How do geography, culture, capacity, and history shape funding realities? Join Native Americans in Philanthropy as we welcome foundation leaders from across Turtle Island to explore these issues and the unique needs of our rural and Tribal communities.
As climate disruptions intensify, rural and Native Nations are often the first to experience their most severe impacts. Our speakers will discuss how the philanthropic sector can reinforce community resilience, safeguard land and water, and support the traditional stewards who care for these regions.
Through place-based funding and building genuine, long-lasting partnerships with local community leaders, philanthropy can play a vital role in meeting the enduring needs of these communities. Many Tribal and rural regions continue to face significant gaps in transportation, healthcare, digital connectivity, and other essential systems. Our Member Education Session will highlight innovative approaches communities are using to bring critical services closer to home, whether through mobile solutions, community-run hubs, or partnerships tailored to local landscapes.
Join Marissa Nuvayestewa (Tewa and Hopi), Program Officer at the Colorado Plateau Foundation; Joshua Smith (Paiute and Modoc), Grant Director of Indigenous & Native American Causes/Programming at the Roundhouse Foundation; and Paula “Pimm” Tripp-Allen (Karuk and Yurok), Vice President of Community Partnerships and Tribal Relations at Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation for a powerful conversation about what community and economic development success looks like on their own terms.
Native Americans in Philanthropy welcomes you to engage in a gathering of nonprofits, philanthropy, emerging leaders, and Indigenous communities for discussions and collaborative action for building philanthropy rooted in Native traditions and values.
Our curated education sessions of virtual conversations, panels, and speakers represent the diversity of Indian Country, the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in America, and the allies that are working to support these communities. These sessions are designed for NAP members working in philanthropy and will focus on how philanthropy can operate differently to center Indigenous perspectives and values.
Through these sessions, NAP is passing the mic to individuals, Tribes, and Indigenous nonprofits who are experts in their respective fields. This intentional platform will foster an informed membership that will lead the shifting of the philanthropic sector in deeper, more impactful ways that serve the people, communities, and causes they care about.
Program Officer, The Colorado Plateau Foundation
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Grant Director, Indigenous & Native American Causes/Programming, Roundhouse Foundation
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Vice-President – Programs, Community Partnerships and Tribal Relations, Humboldt Area Foundation
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Community Foundation Regional Coordinator, Native Americans in Philanthropy
View BioBorn and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Shaina is deeply rooted in her Lakota heritage and community. A fluent speaker of the Lakota language, she is dedicated to preserving and promoting her culture through education, leadership, advocacy, and service.
A Gates Millennium Scholar and CDC John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholar, Shaina brings a strong academic foundation in Biology and Chemistry. She recently received her Associate of Arts in Tribal Law and is currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.
With experience working across Tribal, state, and federal systems, Shaina offers a deep understanding of intergovernmental collaboration and policy development. She is passionate about building partnerships with Tribal Nations, Native-led nonprofits, and community foundations to strengthen relationships, expand equitable funding opportunities, and advance sustainable, community-driven development in Native communities.
Education Resource Facilitator, Native Americans in Philanthropy
View BioShandiin was born and raised on Diné Bikeyah, filtering through many different towns on the Navajo Nation during her childhood. She currently lives on traditional Ohlone and Esselen lands, now recognized as the Monterey Bay in California.
Her community has guided her professional work, where she has focused on supporting Indigenous-led nonprofits in communication and development roles, working with grassroots organizations like Yee Há’olníi Dóo or larger legacy organizations like the Association on American Indian Affairs.
With a deep appreciation for traveling and learning from new perspectives, she is grateful to have spent three years studying in France for her Bachelor of Arts in journalism and global communications. She continues to freelance as a journalist with work published through Navajo Times, Peacock Plume, and Changing Womxn Collective.
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