Potlatch Fund and the Future of Philanthropy

Potlatch Fund and the Future of Philanthropy Something exciting happened to philanthropy last year because of COVID-19. Across the country, a number of prominent, large foundations began publicly adopting the tenets of trust-based philanthropy and community-based philanthropy, guided by the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Partly they did this in order to get emergency funding quickly to community organizations “on the ground” that were responding to the many crises brought on or worsened by the pandemic. In trust-based philanthropy, the power dynamics between funders and grantee partners shift and have the potential to transform relationships. The result is a process that’s more personal and less transactional, more trusting and less suspicious, and more about sharing power than maintaining the

Announcing New Resiliency Fund

 Potlatch Fund Resiliency Fund BRING US YOUR DREAMS Applications open June 21st, 2021. Dream with us. It’s a new day. Time to breathe deeper and to stand strong in our resilience. Time to gather and ignite new dreams. Time to light up our visions across our cultures. Time to lift up our hopes across our communities. Potlatch Fund invites you to help lead us forward. For our communities. For our cultures. For our relations. It’s time. Do you have a dream, a great idea, for serving your Indigenous community? We want to know. Is there a project or community program we can help fund? Are you a Native artist with passion, voice, vision? Are you called to be a

Grant Partner Spotlight: Marlene R. Simla

Checking in with Yakama Tribal elder, MARLENE R. SIMLA At Potlatch Fund, the hard realities of the pandemic remind us of how important it is to support our culture keepers, many of whom are elders, not only with funding but also with care and attention. We decided to check in with a few of our elder grant partners, to see how they’re doing during the pandemic. While we are well aware of the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, we also pause to acknowledge with deep respect the resiliency of our Native relatives. We are pleased to introduce respected storyteller and elder Marlene R. Simla (Yakama) of Toppenish, Washington. Marlene is an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation, born and raised on

Close the gap

Dear Friends of Potlatch Fund, We were honored to hold meaningful space with our community during our 2020 Fundraising Gala last month. To be honest, we weren’t sure how well a virtual gala would work. And although we missed seeing all of you in person, we were grateful that so many of you showed up to celebrate and support the important work Potlatch Fund and its grant partners do every day in our communities. As a community, we were lifted up by the stories of Potlatch Fund grant recipients who are preserving Native ways for future generations. We were entertained by a rich diversity of Native artists. We heard encouraging messages from Potlatch Fund leaders. Altogether, it was an inspiring

Gala Wrap Up from Dustin Monroe

A MESSAGE FROM: Dustin Monroe Vice-President Potlatch Fund Board of Directors Gala Committee Chair Dear Friends, My heart is filled with gratitude for all of you who joined Potlatch Fund for our 18th Annual Gala. Along with so many other organizations this year, Potlatch Fund transitioned this event to be online to keep our loved ones and communities safe from COVID-19. Serving as the Chair of the Gala Committee and the Potlatch Board Vice-President, I knew we had our work cut out for us. We weren’t sure how our community would respond to a virtual event. Our strength as a community comes from those times; we can greet one another face-to-face and gather to share our cultures and stories. We miss those opportunities,

2020 Silent Auction

The Potlatch Fund Board and Staff raise our hands to our sponsors, supporters, donors, guests, volunteers, and all those that embraced the spirit of Potlatch at our 18th Annual Virtual Gala this year. We also wish to express our deep gratitude and admiration to the gifted performers and presenters that made this virtual event truly magical. If you didn’t get a chance to attend the event you can still participate by donating here: https://zurl.co/GEjp Also, stay tuned for information about an encore watch-party viewing event. #PF2020Gala #RezCarpet DONATE HERE   Support Indigenous Artists! All Proceeds from the Silent Auction will help support the 2021 Native Arts Grant Cycle. This year’s annual Potlatch Fund Gala Silent Auction is virtual. The Potlatch

Meet James Jaime – Potlatch Fund Grant Recipient.

Quileute Language Preservation Project  James Jaime has a passion for preserving the Quileute language. He grew up in La Push, Washington, and watched over the years as the number of fluent Quileute language speakers decreased from 2,000 to just one, while at the same time the tribe’s population more than doubled. With help, James began cataloging and indexing materials and resources. And although the Quileute language is now considered “extinct” by some, James isn’t going to let it die. With help from Potlatch Fund, he participated in a Language Cohort with 14 other members, an experience he says gave him the energy and hope to persevere in his quest. Today, James and his team have produced four out of six

Meet Celeste Whitewolf – Potlatch Fund Grant Recipient

Núun ken’ witnéewit – Our Way of Weaving. Using natural materials gathered from the land.  Celeste Whitewolf practiced law for 20 years until a diagnosis of breast cancer changed the direction of her life. Since then, she’s founded an organization to help other Native people and their caregivers thrive through cancer, and seven years ago she decided to become a weaver. Celeste’s journey embodies the spirit of generosity and reciprocity we celebrate here at Potlatch Fund. Join us for our 18th Annual Gala on November 7 to support Native Artists like Celeste in her journey to preserve and renew the traditional Native art of weaving through her project “Núun ken’ witnéewit – Our Way of Weaving.” REGISTER FOR THE 2020