INTERNATIONAL FUNDERS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
LinkedIn

Mission and Values

MISSION

The International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) is a global community of funders dedicated to Indigenous Peoples worldwide.

Our Mission is dedicated to shifting power, mobilizing resources, and building partnerships to amplify Indigenous leadership and to support the self-determination and rights of Indigenous Peoples, their communities, lands and territories worldwide.

 

Our Vision is Indigenous Peoples, their communities, lands and territories worldwide are flourishing, recognized, self-determined, equitably funded and resourced.

International Funders for Indigenous Peoples seeks to transform the relationship between the funding world and Indigenous Peoples to one of mutual understanding and benefit.

It recognizes the urgent need for solutions that are led and understood by Indigenous Peoples not only to improve lives in Indigenous communities, but also as a resource for solving social, economic and environmental challenges around the world for everyone.

IFIP is led by donors and Indigenous leaders to advance a new movement in philanthropy that better values, supports and partners with Indigenous communities. Donors and Indigenous leaders are afforded unique opportunities to respectfully learn from one another at our regional meetings and international donor summits. This face-to-face engagement plants the seeds for trust and enduring collaborations. We build capacity for both Indigenous communities seeking support and donors interested in high impact philanthropy.  Personalized encounters, buttressed by social media, case studies and original research on best practices, form the cornerstones of IFIP’s strategy.

IFIP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and it was started in 1999 as a project of the First Nations Development Institute.

VALUES

The mission envisions value-based partnerships that incorporate IFIP’s “5Rs” to re-frame funding relationships for greater beneficial impact.  IFIP educates its members and allies to practice a new paradigm of giving based on “The Five R’s of Indigenous Philanthropy” —Respect, Reciprocity, Responsibility, Relationships and Redistribution.
RESPECT: Recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and worldviews. Seek to uphold the principles articulated in the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous People (UNDRIP). Work directly with Indigenous communities to advance these principles and to gain understanding about their aspirations, solutions and initiatives.
RECIPROCITY: Practice the essence of Indigenous ways of living, giving and sharing that connects people, their beliefs and actions. Be open
to learning, unlearning, and receiving. Giving and receiving from a place of mutual benefit and solidarity is also part of a virtuous circle of healing principles
RESPONSIBILITY: Be accountable and transparent in ensuring the effective, meaningful and intersectional representation and participation of Indigenous Peoples where critical decisions that affect them are made. Use funding processes and approaches that are accessible, adaptable, flexible, transparent, and accountable.
RELATIONSHIPS:  Engage directly with Indigenous communities by understanding the nature of their relationships with Mother Earth, their culture, traditions and spirituality. Build and nurture relationships based on mutual respect and trust that eliminate the tendency to exert power over another through building long-term commitments and mutual learning.
REDISTRIBUTION:  Practice redistribution based on Indigenous Values and ways of living, sharing and giving to shift towards a just and equitable world. Do this through building trust, ensuring Indigenous Peoples are at the decision-making table and directly funding Indigenous led solutions, initiatives and organizations worldwide.
Menu