the entire newsletter on our website!
NAP NEWS

A Message from our CEO:   
Dear Relatives,  
It has been nine months since I was hired as the CEO of NAP and it feels like I have been supporting the birth of a new era for Native Americans in Philanthropy. It has been an amazing time and I look forward to a promising future in the months and years to come.

As most philanthropists will say, "They didn't plan on working in philanthropy" and that is the same case for me. I was raised in a small rural tribal community on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota by my unci (grandmother) and tiwahe (extended family). My grandmother was a Headstart teacher and cook. She raised my twin sister and I when our mother was unable to. I was raised in a difficult and severely poverty stricken area; however, the Lakota values of generosity, wisdom, fortitude and courage have influenced my life and leadership in unimaginable ways. Lakota people are raised to struggle and "help your people", Despite the social barriers I grew up with, I have helped my and many other people in need throughout my life. Read the full CEO Message here. 
 
Wopila (deep gratitude), 
Sarah Eagle Heart 
Follow me on Twitter! @ms_eagleheart  

11th Annual Philanthropy Institute Recap and Gallery 
The 11th Annual Philanthropy Institute held in San Diego, CA this year focused on Raising Impact with Native Voices. Read our full recap on our blog! View pictures from the conference here.
 
New NAP Blog! 
NAP is happy to debut our brand new blog! We'll be posting articles, stories, news and events from NAP staff, board, Region Network Weavers, partners and more! Check it out on our website at nativephilanthropy.org/blog.  
 
NAP Members: New Learning Community Series Launches 0n June 22, 2016 
NAP is pleased to announce we're offering a new four-part Learning Community Series for nonprofit members that will allow you to share your experiences and learn from others in these facilitated conversations. Register for our first session here.

We're Hiring! 
NAP is hiring for two positions! We're currently looking for an Administrative Assistant to join our office in Minneapolis and a Regional Action Network Weaver for the Northwest region. Please share with your networks! 

Native Voices Rising: Critical Leadership in Institutional Philanthropy 
By: Edgar Villanueva, Schott Foundation for Public Education & NAP Board Vice-Chair 
Earlier this year, I received news that Valorie Johnson, a program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation , was planning to retire . Read the full article here. 
 
Video Library 
View all the videos we shared at our conference in our video library and share with your networks as a resource tool! Get access here.
 


MEMBER NEWS
Cal Wellness announces nearly $2.4 million in grants
Grantees use data to advance health equity 
The California Wellness Foundation announced today that it approved approximately $2.4 million in funding in the first quarter of 2016 under its Advancing Wellness grants program. Read more from the foundation here.

Watch: Our Work with Indigenous Communities in North America
Our work with Indigenous Communities in North America is essential to our mission of building a more just and balanced world. Watch the video here.

2016 McKnight Fellows in Visual and Performing Arts Announced 
The Minneapolis-based McKnight Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2016 McKnight Fellowships for visual arts, composition, theater, and choreography and dance. Read the press release here.
PHILANTHROPY NEWS
Wealth Leaders: Twila True
By: Sarah Eagle Heart, CEO, Native Americans in Philanthropy
Twila True, a member of Oglala Sioux Tribe, launched True Sioux Hope Foundation in 2015 to raise funds to tackle social problems at her home community, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. On the reservation there is a lack of jobs and adequate housing, alcoholism, drug abuse, despair, and suicide. Read the full interview with Twila here.

Social Justice Through Education
By: Malcolm Macleod, President and CEO of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation
This week we repost an article by Cheryl Crazy Bull, President of the American Indian College Fund. The American Indian College Fund is an important grantee partner of the Foundation and we had a chance to see Cheryl (and a lot of other good friends) earlier this month in San Diego at the Annual Conference of Native American's in Philanthropy. Read the full post by Malcolm here.

Overtime Regulations and the Impact on Nonprofits
The U.S. Labor Department announced overtime final regulations today that, when they go into effect on December 1, 2016, will mean that most employees earning less than $47,500 per year will be entitled to overtime compensation, regardless of whether they are currently classified as executive, administrative, or professional (white-collar) workers. Read the full article here.

Shoalwater Bay tribe selected as finalist for recognition of a healthy culture
The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe was chosen as a finalist for the fourth annual RWJF Culture of Health Prize given by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Read the full article here.
 
EVENTS
Learning Community Series Session 1: How do you build new and enduring relationships to expand your networks?
June 22, 2016
Webinar
Join NAP for a new series exclusively for nonprofit members. Learn more here .
 
September 27 - 29, 2016.
First Nations Development Institute will hold its 21st Annual First Nations L.E.A.D. Institute Conference at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino  in Tulsa, OK.
 
Latin America Indigenous Funders Conference: Buen Vivir: Supporting the Role of Indigenous Peoples in Bio-Cultural Diversity, Human Rights and Sustainable Economic Models
October 25-27, 2016
Lima, Peru
IFIP is organizing The Latin America Indigenous Funders Conference. This conference is uniquely positioned to bring together philanthropists, donor agencies and Indigenous communities in Latin America. The Conference will be a unique event that will bring leaders from the Indigenous, donor, and corporate worlds to the same table.
 
More events on our website !
RESOURCES
NUIFC National Policy Report: "Making the Invisible Visible: A Policy Blueprint for Urban Indian America"
Download the report here.
 
School Environment Listening Sessions report
Download the final report here.
 

CAUSEPLANET CORNER 
 
NAP Members can download this Page to Practice™ book summary for FREE thanks to NAP's partnership with CausePlanet. Click here to learn more.

  • Turn your leaky bucket of donors into a watertight container of engaged lifetime donors.
  • Apply Craver's framework so you can focus on donor growth rather than donor replacement.
  • Discover what retention barriers exist in most organizations and how to overcome them.
  • Identify which experiences genuinely engage donors and learn how to communicate them.

CausePlanet Page to Practice™ blog features:

Performing under pressure: Befriend the moment
"Nobody performs better under pressure. Regardless of the task, pressure ruthlessly diminishes our judgment, decision making, attention

Nonprofits: Four things fundraising is not  Jeff Brooks' How to Turn Your Words into Money is a nonprofit writer's new ally with the latest guidelines for creating the most effective... 

Want to contribute to NAP Connections?
If you would like to contribute a resource, job posting, or article to our newsletter, email the Communications Associate at jfairbanks@nativephilanthropy.org.