Native Ways Federation
We strengthen the circle of giving by uniting Native organizations, supporting Native communities, and observing the highest level of ethical standards.
About Us
The Native Ways Federation (NWF) was founded in 2006 by a group of seven national Native-led nonprofit organizations to activate and expand informed giving to nonprofits in Indian Country through donor education and advocacy:
- American Indian College Fund (College Fund)
- American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
- Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA)
- First Nations Development Institute (FNDI)
- National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)
- Native American Rights Fund (NARF)
- Running Strong for American Indian Youth (Running Strong)
NWF’s focus on donor education and advocacy, combined with helping donors understand the ethical environment around giving in Indian Country, fills a gap a that has historically resulted in bringing more harm than good to Native people and communities as well as to the nonprofits who serve them. While well intentioned, all too often, uninformed donors invest in organizations that do not act in the best interest of Native people, or shy away from investing at all due to broad public misconceptions and misinformation about Native people and communities.
In The News
Carly Bad Heart Bull Named Executive Director of Native Ways Federation, Inc.
Organization Unites National Native Nonprofit Organizations to Better Serve Indian Country Longmont, Colo., March 25, 2020 — Carly Bad Heart Bull (Bdewakantunwan Dakota/Muskogee Creek and a citizen of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in South Dakota) was named...
Our Mission
The mission of the NWF is three-fold: (1) strengthen the circle of giving by uniting Native organizations to raise awareness and support for the communities we serve; (2) better serve Native communities by becoming more effective Native nonprofit organizations; and (3) ensure that nonprofit organizations working on behalf of Native communities observe the highest levels of ethical standards and fiscal responsibility. NWF is unique in that it is the only federation in the country directly serving Native nonprofits that assist Native peoples and communities in Indian Country. NWF is based on the idea that the challenges facing Indian Country demand that nonprofits serving this population hold themselves accountable to the highest standards.