Gadugi (ga-doo-gee): Inspiring Philanthropy in Indian Country (one Cherokee’s Perspective)
By: Elizabeth Brando, WOC member and Managing Director, CHARIS Native Ventures
Imagine being at a party where the host has spared no expense. As you depart, the host hands you two beautifully wrapped expensive gifts. This scenario is a simplistic example of a potlatch, a gift giving feast historically practiced by Northwest Coast tribal nations. At these events, the status of chiefly families was confirmed by their generosity to their guests. A potlatch builds on the Native tradition of giving, and measuring wealth in generosity, not possessions.
Now imagine another scenario. You go to a stranger’s home and respectfully stand in their doorway. The homeowner invites you in to join other strangers at the kitchen table to enjoy a delicious meal. There is no exchange of money. The food, which the host’s family has been preparing all week, is considered a gift. These meals are part of tribal feast days celebrated by many of the Pueblo nations of New Mexico.
The Cherokee word gadugi means “everyone helping each other” and, in the past, members helped each other to plant and harvest crops or cut firewood.
There are 574 federally recognized tribal nations in the United States, each culturally unique with distinct traditions. With a combined population of 5.4 million people, members of these tribal nations account for nearly 2% of the U.S. population, but as a whole experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, and disease. Despite this, these communities receive less than one half of one percent of U.S. philanthropic dollars. Like state governments, tribal governments receive some federal funding, as the federal government has an obligation to tribal governments based on numerous treaties. However, due to limited federal funds, many tribes were forced to compete against one another for these dollars. Today tribes work together through the National Congress of American Indians, acting as a unified voice in front of Congress.
Foundation giving to tribal nations accounts for less than 0.5 percent of annual foundation grant dollars. According to Erik Stegman, Executive Director for Native Americans in Philanthropy, “We [Natives] are one of the most under-invested demographics. Happily, there is a lot of interest in emerging leaders in Indian Country.” NAP created a Native Program Officer Network to provide community for Natives working in the field and participants include staff ranging from large foundations such as Cargill Foundation to smaller native-led such as the Hopi Foundation. Some foundations have sought out native communities to fund, but might I suggest hiring native staff to assist with tribal grant-making and partnerships.
Some foundations have sought out native communities to fund, but might I suggest hiring native staff to assist with tribal grant-making and partnerships.
In response to these funding disparities, some tribes that have prospered due to gaming, natural resources, and tourism, set up their own systems to support community programs in education, nutrition, elder assistance, and infrastructure. They also shared their wealth with smaller tribes. “A hallmark of who we are as Indian people, bridging the gap, supporting the Indian way of helping those who are less fortunate,” says Pamela Iron, Executive Director for the American Indian Resource Center. “Native Americans were some of the first environmentalists and some of the first philanthropists.”
Osiyo! My name is Elizabeth Brando. Osiyo (ᎣᏏᏲ) is the Cherokee word for “hello.” As an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, I cannot speak directly for any nation but my own, so please allow me to highlight some of their philanthropic initiatives. The Cherokee word gadugi means “everyone helping each other” and, in the past, members helped each other to plant and harvest crops or cut firewood.
Today the Nation helps others through the Cherokee Nation Foundation, which works to build schools, hospitals, and other shared facilities. The Nation believes education is the key to personal growth, and tribal strength, and the Foundation set up an endowment specifically to focus on education. It provides free ACT Prep courses and college readiness camps; financial literacy using the Junior Achievement model that starts in fifth grade; and an array of scholarships for which the Nation provides a 1:1 match for every gift between $5,000 - $25,000.
Many tribal nations were hard hit by COVID-19. Reasons for this include a lack of adequate healthcare and multi-generational housing. The Navajo Nation in the Southwest has a higher per capita COVID-19 death rate than any U.S. state. At the Cherokee Nation, over 31,000 elders applied for assistance; a $400 check was mailed directly to every elder and for those living in the reservation, a $1,200 payment was made directly to utility companies.
I urge you to connect with the tribal nations in your community. Know that it is important to build a relationship, taking the time to learn about each other. Many tribes understand a federal government funding model, but “traditional fundraising” such as major gift or planned giving are relatively new concepts. Foundations can be assured that tribal nations and tribal-led nonprofits will be good stewards of their money. Through the generosity of others, we can honor and work together to protect Tribal culture and traditions.
Elizabeth Brando, Managing Director, CHARIS Native Ventures
As a leader in development and fundraising, Elizabeth Brando has raised over $10 million for higher education and cultural institutions, with additional experience in multinational banking and project management in Silicon Valley. She has been building and fostering collaborative professional relationships since 1995. Brando, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, relocated to upstate New York from Manhattan twelve years ago, and has consulted on several projects throughout Indian Country. Her entrepreneurial expertise, combined with a strong intellectual curiosity, gives her unique insight into the cultivation and stewardship of a diverse environment. It is Elizabeth’s sincere desire that the Native American perspective relevant to your area be included in this nation’s increasing commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
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