Potlatch Fund | Helping Native Americans get — and give — their share

Native Americans have long practiced the art of giving through potlatches. But they've had little connection to modern philanthropy.

The Potlatch Fund is out to change that.

The Seattle nonprofit was started by tribal leaders five years ago to increase Native Americans' role in philanthropy. Native Americans receive less than 1 percent of all grant money from major foundations, said executive director Ken Gordon.

"Our experience is that Native-American groups aren't feeling that they even have a right to apply to private foundations," he said.

The Potlatch Fund has trained more than 200 people in fundraising and project development, aiming to develop strong leadership and make better use of tribal resources.

Potlatch brings tribal organizations in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Western Montana together with Northwest philanthropists who can support their activities. When the Duwamish tribe was looking at building a longhouse, for example, Potlatch arranged for a half-dozen foundations to attend its presentation.

That's a big change for Native-American communities who live in relative isolation, board member Colleen Jollie said.

Potlatch Fund

Assets: $228,297

Disbursements: About $100,000 in grants in 2006, plus about $170,000 to run workshops on successful fundraising.

Beneficiaries: 10 tribes participating in the InterTribal Canoe Journey; 25 community groups supporting tribal schools, festivals and traditional activities; 10 Native American artists including poets, storytellers and painters.

www.potlatchfund.org.

With an unusually high unemployment rate among Native Americans in Washington state, "those people aren't going to be hanging out with people with money," she said.

Accepting philanthropy has not been easy, either, Jollie said.

"For tribal people to turn around and ask for help has been difficult. It just makes you feel worse after the great loss of 150 years to ask the people who have benefited so greatly in that vast exchange of wealth."

Potlatch receives funds from major organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation. It thendisburses the money in grants for a variety of programs, including supporting cultural traditions such as an annual summer canoe journey through Washington and Canada and a host of native-arts programs.

Potlatch also encourages tribes to make donations, often from casino profits, in support of local communities.

Potlatch advises tribes to maintain a separation between gaming operations and philanthropy, so a foundation with a professional staff can make decisions about charitable giving.

And it highlights the best examples.

In 2005 Potlatch gave the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe an award for outstanding native philanthropist for giving $1 million in charitable donations, half to programs benefiting native communities and other minority groups and half to other nonprofits in Washington state.

-- Kristi Heim