Native American Program Review

Reflections on our more than 25 years of supporting Native community partners in building healthy peoples, healthy cultures, and healthy lands. 

Thank you to the nearly 50 organizations that we spoke to and who shared their vision for the future with us. 

We listened!  Here is some of what we learned about our support.

Seva is pleased to announce that we successfully completed an in-depth review of our Native American Program.  While the Review was conducted for Seva's internal program development, in keeping with Seva's way it is now being shared publicly for any insight that our own lessons learned may provide to others.

• Seva's start-up support sparks other funding. Our seed funding has oftentimes been a leg-up at critical points in a project's development.
• Seva's relationships build confidence. We serve as a forum to nurture great ideas and innovative discoveries.
• Seva's grantmaking approach challenges the status quo. Community-identified priorities shape the nature of our support, rather than the other way around.

We recognize the many positive solutions to longstanding community health issues coming from grassroots groups across Indian Country.  We also know that Native American issues continue to be sorely underfunded, receiving no more than 0.3% of US philanthropic dollars annually—and these rates are not improving.

With this in mind, and the recommendations of the Program Review findings, we are hard at work to develop our Program so it continues to grow in meaningful, measureable ways.  As always, we are committed to maintain an effective program that builds healthy communities.