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Helping Native Communities Thrive During COVID-19: 2020 Critical Response Grants (Round 1)

February 8, 2021March 11, 2021 jill-neumeister

Helping Native Communities Thrive During COVID-19: Critical Response Grants From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Potlatch Fund looked for the best way to support Native individuals and communities with emergency funding. By talking to current grant partners—the ones on the ground in their communities—we discovered the need for flexible, unrestricted funding in mostly rural and less populated communities within our service area. While we focused first on Native communities in Idaho, Oregon, and Montana, we were able to make additional grants to individuals and organizations in Washington as additional funding became available. We are pleased to announce the next round of Critical Response Grants to the following individuals and organizations: Individuals: Alyssa London of Bothell, WA Marlene Spencer Simla

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Funding

February 1, 2021March 11, 2021 jill-neumeister

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1, 2021 Two Local Native American Organizations Receive Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Funding To Boost COVID-19 Relief Efforts in Struggling Pacific NW Communities SEATTLE, February 1, 2021 – Potlatch Fund and Na’ah Illahee Fund—two Seattle-based nonprofit organizations serving Indigenous communities across the Pacific Northwest with programs and funding—are pleased to announce new funding from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation which will help both organizations provide vital support to Native communities during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Both Potlatch Fund and Na’ah Illahee Fund have disbursed emergency funding to individuals and communities since the COVID-19 pandemic began last March. For Potlatch Fund, this funding took the form of Critical Response Grants after staff members reached out

Close the gap

December 12, 2020March 11, 2021 potlatch-fund

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

November 25, 2020March 11, 2021 potlatch-fund

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,

Grant Partner Check In

November 17, 2020February 12, 2021 jill-neumeister

We are reaching out to invite grant recipient partners to support our efforts to ensure that Potlatch Fund is staying connected and informed about the needs in our Northwest Native Communities. The next few months will be critical as we approach colder seasons and we anticipate the COVID-19 pandemic to continue well into 2021. Check your email for the meeting link. Please Join Us! Date: Friday, November 20th, 2020 12:00 PM (PST) Add to Calendar 6:00 PM (PST) Add to Calendar Over this past year we have been responding to COVID-19 by stepping up our grantmaking support of Tribal departments, Native nonprofit organizations, and Native Artists – all of which are crucial to maintaining our way of life. We are

A Celebration of: Indigenous Resilience. Colonial Resistance

November 2, 2020March 11, 2021 jill-neumeister

Native communities know about philanthropy. “Philanthropy in Indian Country is more important than ever, to reclaim what is lost and to build our communities,” says Potlatch Board President Amber Schulz-Oliver. “Whether you call it give-away or potlatch, we have always practiced systems to be able to redistribute wealth.” Join us for our 18th Annual Gala on November 7 to find out how Potlatch Fund has been affirming and advancing the Native traditions of giving and generosity at a time when Native communities are grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Register here. While the pandemic has highlighted deep inequities in how Native communities are funded by traditional philanthropy, it has also provided an opportunity for Potlatch Fund to further advance a model

Se-ah-dom Edmo – Spirit of Reciprocity Award Recipient.

October 30, 2020March 11, 2021 jill-neumeister

SE-AH-DOM EDMO 2020 SPIRIT OF RECIPROCITY Award Recipient The Spirit of Reciprocity Award was established by Potlatch Fund to recognize emerging leaders from the local community who have demonstrated significant promise of leadership, participation, and accomplishment within Northwest Indian Country. This year’s winner of the award is Se-ah-dom Edmo of Portland, Oregon. Se-ah-dom (Shoshone-Bannock, Nez Perce and Yakama) is currently the executive director of MRG Foundation and a founder of the Northwest Justice Funders Collective, a group of eight foundations including Potlatch Fund that intentionally fund communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, women, immigrants, and refugees, and grassroots groups working for justice. Se-ah-dom comes from a background of advocacy and organizing work on behalf of tribes and LBGTQ justice. She is

Meet James Jaime – Potlatch Fund Grant Recipient.

October 29, 2020March 11, 2021 potlatch-fund

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

October 23, 2020March 11, 2021 potlatch-fund

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

18th Annual Virtual Gala Nov. 7th 2020

October 14, 2020March 11, 2021 potlatch-fund

Potlatch Fund and the community comes together virtually for a night of Indigenous Resilience; Colonial Resistance at the 2020 Potlatch Fund Annual Gala on Saturday, November 7, at 5p.m. PDT.