Native Youth and Culture Fund

Abi Whiteing
awhiteing@firstnations.org

Michelle Gauthier
mgauthier@firstnations.org

First Nations Development Institute provides grants for native-controlled organizations that work with youth by giving them a sense of place and tradition in the community. The rationale for the program is that the health and well-being of youth will determine the future health and well-being of the overall community. The focus is rural and reservation-based communities.

Priority areas include:

• Preserving, strengthening, or renewing cultural and/or spiritual practices, beliefs, and values
• Engaging both youth and elders in activities that demonstrate methods for documenting traditional knowledge systems, practices, and/or beliefs
• Increasing youth leadership and their capacity to lead through integrated educational or mentoring programs
• Increasing access to and sharing of cultural customs and beliefs through the use of appropriate technologies (traditional and/or modern), as a means of reviving or preserving tribal language, arts, history, or other culturally relevant topic

Applicants must be located in the United States and U.S. Territories and must be native-controlled nonprofit organizations or native-controlled community organizations. Native-controlled is defined as the majority (more than 50%) of the organization's Board of Directors is tribally affiliated.

Up to $20,000

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the online application portal are available on the program website when applications are being accepted.