Say hello to the new Potlatch Fund Executive Committee!

Say hello to the new Potlatch Fund Executive Committee! L-R: Jordann Lankford (president), Mer Parker (vice president), Celina Phair (treasurer), Amber Schulz-Oliver (secretary), Brie Coyle Jones (compliance officer) The Potlatch Fund Board of Directors gathered on Saturday, January 27th in Portland, OR, for the annual public meeting where they reorganized their leadership and set goals for the year. The board established three committees for this year – the finance committee, grantmaking committee and the gala committee. The board voted on new executive committee members and welcomed Jordann Lankford (Gross Ventre/Little Shell) as the new president, Mer Parker (Makah) as vice president, Celina Phair (Lummi Nation) as treasurer, Amber Schulz-Oliver (Celilo/Yakama) as secretary and Brie Coyle Jones (Quileute Desc.) as compliance

Community Relations and Innovation Grant

  Announcing the 2023 Community Relations and Innovation Grantees Potlatch Fund is pleased to announce the new 2023 Community Relations and Innovation (CRI) Fund grantees. This grant supports individual Native artists, Native organizations and tribal entities that continue to focus on ‘the people on the ground’ in Native communities who are committed to serving the needs of their community. For this inaugural round, Potlatch Fund granted 44 grants totaling $396,800 to individual Native artists, organizations, and tribal entities in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. Funds will support these grantees to expand their vital work for long lasting positive impacts in their communities. The Community Relations and Innovation Fund was established to simplify our grant practices. This first round sought applicants

Annual Public Meeting of the Potlatch Fund Board of Directors Saturday January 27, 2024

Announcement We invite our Potlatch Fund Friends and Family to the: 2024 Annual Public Meeting of the Potlatch Fund Board of Directors Saturday, January 27, 2024 1:00 PM Hyatt Regency Portland At The Oregon Convention Center 375 NE Holladay St. Portland, OR 97232 In-Person and Virtual Register in advance for this meeting: http://tinyurl.com/2s3bxpud After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing details on the meeting. Thank You, The Potlatch Fund Board and Staff

Potlatch Fund Staffing Announcement

The Potlatch Fund Board of Directors wishes to inform you of the transition of the Executive Director position. After three years of service Cleora Hill-Scott has transitioned out of the role of Executive Director. The Board is actively working to ensure a smooth transition.  In the interim, Rebecca Miles and Shannon Kopelva will step into the role as Co-Directors as they have both proven track records within the Potlatch Fund and are committed to maintaining stability and continuity in operations. We understand the importance of transparency in our relationship with our valued funders, community partners, grantees and NW tribes and we are dedicated to providing updates on our progress.  Our commitment to the Potlatch Fund’s mission is unwavering and we

We Measure Wealth in Shared Abundance

We Measure Wealth in Shared Abundance November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich and diverse histories and cultures of the 7+ million Native American people. While many celebrate Natives during this month only, Potlatch Fund celebrates Native communities everyday through the cultural tradition of giving in our four-state region of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. We provide leadership development services to Tribes and Native nonprofits; educate the non-Native and funding communities about the needs, issues, and structures that exist within Indian Country; run grant programs that support emerging and innovative initiatives; and advocate for our communities. We have graduated over 100 emerging leaders through our capacity-building program cohorts, distributed over $8 million through our grantmaking program,

Honoring Spirit Of Reciprocity Awardee Sheryl Fryberg

Announcing 2023 Spirit of Reciprocity Awardee, Sheryl Fryberg! We are honored to announce this year’s Spirit of Reciprocity Awardee, Sheryl Fryberg (Tulalip). Sheryl has been a longtime supporter of Potlatch Fund and was selected because she: exemplifies strong ties to Potlatch Fund and its mission; demonstrated the ability to engage and impact her community; is from a community in close proximity to the host tribe; fosters a genuine sense of outreach and inclusion; launched her work focused on Indigenous/Native community(ies); is creating change with a vision towards the future; demonstrates significant promise of leadership, participation, and accomplishment; and identifies as Native and is a known identity within her community. Upon receiving the award, Sheryl shared the following with us, “I

20th Anniversary Gala Recap – Thank You For Attending!

Potlatch Fund Board of Directors (L-R): tai simpson (Secretary), Amber Schulz-Oliver, Jordann Lankford (Vice President), Susan Balbas (Compliance Officer), Dustin Monroe, Jennifer S. Vickers, Antone Minthorn, Meredith Parker (President), Celina Phair (Treasurer) Celebrating Native Communities Through the Cultural Tradition of Giving What an incredible time it was at our 20th Anniversary Gala, we raise our hands to the Tulalip Tribes for hosting us! Also, a tremendous thank you to our community, sponsors, friends and family who were able to attend or celebrate from afar. We are so appreciative of the support we have received over the past 20 years. Thanks to your help we were able to raise over $260,000 surpassing our gala goal! If you attended the 20th Anniversary

Embracing The Power Of Ceremony And Healing

Embracing the Power of Ceremony and Healing Celebrating Native Ceremony  Na’ah Illahee Fund and Potlatch Fund are deeply honored to partner and share the Power of Ceremony and Healing Grant as a collective gift to our relatives. Ceremony holds a sacred place in native culture. It nurtures our health, empowers our communities, and honors significant beginnings and transitions. Nurturing • Empowering • Honoring  Through ceremony, we are woven together, reconnecting with our traditions, languages, and ancestral songs. It offers a sacred space for us to maintain our connection to our wholeness as Native people. In unity, Na’ah Illahee Fund and Potlatch Fund are honored to have gifted this giving campaign, dedicated to our devoted ceremony leaders who lift up our

Potlatch Fund Gala Updates, Eighth Generation Blanket Collab

New Prosperity Wool Blanket designed with Eighth Generation and grantee Mikailah Thompson Blue for our homeland’s rivers. Red for the blood of our warriors. Old-style pink that was traditionally only acquired through trade with neighboring tribes. nimíipuu (Nez Perce) artist Mikailah Thompson chose the colors of our new Prosperity Wool Blanket based on traditional nimíipuu beadwork, while creating a blanket that honors the incredible 20 years of important work and giving that the Potlatch Fund has done and continues to do today. Since 2002, Potlatch Fund has provided grants and leadership development to tribal nations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, granting over $5 million in support to Indian Country. While Native American communities receive less than half of one percent of

Announcing the Community Relations and Innovation Fund

Community Relations and Innovation Fund Opens Wednesday September 13, 2023 | Closes Tuesday October 31, 2023 at 11:59pm PST | Unrestricted Funding up to $10,000 In 2020, Potlatch Fund responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by simplifying our grant practices. While in the past, grantees had to apply under a specific granting opportunity such as: Healthy Pathways for Native Youth, Language Preservation, Community Building, Native Student Success, and Native Arts, we have now streamlined to one grant process that includes these and more.  Our new grant, the Community Relations and Innovation Fund, continues to focus on ‘the people on the ground’ in Native communities who are committed to serving the needs of our community. Granting opportunities will be available as unrestricted