MISSION

IFIP convenes and educates donors to build capacity and enhance funding partnerships to improve the lives of Indigenous Peoples globally

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.

VISION

IFIP sees a world in which philanthropic support of Indigenous Peoples, projects, and partnerships is considered a priority–indeed, an imperative– by all who seek to advance meaningful solutions to the greatest challenges of our modern age.

With exponential increases in funding, vast improvements are made in the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous communities. At the same time, we experience growing recognition of the models for good that are offered in Indigenous Peoples’ resiliency, collaborative spirit in solution-making, and capacity to adapt to difficult conditions in a changing environment.

The benefits of applying Indigenous models to complex environmental, social, and economic challenges around the world leads to widespread investment, along with changing views, values, and indicators in how we measure the reach and relevancy of Indigenous Philanthropy.

VALUES

Our values are fundamental to IFIP and to our members. They define who we are and how we work. They underlie our vision of the future. They guide our strategies, decisions, actions and behaviors. Four core values are at the heart of IFIP. These four values are linked. IFIP works with philanthropic organizations that are committed to these values:

Reciprocity

Embrace the idea that giving and receiving connect people, beliefs and actions. It is not all about money, and funders also need to be open to receiving. Giving and receiving from the Earth’s endowments is also part of a virtuous circle of healing.

Respect

Honor traditions and respect the ideas of Indigenous Peoples. Respect diverse ways, and use processes and approaches that are transparent, open, adaptable, and flexible. Work directly with communities to gain understanding and knowledge about the community, issues and solutions. Go beyond making grants and think about building long-term relationships and self-reliant communities.

Responsibility

Recognize that Indigenous Peoples should speak for themselves and be responsible for their own voice in meetings, negotiations and on issues. Be familiar with the principles articulated in the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and seek to uphold these when working with Indigenous Peoples and to advance these as goals in this work.

Relationships

Engage with Indigenous communities by understanding the nature of relationships among ancestral cultures, lands and spirituality. Engaging in this way requires long-term commitments and mutual learning. Relationships based on mutual respect eliminate the tendency to exert power over another.

These core values of Indigenous Philanthropy will be explored in greater depth as IFIP expands its website, toolkits, and resources.

What makes IFIP different?

IFIP facilitates regular opportunities for donors to have direct personal interaction with representatives of Indigenous communities from around the world. By speaking directly with Indigenous leaders, donors are able to learn first-hand about the issues that impact these Indigenous communities, scale funding more appropriately to the aims and needs of projects, and explore cultural differences that inform grantmaking expectations, processes, and outcomes.

IFIP advances Indigenous Philanthropy by:

Raising awareness of the need for significant increases to international funding for Indigenous Peoples and the benefits that will be derived from these greater investments;

Providing information about global issues and local impacts on Indigenous communities around the world;

Building knowledge and understanding of issues particular to funding Indigenous projects;

Encouraging innovation and greater effectiveness in Indigenous grantmaking,

Fostering an appreciation for Indigenous People’s long-term approach to solution-making and the holistic context in which they live and work

IFIP supports its members by:

Hosting IFIP’s annual international conference on Indigenous Philanthropy;

Offering networking opportunities, webinars, conference calls, and educational programs throughout the year

Participating in plenary or panel sessions at conferences held by other major grantmaker organizations

Producing IFIP publications and reports

Disseminating news and other resources related to Indigenous causes

Celebrating champions in Indigenous Philanthropy with presentation of the annual IFIP Award