BACKGROUND

Indigenous peoples have lived in the right relationship with Mother Earth, as custodians and guardians of the land for generations. Last year, through our fund, Liberated Capital, we announced the redistribution of $1 million to our inaugural cohort of 16 Indigenous Earth Fund grantee partners driving change on climate and conservation issues. Building on this fund,  we are excited to announce an additional $1 million funding opportunity for both current Indigenous Earth Fund grantee partners and new organizations, supporting systemic and policy change efforts on both climate change and conservation in the United States.

The climate crisis will remain just that if Indigenous communities are not centered, invested in, and leading solutions for both conservation and climate change. Indigenous leadership to support, protect and conserve land can reverse and mitigate climate destruction.

Despite contributing the least to this crisis, and having ancient and traditional solutions, Indigenous-led organizations receive a small percentage of philanthropic climate funding. In addition, Indigenous Nations and communities are largely excluded from regional and national discussions on both climate change and conservation. At the Decolonizing Wealth Project, we seek to disrupt the flow of capital to save our planet, recognizing that with Indigenous communities at the center, the Earth can heal.

WHAT IS THE INDIGENOUS EARTH FUND?

Following on from last year, The Indigenous Earth Fund will invest an additional $1 million investment from our fund, Liberated Capital. We are inviting proposals from tribes and  Indigenous-led organizations doing the work, building political power, building movements and leading campaigns on climate change and conservation issues in the United States. We are inviting both existing Indigenous Earth Fund grantee partners and new organizations and tribes to apply.

The work may include movement-building efforts and organizing campaigns that center Indigenous self-determination that promote sustainable food systems, land and forest management; protection and conservation of water sources and natural resources,  and Indigenous-led data and research to advance advocacy efforts on climate and conservation solutions, for example. We also value and understand the importance of our sovereign tribal governments in this work and encourage projects led by, or partnered with, tribal nations. This list is not exhaustive. 

We are inviting tribes and Indigenous-led organizations working on environmental issues in the United States to apply. Grant awards will likely range from $50,000 – $75,000 for one year.

We operate through a trust-based model, so grants will be untethered resources that enable Indigenous-led organizations to simply get the work done how and where they see fit. The solutions and ideas will vary and that’s ok! We want to celebrate and invest in the diverse wisdom Indigenous communities have been cultivating for thousands of years. 

Following on from learnings from year one, we will also be developing a Learning Community to support the ecosystem and encourage networking in support of movement building across Indigenous communities. We will help convene Indigenous-led organizations, including inter-tribal organizations and networks, to elevate and discuss strategies and best practices that address the current climate crisis.

ELIGIBILITY 

• This Fund is only open to Indigenous-led organizations/coalitions. To that end, we welcome proposals from Tribes, First Nations, and Inuit-led organizations in the United States.
• Grant dollars must be paid to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or tribal entity; we accept applications from fiscal sponsors.  State-recognized tribes must apply through a 501(c)(3).
• Individuals are not eligible. 
• Applicants must be based in the United States. 
• Coalitions and organizations working on advocacy campaigns to center Indigenous solutions in climate and conservation discussions.
• Funding must be used for a charitable purpose (no direct lobbying).
• We will also prioritize current grantee partners engaged in climate and conservation campaigns, policy, and work. 

HOW TO APPLY

Existing Grantee Partners
If your organization previously received an Indigenous Earth Fund grant (2021), visit www.justfund.us to log in to the account you registered with last year. If you are having trouble accessing your account, reset your password or contact info@justfund.us.

Follow the steps below to submit your proposal:

Step 1: Click the ‘Apply’ button at the bottom of the funding opportunity, and select one of the options listed below:

Step 2: Apply an Active Proposal: To apply an active JustFund proposal to this opportunity, select Option 2 in the pop-up screen. Select the proposal you previously submitted to The Indigenous Earth Fund, add the required attachments listed below, and submit.

Step 3: Copy Existing Proposal Content: If you would like to update the content previously submitted to The Indigenous Earth Fund, select Option 3 in the pop-up screen to copy existing proposal content as a basis of a new draft, edit as needed, add the required attachments listed below, and submit.

For questions about how to submit your proposal, please refer to JustFund’s How to Apply video, Help Center or contact info@grants.us.

Other Applicants
If your organization has never received an Indigenous Earth Fund grant, including organizations that may have applied but did not receive funding in 2022, please follow these steps:

The Indigenous Earth Fund is accepting applications on JustFund:

Step 1: Visit www.justfund.us to log in or register for an account.
Please note that registrations require 48 business hours for approval. We encourage applicants to register as early as possible.

Step 2: After you’ve registered, go to https://justfund.us/indigenous-earth-fund-2022/ to view the proposal and apply. You may need to log in to JustFund again when you visit this link. 

For questions about how to submit your proposal, please refer to JustFund’s How to Apply video, Help Center or contact info@grants.us for technical issues.

For questions about the proposal itself, email us at info@decolonizingwealth.com, contact Vanessa Thomas

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions, and steps on how to submit your application.

DEADLINES

Proposals are due by November 1, 2022 at 5 pm PST.

If you have any trouble submitting, please contact the JustFund team at info@justfund.us. 

2022 ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The Advisory Commitee includes representatives from: 

• Decolonizing Wealth Project 
• Native Americans in Philanthropy 
• Indigenous Grassroots and Movement Leaders

On January 20, 2022, we announced the redistribution of $1M+ to the following organizations:  

• Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians – Portland, OR
• Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition – Sacramento, CA
• Children of the Setting Sun Productions – Bellingham, WA
• Indian Country Grassroots Support – Farmington, NM
• Indigenous Environmental Network– Bemidji, MN
• Indian Land Tenure Foundation – Little Canada, MN
• Native Movement – Fairbanks, AK
• Native Organizers Alliance – New York, NY
• Northern Alaska Environmental Center – Fairbanks, AK
• Protect the Sacred (Harness) – Marina del Rey, CA
• SAGE Development Authority – Fort Yates, ND
• Save California Salmon – Orleans, CA
• Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, In – Arcata, CA
• Sicangu CDC– Mission, SD
• Sogorea Te’ Land Trust – Oakland, CA
• Water Protector Legal Collective – Albuquerque, NM

READ THE PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE FIRST COHORT! 

FIRST COHORT DATA

*some proposals covered multiple regions of the United States, focus areas were identified by grantee partners during application process.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We keep raising money and awareness to support this multi-year campaign.

And the work doesn’t stop with our grants. We’re committed to identifying the best ways to elevate the work of Indigenous-led conservation and climate efforts across the country.

Interested in supporting this work? Reach out to us at info@decolonizingwealth.com to set up a call with our team.

Press inquiries: decolonizingwealth@sunshinesachs.com