Youth-led grantmaking initiative more than doubles grant funding to support 27 organizations across 16 states to strengthen community wellbeing, cultural continuity, and self-determination
November 10, 2026 — Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), Newman’s Own Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and Bezos Family Foundation today announced that 27 Native-led organizations will receive a combined $1.68 million through the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund. In its second year, youth leaders not only designed the Fund but also determined how the funding would be disbursed to strengthen Indigenous wellbeing and culture and shift philanthropic decision-making closer to the communities the fund is intended to serve.
The 2026 recipients represent a range of Native-led organizations, Tribal communities, and community-based initiatives across the country. Their work reflects deeply held Indigenous knowledge that youth wellbeing is interconnected with culture, relationships, land, food, healing, community power and self-determination.
(Organizations listed alphabetically within grant category)
Seed — $25,000
Sustain — $65,000
Synergize — $100,000
The 2026 funding strategy was developed through an extensive youth-driven design process. Indigenous youth consulted with Elders, Tribal leaders and grantmakers, and an advisory committee to create the framework used to understand applicants’ work and identify the conditions they see as essential to thriving communities. The resulting Three Sisters framework, which references the three foundational crops cultivated by Indigenous people, allows organizations to identify how they approach their work:
Youth also helped shape the Fund’s five interconnected Impact Bundles, identifying the conditions they believe are essential to Indigenous community wellbeing. Throughout each bundle, Native youth are recognized as leaders and active participants in community life:
The framework reflects what emerged across the 2025 applicant pool: Indigenous organizations are often working across multiple dimensions of community life at once. Applicants described approaches that connect cultural continuity with foodways, language revitalization with intergenerational relationships, environmental stewardship with community organizing, and food access with youth leadership and workforce development. Together, these efforts reflect a holistic understanding of healing and wellbeing—one that recognizes the connections between individual, cultural, environmental and community health.
“Indigenous communities have long practiced philanthropy through our traditions of reciprocity and collective responsibility. Developing the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund has challenged me to think more deeply about philanthropy as an investment in the knowledge, expertise, and leadership that already exist within our communities,” said Anagali Duncan, a 2026 Native Youth Grantmaker. “Our communities know what they need to thrive. The question is whether institutions are willing to listen. I see this reflected in the intentional development of our impact bundles and the openness of our Garden framework, which recognize that community advancement is interconnected. No single organization or initiative can do this work alone. It requires a collective mobilization of individuals, organizations, and communities, each contributing to a larger vision of Indigenous well-being and self-determined futures.”
This year’s recipients will receive one-year grants through one of three funding pathways designed to meet organizations at different stages of development:
These organizations reflect the priorities, knowledge, and aspirations Indigenous youth identified through the Fund’s youth-led design process. Together, they represent a range of community-led approaches to strengthening wellbeing, advancing self-determination, and building Indigenous futures on their own terms.
“We believe that when young people are trusted, supported, and empowered to lead, they bring the vision, knowledge, and lived experience needed to create meaningful and lasting change,” said Jackie Blackbird, Indigenous Communities Officer at Newman’s Own Foundation. “By shifting power to youth who are closest to the issues in their communities, we can help build stronger, healthier futures for Indigenous communities.”
The 2026 cohort builds on the Fund’s 2025 pilot, which awarded $720,000 to 24 organizations advancing community wellbeing, cultural continuity and self-determined futures. Throughout the pilot, youth learned from mentors, advisors and Tribal leaders, seeking context and guidance while retaining responsibility for their decisions. The experience offered important learnings about how youth-led grantmaking can shift decision-making power and better reflect community-defined priorities. Those lessons helped inform the Fund’s evolved 2026 framework, further strengthening the role of Indigenous youth in shaping funding priorities and directing resources.
With its second-year investment, the Fund is expanding resources for Native communities while growing a philanthropic model that aims to increase grant distributions annually, engage additional partners, and share lessons to inform broader philanthropic practice. The Indigenous Tomorrows Fund is made possible through the support of Newman’s Own Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Bezos Family Foundation, and Annie E. Casey Foundation. NAP is grateful to these supporters for their investment in Indigenous youth leadership and their commitment to advancing a philanthropic model that places greater decision-making power in the hands of Native communities.
“Young people bring a deep understanding of what their communities need to thrive, and they should have a seat at the philanthropic table to turn those insights into action,” said Erik Stegman, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy. “This year’s Indigenous Tomorrows Fund recipients are advancing solutions rooted in Indigenous knowledge, community priorities, and self-determination. This is what it looks like to move resources and decision-making power closer to the communities shaping their own futures.”
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About Native Americans in Philanthropy
Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) promotes equitable and effective philanthropy in Native communities. With more than 30 years in the field, NAP works in partnership with Tribal communities and sector leaders to build knowledge, strengthen networks, and advance community priorities. Its network includes Native professionals in philanthropy, Tribal leaders, youth leaders, nonprofit executives, and board members.
About Newman’s Own Foundation
Newman’s Own Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation whose mission is to nourish and transform the lives of children who face adversity. The Foundation continues Paul Newman’s commitment to use all the money that it receives—100% of the profits and royalties—from the sale of Newman’s Own products in service of its mission. Through the efforts of Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation, over $600 million has been given to social impact organizations since 1982.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is the global healthcare company that believes lasting health starts now. For over a century, we’ve combined leading scientific expertise with a deep understanding of people’s lives. We develop treatments and support that help millions of people make progress they can see, feel and sustain now and in the future. Through our partnerships, programs and investments, we’re working to prevent disease, expand access to treatments and reduce our environmental impact to help even more people live healthier lives.
About Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is a federally recognized Indian tribe located in southeastern Connecticut. As pioneers of the Indian casino gaming industry, the history of the Mashantucket Pequots reveals one of America’s greatest come-back stories, featured at the world-renowned Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.
About Bezos Family Foundation
The Bezos Family Foundation is dedicated to helping young people reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society. Founded by Mike and Jackie Bezos and their family, the Foundation invests in the science of learning and supports the people, places, policies, and educational experiences that shape how young people learn, grow, and thrive—from birth through adolescence. Through grantmaking and its own programs, the Foundation works to strengthen the learning ecosystem and expand opportunities for young people to shape their own paths in life. Learn more at bezosfamilyfoundation.org.