First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) is a
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that assists
Native American tribes, their communities, and Native nonprofits in economic development by providing technical assistance, training, policy, and the awarding of grants. Public education is another area of focus. It is based in Longmont, Colorado.
Charity Navigator gave First Nations Development Institute a four-star rating.
Mission
The mission of First Nations is to strengthen American Indian economies to support healthy Native communities. First Nations invest in and create innovative institutions and models that strengthen asset control and support economic development for American Indian people and their communities.
Guiding principle
"We believe that Native peoples hold the capacity and ingenuity to ensure the sustainable, economic, spiritual and cultural well-being of their communities." The organization's slogan is "Strengthening Native American Communities & Economies."
History
First Nations Financial Project was founded in 1980 in
Fredericksburg, Virginia, by
Rebecca Adamson. In 1991 it was renamed as First Nations Development Institute.
First Nations Development Institute's methods seek answers from within Native American communities as opposed to imposing solutions from the outside. First Nations Development Institute's projects "build on a tribe's unique culture and resources at hand to work toward a more stable economic future." Interviewed for the Fredericksburg, Virginia, ''Free-Lance Star'' in 1995, Adamson said: "I want to show the brilliance, the creativity, the efficacy of Indian people."
In 1985, First Nations Development Institute and the
Oglala Lakota College helped to support the creation of Lakota Funds, the first Native American
Community Development Financial Institution A community development financial institution (US) or community development finance institution (UK) - abbreviated in both cases to CDFI - is a financial institution that provides credit and financial services to underserved markets and populations, ...
on a reservation.
The Oweesta Program was created in 1986 as a model of a
Community Development Financial Institution A community development financial institution (US) or community development finance institution (UK) - abbreviated in both cases to CDFI - is a financial institution that provides credit and financial services to underserved markets and populations, ...
in Native American communities. First Nations Development Institute is its parent organization.
The Tribal Commerce and Enterprise Management Program (TCEMP), which provided support for Native American students to pursue graduate degrees in business, was launched in 1985 at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
's School of Organization and Management. In 1991 it moved to
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
's Carlson School of Management.
In 1994 to 1995 First Nations Development Institute continued to expand is work in reservation economies through the Eagle Staff Fund.
First Peoples Worldwide was founded in 1997 as a project of First Nations Development Institute.
In 2001, First Nations Development Institute and the
Fannie Mae Foundation, released the ''Building Native Communities: Financial Skills for Families,'' a jointly developed, culturally relevant curriculum on building financial skills.
The Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI) was launched in 2002, with funding support from the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. It was intended to assess food systems in tribal communities.
In 2002,
Rebecca Adamson wrote an
opinion piece
An opinion piece is an article, usually published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about a subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.
Editorials
Opinion pieces may take the form of an editorial, ...
criticizing the use of Native American mascots by professional, university, and lower school sports teams.
Michael E. Roberts rejoined First Nations in 2003 and was named president of First Nations Development Institute in 2005.
In 2006, First Nations Development Institute moved its headquarters from Virginia to Longmont, Colorado.
''The Native American Asset Watch: Rethinking Asset-Building in Indian Country'' report was published in 2009 to report on who controls the assets of tribal communities and the implications for their economies.
The first Native Food Sovereignty Summit was co-hosted in 2013 by First Nations Development Institute, Intertribal Agriculture Council, the
Oneida Nation
The Oneida Nation is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people in Wisconsin. The tribe's reservation spans parts of two counties west of the Green Bay metropolitan area. The reservation was established by treaty in 1838, and was allotted to ...
, and
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) is a public technical college with multiple locations in Wisconsin. The college serves nine Wisconsin counties with three campuses in Green Bay, Marinette, and Sturgeon Bay and five regional learn ...
.
First Nations Development Institute's 35th Anniversary and the 20th Annual L.E.A.D.(Leadership, Entrepreneurial and Apprenticeship Development) Conference were held in 2015.
In 2016, Raymond Foxworth wrote an
opinion piece
An opinion piece is an article, usually published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about a subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.
Editorials
Opinion pieces may take the form of an editorial, ...
in response to a ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' poll that found the great majority of Native Americans were not offended by the Washington Redskins name.
First Nations Development Institute and Echo Hawk Consulting received funding from the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation for ''Reclaiming Native Truth: A Project to Dispel America's Myths and Misconceptions''.
In 2017,
GuideStar
Candid is an information service specializing in reporting on U.S. nonprofit companies. In 2016, its database provided information on 2.5 million organizations.Wyland, Michael. "GuideStar Introduces Program Metrics Section for Nonprofit Profile ...
gave First Nations Development Institute a Platinum Participant rating.
In 2017,
BBB Wise Giving Alliance featured Michael Roberts, First Nations Development Institute President and CEO, on thei
BBB's Give.org Building Trust SeriesYouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel.
In 2022,
Charity Navigator gave First Nations Development Institute a 4-star rating, for the 11th year in a row.
References
External links
First Nations Development InstituteFirst Nations Oweesta Corporation* Guide to th
Rebecca Adamson papersat
Smith College Special Collections
{{Authority control
Native American organizations
Native American topics
Native American history
Native American cultural institutions
Native American-related lists
Non-profit organizations based in the United States
Community development organizations
1980 establishments in Virginia
Native American history of Virginia