First Nations Receives $800,000 Grant from the Strengthening Communities Fund

Released on: October 16, 2009, 11:44 am
Author: Media Contact: Sarah EchoHawk Vermillion
Industry: Non Profit

October 16, 2009 - Longmont, Colorado- First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) announced today that it has been awarded a two-year, $800,000 grant from a new program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF), created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. First Nations will also provide an additional $200,000 in funding to the project bringing the total budget to $1 million (80% Federal funds and 20% nongovernmental sources) over two years.

The objective of the grant is to enable nonprofit organizations to contribute to the economic recovery and help Federal, State, local, and Indian/Native American Tribal governments ensure that the information and services described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) reach disadvantaged and hard-to-serve populations. The grant to First Nations is from the Nonprofit Capacity Building program which made one-time awards up to $1 million to experienced lead organizations to provide nonprofit organizations -- or project partners -- with capacity building training, technical assistance, and competitive financial assistance. A minimum of 55% of the Federal funds awarded must be provided to project partners through a competitive (subgrant) process.

Specifically, through this grant project, First Nations will work to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, whether secular or faith based, to address the broad economic recovery issues present in their (Native American) communities. With SCF funding, First Nations Development Institute will provide nonprofit capacity building services to targeted rural and reservation-based Native American communities in the United States. Project participants will be selected from 22 targeted Native American communities located in Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah that have excessive poverty and low income statistics according to the U.S. Census.

Services will include providing comprehensive organizational effectiveness assessment for each of the organizations or groups selected; culturally appropriate training in organizational development; program development; collaboration/community engagement; leadership development; evaluation of effectiveness and development of individualized, tailored and culturally appropriate technical assistance plans. Recipients will be formally organized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, tribal§7871 organizations or community organizations which have not achieved this status. Recipients will be Native American-controlled and will serve the targeted rural or reservation-based Native American communities. Native American groups that are faith-based will be eligible to participate in this SCF-funded project, as long as the programs or services that will improve in capacity as a result of this project will not include inherently religious activities. Additionally, First Nations will provide $440,000 in grants to rural and reservation-based Native American nonprofit organizations and community groups for the purpose of capacity building in the areas listed above.

About First Nations Development Institute
For almost 30 years, using a three-pronged strategy of Educating Grassroots Practitioners, Advocating for Systemic Change, Capitalizing Indian Communities, First Nations has been working to restore Native American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own - be they land, human potential, cultural heritage, or natural resources - and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native communities. First Nations serves rural and reservation-based Native American communities throughout the United States.

For more information, please contact Tina Farrenkopf, Senior Director of Programs, at tfarrenkopf@firstnations.org or visit: www.firstnations.org.

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Contact Details: Sarah EchoHawk Vermillion
Vice President
First Nations Development Institute
703 3rd Ave, Suite B
Longmont, CO 80501
303-774-7836 Phone
303-774-7841 Fax