International Funders for Indigenous Peoples
PO Box 1040
Akwesasne, NY 13655
Tel: 315-842-0792
Fax: 315-764-1903
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) was born in 1999 as a project of First Nations Development Institute. IFIP is a recognized affinity group of the Council on Foundations, with a network of more than 200 individual funders who actively support and seek to increase funding opportunities for Indigenous Peoples. A primary goal is to foster a greater commitment from philanthropic institutions and promote effective grantmaking of Indigenous development projects and communities by improving networking opportunities, enhancing collaboration, building capacity and promoting the advancement of philanthropic leadership.
On September 12th 2006, IFIP formally received approval from the Internal Revenue Service on its federal 501c3 designation. IFIP has relocated to a larger office space on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, a Native community that straddles the U.S.-Canadian international border in Northern New York State. Both of these are important developments as IFIP is now the only affinity group based on a reservation. This development helps strengthen the organization's mission to improve the effectiveness of philanthropic resources that support Indigenous Peoples around the world. There is no better way to understand the unique needs and concerns voiced by Indigenous Peoples than to understand them firsthand.
Mission
The mission of IFIP is to expand, enrich, and increase the effectiveness of grantmaking for international Indigenous development.
IFIP accomplishes its mission by increasing knowledge and understanding of the unique issues of Indigenous peoples by facilitating dialogue both among its grantmaking members and between that membership and Indigenous communities.
International Funders for Indigenous Peoples and its members work to:
- Increase knowledge and understanding of the unique issues related to funding project that involve Indigenous people by providing a baseline of relevant information.
- Encourage innovation and increase effectiveness within the grantmaking community by facilitating networking opportunities and an exchange of ideas and practical tools.
- Foster a cross-disciplinary understanding of Indigenous People and the holistic contexts in which they live and work.
"The Future of Descendance." Our title graphic features Wasama and Naryma, daughters to a senior dancer in the Descendance Aboriginal & Islander Dance Theatre. Courtesy ofJose Calarco Descendance/Director. www.descendance.com.au
"International Funders of Indigenous People plays a unique and important role in the funding community by mobilizing and coordinating philanthropic resources for the most overlooked peoples in the most threatened regions in the world. The social problem facing the first nations in the Global South are among the most overlooked problems because donors are often unaware of the problems or of appropriate solutions. IFIP serves donors in the rich countries by helping them understand the philanthropic options available for effectively addressing the complex and nuanced problems faced by first nations around the globe."
-Chet Tchozewski
Executive Director
Global Greengrants Fund
2004 Robert Scrivner Awardee
