Grant Focus
Tribal food sovereignty is the right of Indigenous peoples to produce their own traditional foods on their own lands to sustain themselves, their families and their communities.
Did you know that although Native peoples suffer disproportionately compared to non-Native populations and face discrimination and systemic exclusion from power structures and economic prosperity; they also represent less than 1% of giving. To be more precise, only 0.4% of all philanthropic funding by large U.S. foundations went to nonprofits that serve Indigenous people and only 0.23% of philanthropic funds were directed to Native American-led nonprofit organizations.
That is why the SDWF’s Collaboration Committee (a subset of the SDWF membership that seeks to increase impact by partnering with other philanthropic funders; separate from the annual grants process, investment opportunities are identified by a committee of contributing SDWF members, who pay $500 in additional dues towards the collaborative grants pool), sought out partners with a deeper knowledge base interested in supporting and cultivating long term relationships with Native-led organizations and entities: Avila Fund, a family foundation that connects individuals with the resources they need for a healthy, equitable and vibrant life., and San Diego Foundation’s Environment Initiative, have both funded organizations promoting food sovereignty efforts and numerous indigenous led organizations.
Together, we identified 4 organizations to fund in our first round of giving. To meet the regional need, the Collaboration Committee welcomes additional contributions to support further awards to Tribes and Native-led organizations, deploying more philanthropic dollars in the historically under-funded Native community and uplifting organizations leading impact in our community. With your help, we will support these organization’s efforts, support additional organizations and inspire other funders to do the same.
Funding Partners
About Avila Fund
Avila Fund, a family foundation, connects individuals with the resources they need for a healthy, equitable and vibrant life. Honoring the dignity of each person. Avila promotes food security, activates social justice and advances a healthy and sustainable world.
About San Diego Foundation
San Diego Foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region. Our strategic priorities include advancing racial and social justice, fostering equity of opportunity, building resilient communities, and delivering world-class philanthropy to realize our vision of just, equitable and resilient communities. The Environmental Initiative seeks to preserve and protect our resources, build a more sustainable path of economic growth and ensure a higher quality of life for those who call San Diego home. For more than 48 years, SDF and its donors have granted $1.7 billion to support nonprofit organizations strengthening our community. Learn more at SDFoundation.org.
About San Diego Women’s Foundation Collaboration Commitee
San Diego Women’s Foundation’s Collaboration Committee, a subset of its membership that seeks to increase impact by partnering with other philanthropic funders. Separate from the annual grants process, investment opportunities are identified by a committee of contributing members, who give $500 in additional dues towards the collaborative grants pool.