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Upcoming donors meeting in Bali: Asia/Pacific Indigenous Peoples Funders Summit
Coming together is critical for understanding and creating concrete partnerships with indigenous peoples across Asia and the Pacific. While the issues are complex, groups across the region have practical experience and success on which to build. Click to download the flyer More info to come... |
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IFIP featured in International Funders for Indigenous Peoples celebrates 10 years of growing philanthropy.
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To view the latest articles on IFIP, go to: Indian Country Today's Article: 9th Int'l Funders for Indigenous Peoples |
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IN TOFINO, BC See the Event Photographs!
Download the 2010 Conference Magazine Download the acceptance speech
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VISIT IFIP ON FACEBOOK
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NEW TO THE WEBSITE: DONORS' TOOLKIT courtesy of the ASSOCIATION OF SMALL FOUNDATIONS |
See the Event Photographs! Click to view the Shutterfly Album.
Download the 2010 Conference Magazine in PDF format.
From lt to rt -IFIP board members Shaun Paul, Theresa Fay-Bustillos, James Stauch, IFIP award recipient Christine Edwards of The Myer foundation, Steve Cornelius, IFIP Executive Director Evelyn Arce and IFIP’s Board Chair Ken Wilson
Download the acceptance speech
for the IFIP annual award by
Christine Edwards, Executive Director of
The Myer Foundation
Read articles and watch YouTube videos from Indigenous Day in Copenhagen.
IFIP in 2009: A year of many accomplishments!
2009 marked IFIP’s 10th Anniversary. As this year comes to a close, we celebrate our many accomplishments and re-energize for the important work ahead. Thank you IFIP members and associates for your support of IFIP in these many ways:
IFIP’s 2009 Annual Conference was held in Santa Fe New Mexico. We brought together more than 100 donors and 70 NGO's and Indigenous representatives, while collaborating with three affinity groups to discuss Indigenous issues and how to develop mechanisms to increase funding. See also Conference Archives.
IFIP worked with Alaska Conservation Fund, Oak Foundation, Native Americans in Philanthropy and Seventh Generation Fund to organize “AK Seminar on Private Philanthropy, Indigenous Capacity, and Environmental Stewardship.” As a result of this gathering, a new fund is being formed, the Alaskan First Nations Capacity Fund.
IFIP led the first-ever session on Indigenous Philanthropy at Bioneers’ 2009 Conference—a leading-edge forum with environmental, social, scientific, and spiritual leaders, focusing on solutions inspired by nature and human ingenuity. IFIP has been invited to take on an even larger role, next year.
At the Council on Foundations’ annual conference, IFIP co- sponsored with Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA) a well-attended session:
Climate Justice: Understanding the effects of global warming on marginalized communities.
By serving as a juror, IFIP helped influence a major shift in Indigenous funding by the World Bank’s Development Marketplace. This year, Indigenous projects received $1.8 million, up from $400,000 the year before.
IFIP was on the Executive Planning Committee for a meeting “Building Real Partnerships with Indigenous Communities” held at the Tides Foundation and attended by 30 international funding organizations.
For this year's Environmental Grantmakers Association retreat in Anchorage, Alaska, IFIP acted as a member of the Host Committee and co-sponsored sessions on Indigenous Philanthropy and Climate Change.
IFIP spoke at two sessions during this year’s United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This forum brings together more than 2,000 Indigenous representatives from around the world each year to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights.
IFIP held a workshop at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Studies (AIATSIS) 2009 National Conference, in Canberra.
For the COP 15, IFIP launched an initiative, “Bringing Indigenous Voices to Copenhagen.” Thanks to a grant from the Arkay Foundation, nine Indigenous representatives traveled to Copenhagen from Ecuador, Kenya, Russia, Peru, the Arctic, the Philippines, and the U.S. You can read about Indigenous activities in Copenhagen by visiting the Issues Page of this website.
Leading up to Copenhagen, IFIP expanded donor communications and education about the carbon trading policy, REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) by organizing several funders’ conference calls. IFIP also participated in two EGA funder webinars on Indigenous concerns at the climate talks.
IFIP presented the 2009 Annual IFIP Award to Garfield Foundation in recognition of consistent leadership in the philanthropic world that demonstrates the value of engaging directly with “effective guardians of biodiversity”. The 2010 IFIP Award will be presented during to an individual or institutional donor that exemplifies leadership in Indigenous Philanthropy. The awards ceremony will be held at our next conference.
In 2009, IFIP produced several publications including: The 4 R’s: Principles in Indigenous Giving, guidelines which came out of a joint day of conference meetings between IFIP and Native Americans in Philanthropy; A donors’ briefing paper with EGA on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples; An article called “Philanthropy and Indigenous Peoples: Ancient Wisdom for Today's Earth Challenges,” published in EGA’s donor magazine, as well as in Sacred Fire Magazine; And of course, IFIP’s newsletter, Sharing Circle, with 2000 copies distributed throughout the year.
We look forward to an even more exciting year in 2010!
Thank you again to all the wonderful IFIP donors. None of this would be possible without you!
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is a recognized Affinity Group of the Council on Foundations.
Mission
IFIP convenes and educates donors to build capacity and enhance funding partnerships to improve the lives of Indigenous Peoples globally
IFIP accomplishes its mission by increasing knowledge and understanding of the unique issues of Indigenous peoples by facilitating dialogue both among its grantmaking members and between that membership and Indigenous communities.
This section includes:
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) works to increase philanthropic investment in Indigenous communities around the world. We promote cross-cultural understanding, sharing of knowledge, and the cultivation of relationships among international donors and Indigenous grantseekers.
IFIP provides leadership, educational resources, and networking opportunities to donors who have developing or maturing interests in Indigenous Philanthropy. IFIP helps individual and institutional donors at all stages of involvement and investment to advance their goals while becoming leaders and role models to others entering this fascinating and fast-changing sector of philanthropy.
Through conferences, convenings, online communications, publications, and toolkits, funders learn how Indigenous Peoples are addressing the most prescient issues of our day. IFIP provides grantmakers and grantseekers with the means to bridge cultural differences; to improve the effectiveness of their Indigenous philanthropy, and to advance common interests.
IFIP sees a world in which philanthropic support of Indigenous Peoples, projects, and partnerships is considered a priority–indeed, an imperative– by all who seek to advance meaningful solutions to the greatest challenges of our modern age.
With exponential increases in funding, vast improvements are made in the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous communities. At the same time, we experience growing recognition of the models for good that are offered in Indigenous Peoples’ resiliancy, collaborative spirit in solution-making, and capacity to adapt to difficult conditions in a changing environment.
The benefits of applying Indigenous models to complex environmental, social, and economic challenges around the world leads to widespread investment, along with changing views, values, and indicators in how we measure the reach and relevancy of Indigenous Philanthropy.
IFIP honors the positive role that donors play in furthering the wisdom, creativity, insights, principles, imaginative thinking, and life-sustaining practices of Indigenous Peoples around the world.
IFIP values the "4-R's of Indigenous Philanthropy": Relationship, Respect, Responsibility, and Reciprocity.
These core values of Indigenous Philanthropy will be explored in greater depth as IFIP expands its website, toolkits, and resources.
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) was born in 1999 as a project of First Nations Development Institute. As grantmakers voiced their need for support to be more effective in funding Indigenous development projects, IFIP became a donors' forum within which ideas could be exchanged and relationships developed.
Today, IFIP informs grantmakers and policy makers about the need for increased financial support of Indigenous causes; and provides a forum for Indigenous leaders to demonstrate how donors' contributions make a tremendous difference to their capacity to improve lives, strengthen communities, and protect the planet.
IFIP serves as a platform through which new and experienced donors share ideas about visionary philanthropic leadership and donors' roles in social change related to Indigenous peoples, communities, and concerns. IFIP provides international donors with relevant information, recommendations, and guidelines and offers a portal through which to connect directly with Indigenous grantseekers.
IFIP facilitates regular opportunities for donors to have direct personal interaction with representatives of Indigenous communities from around the world. By speaking directly with Indigenous leaders, donors are able to learn first-hand about the issues that impact these Indigenous communities, scale funding more appropriately to the aims and needs of projects, and explore cultural differences that inform grantmaking expectations, processes, and outcomes.
IFIP advances Indigenous Philanthropy by:
Raising awareness of the need for significant increases to international funding for Indigenous Peoples and the benefits that will be derived from these greater investments;
Providing information about global issues and local impacts on Indigenous communities around the world;
Building knowledge and understanding of issues particular to funding Indigenous projects;
Encouraging innovation and greater effectiveness in Indigenous grantmaking,
Fostering an appreciation for Indigenous People's long-term approach to solution-making and the holistic context in which they live and work
IFIP supports its members by:
Hosting IFIP's annual international conference on Indigenous Philanthropy;
Offering networking opportunities, webinars, conference calls, and educational programs throughout the year
Participating in plenary or panel sessions at conferences held by other major grantmaker organizations
Producing IFIP publications and reports
Disseminating news and other resources related to Indigenous causes
Celebrating champions in Indigenous Philanthropy with presentation of the annual IFIP Award
IFIP Staff
Evelyn Arce, Executive Director
IFIP Board
Ken Wilson, Ph.D., President
Jose Malvido, Jr., Vice-President
Theresa Fay-Bustillos, Treasurer
Rebecca Adamson
Josh Mailman
Liz Hosken
Dana Lanza
James Stauch
Stephen E. Cornelius
Shaun Paul
Dune Lankard
Staff Profiles
Evelyn Arce, Executive Director, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) Evelyn, of Chibcha descent (Colombian-American) has been leading IFIP since 2002. She obtained her Master‘s of Art in Teaching degree at Cornell University with a concentration in Agriculture and Adult Education, and was a high-school teacher of Science, Horticulture, and Independent Living for seven years. Evelyn was chosen to participate in the Donella Meadows Fellowship Leadership program, a systems think tank on creating sustainable ways to effectively make long term changes through leadership. Evelyn was a communications consultant for the Iewirokwas Program, a Native American Midwifery Program and coordinated the American Indian Millennium Conference held at Cornell University in 2001. She has also been a diversity consultant for Cornell's Empowering Family Development Program. Evelyn serves on the board of United Way for Franklin County in New York State.
As IFIP’s Executive Director, Evelyn brings a vision of philanthropy that is in accord with Indigenous culture, values, and spiritual sensibilities. She leads IFIP into its second decade of educating funders about critical Indigenous issues and supporting the philanthropic community in its efforts to increase funding to Indigenous communities and causes around the world. A tireless networker, Evelyn has brought together culturally diverse individuals and organizations through IFIP‘s programs and events, helping to leverage vast reserves of resources.
Kyrie Katsi’tsiakatste Ransom, Kanienkeha (Mohawk) descent, and waka’thahion:ni (wolf clan); serves as Support Staff for International Funders for Indigenous Peoples. Kyrie also serves on the Board of Directors for the Akwesasne Area Management Board within her home community of Akwesasne. Kyrie also worked on the Akwesasne Olympic Torch Relay organizing committee, and wrote the submission to nominate Aronhiaies Herne to the position of Youth Flame Attendant. Kyrie worked with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne on various projects, including assisting community elders to attend Canada’s Apology to Indian Residential Schools Survivors. Kyrie was the first graduating senior in the region to be a recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship Fund when she graduated high school in 2005. Kyrie attended and graduated from the Mohawk Immersion Program with cultural inclusion at the Akwesasne Freedom School in 1999.
Board Profiles
President, Ken Wilson, Ph.D. has served as Executive Director of The Christensen Fund since August 2002. Born in Malawi with a life spread rather across the world, Dr. Wilson studied zoology at the University of Oxford and anthropology at University College London where his doctorate focused on indigenous knowledge, health and human ecology in the agro-pastoral arid savannahs and woodlands of Southern Zimbabwe.
Vice-President, Jose Malvido, Jr. Xicano, Yoeme, and Tohono O‘odham, formerly served as the Native American Programs Manager for the Seva Foundation since February 2005. In November 2000, Mr. Malvido began his tenure as the North American coordinator of the Peace and Dignity Journeys, which covers the territories, form Alaska to Panama, an intercontinental spiritual movement that works to unite Indigenous Peoples throughout North, Central, and South America. Jose brings extensive experience supporting the work of indigenous peoples internationally from a philanthropic as well as an active member in grass roots organizing.
Treasurer, Theresa Fay-Bustillos is Principal and Co-Founder of Ideal Philanthropy LLC and oversees the West Coast office. Theresa is a recognized civil rights and human rights lawyer, and philanthropic and business executive. She is the former Vice President, Worldwide Community & Corporate Citizenship for Levi Strauss and Co. and the Executive Director of the Levi Strauss Foundation. Over her eight years there, she and the team worked in 35 countries in the areas of human rights, asset-building and HIV/AIDS prevention. As the Executive Director of the foundation, she was also the chief legal officer addressing issues of governance, self-dealing, endowment management and the USA Patriot Act. As the Vice President, she led the company‘s corporate citizenship efforts globally.
Theresa received her bachelor‘s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. She serves on several boards including the Council on Foundations, Women‘s Foundation of California, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, and TransFair USA. Among her many awards and recognition, she was selected as one of the Most Influential Women in San Francisco by the San Francisco Business Times in 2007 and 2008; she has participated at gatherings of world leaders including the Clinton Global Initiative Retreat at White Oak and Fortune Magazine‘s Brainstorm 2002.
Rebecca Adamson Cherokee, is President Emeritus of First Nations Development Institute (1980) and Founder of First Peoples Worldwide, an organization serving Indigenous Peoples outside of the United States (1997), and IFIP (1999). Her life‘s work has been advocating for and working directly with Indigenous and tribal communities around the globe for self-determination, culturally appropriate development, and establishing legislation that supports Indigenous Peoples. She helped develop the first microenterprise loan fund, tribal community bank, and native community credit union in the United States. As trustee of Calvert Social Investment Funds she lead the establishment of a market mechanism, Community Notes, for individuals to invest directly into low income community development financial institutions (CDFI). Today over $4.5 billion is being invested in Community Notes. She established the Indigenous Peoples Working Group of the Social Investment Forum and launched the Indigenous Peoples Rights Investment Criteria used by all the premiere social investment research firms.
Rebecca has received many honors and awards, including the Council on Foundations Robert W. Scrivner Award 1996; Jay Silverheels Award 1996; The Independent Sector John W. Garner Leadership Award 2001; Virginia Women in History Honoree 2002; Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters Dartmouth College 2003; National Women History Honoree 2003; The World Economic Forum Charles Schwab Outstanding Social Entrepreneur Award 2004-2006; and the Meyers Outstanding Book Award for The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the US Racial Wealth Divide 2006. Her writings are being archived at Smith College.
Josh Mailman, President of the Joshua Mailman Foundation, Board member Sigrid Rausing Trust, U.K., Board member of the following non profits- Human Rights Watch, Witness, the Fund for Global Human Rights, Blacksmith Institute, Afropop Worldwide, Sierra Madre Alliance, Advisor to RSF Social Finance, Director Serious Change Fund, L.P. , Active Private Investor In Socially Driven Enterprises, Founder Social Venture Network, Threshold Foundation, Business for Social Responsibility.
Liz Hosken, Born near Johannesburg, South Africa, Liz Hosken was active from a young age in both environmental issues and the anti-apartheid movement. She was exiled to the UK in her early 20s, and co-founded the Gaia Foundation in 1984. As Executive Director of Gaia Foundation, she works with pioneers and visionaries for ecological and social justice. In 1991, Liz received the Jameson Award and, on behalf of Gaia, has received the Schumacher Award and a One World Award for media work on biodiversity related issues. She is a fellow of the Findhorn Foundation and advisor to the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Dana Lanza (Approved March 2009), Dana is the former Executive Director of the Environmental Grantmakers Association and started working with Rockefeller Advisory Group. She has a long-standing and remarkable history in championing ecological and environmental justice, she lived and worked among the Samburu people in northern Kenya for many years, as well as the Lakota in South Dakota.
James Stauch (Approved March 2009), James Stauch is Vice President, Programs and Operations, at the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation. Previously, James managed the Community Grants Program at The Calgary Foundation and before that worked in the field of urban and community planning in the private and non-profit sectors. James holds a Masters in Environmental Design (Planning) and has worked on culturally-based community development and regional planning initiatives in the urban and rural and northern and southern contexts. James is past Chair of the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network and a Director of International Funders for Indigenous Peoples. He is a co-founder of the Arctic Funders Group and a Steering Committee member of the Circle on Aboriginal Grantmaking in Canada.
Stephen E. Cornelius, Program Officer, Conservation and Sustainable Development of The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Stephen Cornelius is a Program Officer in the Conservation & Sustainable Development area of the Foundation's Program on Global Security & Sustainability. Prior to joining the Foundation, Cornelius directed the Sonoran Desert Program for the Sonoran Institute focusing on cross-border collaboration between U.S. and Mexican resource managers, residents and non-governmental organizations. Before this he was a Peace Corps volunteer, helping to establish the Costa Rican National Parks System and later as Regional Wildlife Coordinator for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) managing WWF's conservation program in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean for seven years. Cornelius has a M.S. in Wildlife Sciences from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Wildlife & Fisheries Biology from Iowa State University.
Shaun Paul, Executive Director Mr. Paul co-founded EcoLogic in 1993 and currently serves as its executive director. Mr. Paul has extensive experience in rural Latin American economic development, environmental protection, and natural resource management. Prior to launching EcoLogic, he served as a field representative for social service organizations working in Central America. Mr. Paul has also held positions with the United Nations Non-Governmental Organization Liaison Service, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Inter-American Foundation. He has an M.A. in natural resource and development economics from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in international relations from American University. He is fluent in Spanish and was designated a Next Generation Leader Fellow by the Rockefeller Foundation in 2001.
Dune Lankard, Founder, Eyak Preservation Council, Executive Director, NATIVE Conservancy Executive Director, Fund for Indigenous Rights and the Environment. "The morning the oil spill happened was the day the ocean died and the day that something came to life in me," says Dune Lankard, recalling the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. A member of the Eyak tribe in Alaska, Dune has spent most of his life as a commercial fisherman in Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta. After the oil spill, Dune felt compelled to work to preserve, protect, and restore his tribe’s culture, ecosystem, and sustainable fishing economy. Dune hopes what he calls "social profits," successful businesses that are socially beneficial, will transform the way people think about their impact on and relationship to the environment. He is developing a cold storage facility where local fishermen can sustainably process and directly market the fish they catch; the facility could jumpstart 50 new small businesses in his hometown of Cordova and serve as a model for indigenous people across the country and around the world. Every year Dune donates thousands of Copper River salmon to individuals, nonprofits, and other organizations to support their events, an avenue through which he is publicizing the importance of preserving natural salmon habitats. Dune believes his work in Alaska will act as a catalyst for environmental change at the national level: "I create effective models of change to empower people to positively influence their local economy, protect endangered homelands, and provide real solutions for energy and pollution challenges."
Amy N. Fredeen, CPA. Amy of Inupiaq heritage and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. Amy attended the Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washingtonand graduated Cum Laude in 1996 with a bachelor of Business Administration. Amy is the Chief Financial Officer for the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC) where she oversees both Finance and Social Enterprise Operations. Amy serves on Cook Inlet Native Head Start Board of Directors, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts Board of Directors, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho & Washington Board of Trustees, as well as on the Finance and Audit Committee for IFIP‘s board.
Photo Gallery and Photo Credits
Thank you to the following for use of their photographs on IFIP's website:
Patricia Cochran of Inuit Circumpolar Union
Ken Wilson of The Christensen Fund
Jessica Brown of New England Biolabs Foundation
Angela Sevin of LEAP
Liz Hosken of Gaia Foundation and Sacred Land Film Project
Regional Convening
Photo Galleries:
Member Photos:
GALLERY 3 - (Stephen DeNorscia)
IFIP on Facebook
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