About
ORGANIZATION'S MISSION: PWNA'S DUAL ROLE AND HUMANITARIAN SERVICE STRATEGY: PWNA is a trusted resource and intermediary for philanthropic solutions in Indigenous communities. Entrusted by Native partners and funders alike, PWNA is one of the largest Native-led nonprofits in the U.S. A 501(c)(3) founded in 1990, PWNA invests in the most geographically isolated and impoverished Tribal communities, reaching Navajo, Pine Ridge, Rosebud and more to champion hope for a brighter future. For over three decades, we have achieved our mission by respecting the self-determined goals of the tribes, connecting them with outside resources, and partnering with Native professionals who can drive social change in Tribal communities. We address immediate needs by providing food, water, school supplies, and other critical materials. To sustainably address the core symptoms of poverty and support self-sufficiency, PWNA takes an asset-based community development (ABCD) approach, bringing together individuals, Tribal programs, and outside collaborators to increase material aid, capacity building, and community investment. The severities created by colonization, the reservation system, broken treaty promises, and racial and systemic bias are not easily surmountable. However, 2024 brought more Native representation through accurate stories in TV and film, the Indian Boarding School investigation and apology by President Biden, increased funding for MMIW and public safety programs, and the impact of late President Jimmy Carter who enacted the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act. Within PWNA's service area, remote Tribal communities made advances too. Even as inflation stacked on top of longstanding poverty, they made significant advances in emergency preparedness and its integral link to food security. Both issues are top priorities for tribes across the country. In addition, while the 2024 news cycles focused heavily on climate-driven disasters, war, and politics, caring people here in the U.S. remembered Native Americans. This allowed us to bring immediate relief and support long-term solutions such as food security, higher education, and emergency preparedness planning and training. We know that none of our work would be possible without our partners and the generosity of individual and organizational donors who believe in our mission.
In care of Julie SOLO
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