THUNDER BAY – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) is now accepting proposals for its Native Youth and Culture Fund (NYCF) program that focuses on youth, and incorporating culture and tradition to address social issues in Native communities. First Nations will award approximately 20 grants to Native organizations and tribes seeking ways to preserve, strengthen and/or renew Native culture and tradition among Native youth.
First Nations began the NYCF in 2002 with the belief that Native youth represent the future of Native communities, and that their health and well-being determine the future overall health and well-being of a community. By investing in its youth and giving them a sense of place and tradition in the community, a community ensures that it will have bright and capable future leaders. Specifically, we are seeking projects that focus on one or more of these four priority areas:
- Preserving, strengthening or renewing cultural and/or spiritual practices, beliefs and values.
- Engaging both youth and elders in activities that demonstrate methods for documenting traditional knowledge, practices, and/or beliefs, where culturally appropriate.
- Increasing youth leadership and their capacity to lead through integrated educational or mentoring programs.
- Increasing access to and sharing of cultural customs and beliefs through the use of appropriate technologies (traditional and/or modern), as a means of reviving or preserving tribal language, arts, history, or other culturally relevant topics.
First Nations expects to receive 200 proposals. From these submissions, approximately 40 will be invited to submit full proposals. From those applicants asked to submit full proposals, First Nations will award approximately 20 grants. Some of the projects selected may have received previous NYCF funding, and are seeking additional support to expand the original project, with a view toward sustainability. First Nations prefers to fund projects no longer than one year in length, and with budgets between $5,000 and $20,000.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on Thursday, March 12, 2015. All applicants must fully complete the First Nations online grant application. Eligible entities include but are not limited to federal- and state-recognized tribal governments, tribally-run programs, tribal colleges, and Native American-controlled 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. This program does not fund individuals or public schools.
Organizations that are not a tribal government, 501(c)(3), or a Section 7871 must have a fiscal sponsor that is a qualifying entity. All entities that apply must be located in a tribal community or have very close ties to one or more tribal communities. Urban groups that serve only off-reservation tribal members are very unlikely to be funded as our focus is tribal communities.
Please read the official request before you decide to submit a proposal. More information and the online grant application can be found here: http://www.firstnations.org/grantmaking/2015NYCF.
