Native Voices Rising is thrilled to announce our 2025 Grantee Partner awards as we embark on our second decade of impactful grantmaking.
Native Voices Rising (NVR) announces today $4.3 million in grants awarded to 136 Indigenous and Native-led advocacy and organizing groups. Within this round of awards, NVR also awarded six multi-year grants to organizations deeply aligned with NVR’s theory of change. This year’s grant awardees focus on an array of critical issues, including environmental, water, and climate justice, birth justice, culture and language revitalization, youth empowerment, women- and two-spirit-led activism, among others.
We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from our community and funding partners, which has been instrumental in our journey.
Since our inception, Native Voices Rising has awarded over $16 million in grants to more than 380 Native-led grassroots organizations. These grants have empowered initiatives that enhance the lives of tens of thousands of Native community members across Indian Country. Our grant partners have been at the forefront of addressing critical issues, from championing environmental and climate justice to advancing health and healing and fostering youth and intergenerational involvement.
NVR aims to address the longstanding underfunding of Native-led efforts, which currently accounts for approximately 0.3-0.4% of all philanthropic grantmaking. NVR’s collaborative, community-led approach to grantmaking engages funders and individual donors at all levels to invest directly in Native-led organizations focused on systemic change. Through its participatory grantmaking process, NVR invites non-Native donors and institutions to learn from and build partnerships with Native grassroots leaders, supporting Native-led organizing and advocacy. This process not only supports Native-led solutions but also strengthens community control within Native communities.
In addition to grant support, Native Voices Rising offers a capacity-building program called Supportive Assistance, which focuses on strengthening organizational capacity and connecting grant partners with skilled Native consultants and coaches. This program is an opportunity for NVR partners to receive support around topics such as organizational development, fundraising, communications, and financial management.
As one of the few participatory grantmaking initiatives in the country led by Native people, NVR empowers Native communities by placing decision-making directly in their hands. Through a community-led process, applicant organizations are reviewed by ten regional committees composed of Native community members and leaders.
“The strength of Native Voices Rising lies in its commitment to honoring Indigenous self-determination,” says Shash Yazhi Moreno Charley (Diné), Grants Manager, Native Voices Rising. “By centering Native leadership and vision, we’re not only shifting resources but reinforcing the power of Native communities to lead on their own terms. It’s inspiring to witness Native organizers shape solutions that directly respond to their community’s needs and aspirations.”
Click here to view a complete list of organizations funded by Native Voices Rising.
About Native Voices Rising
Native Voices Rising was founded in 2013 as a collaborative grantmaking initiative between Native Americans in Philanthropy and Common Counsel Foundation. Since its inception, NVR has distributed a total of $16.5 million in flexible support to Native-led grassroots and advocacy efforts empowering American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities.
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Interested donors are encouraged to visit NativeVoicesRising.org or email development@nativevoicesrising.org.
