Magic Cabinet and Native Voices Rising (NVR) has entered into a five-year partnership to bolster support for Native-led nonprofits across the U.S. The collaboration will provide tailored resources and long-term investments to help advance tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and thriving communities. Magic Cabinet will commit $1.5 million annually to NVR, totaling $7.5 million over five years.
“At the heart of Native Voices Rising is a commitment to self-determination where Native communities set their own priorities and funding decisions,” said Shash Yázhí Moreno Charley, Grants Manager of Native Voices Rising. “Our partnership centers Native leadership, directing resources to support the true needs of Native communities.”
The collaboration combines elements of Magic Cabinet’s community-driven cohort model with NVR’s community-based and culturally specific approach to grantmaking. It will strengthen NVR’s internal capacity to support the broader Native nonprofit ecosystem, as well as provide essential funding to organizations led by and for Native communities.
“At Magic Cabinet, we believe in shifting philanthropy to center community voices and create lasting systemic change,” says Christina Engel, CEO of Magic Cabinet. “Our investment into Native Voices Rising is an opportunity to not only elevate their incredible work but to deepen our collective impact.”
Encouraging Native Pursuits
Magic Cabinet envisions a philanthropic sector that actively empowers and generously invests in nonprofits so they can better serve their communities. Through reciprocal grantmaking, philanthropic advising, and innovative collaborations, Magic Cabinet aims to reshape philanthropy. Since 2019, Magic Cabinet has awarded over $45 million to nonprofits in Washington and California.
Magic Cabinet and NVR will collaboratively design approaches prioritizing Native leadership, offering supportive assistance, and enhancing organizations’ capacity. “Our partnership is rooted in values of respect, reciprocity, relationship, and responsibility,” says Shash Yázhí Moreno Charley. “Given the significant impacts of the recent executive orders on tribal communities, it’s imperative to fill the resource gaps for our safety and well-being. Working together, we’ll be better able to address Native communities’ priorities and provide flexible funding for them to direct as they want.”
Throughout the five years, the two organizations plan to learn and openly share progress to challenge other funders to integrate these lessons into their own work with Native grassroots leaders and support Native-led organizing, advocacy, and autonomy.
“There’s a growing accountability across the philanthropic sector for this type of community-led partnership, one that honors local leadership and provides sustained, flexible support,” Engel says. “We hope this model inspires others to rethink how we, as funders, engage with and invest in communities, and specifically with Native communities.”
Native Voices Rising was founded in 2013 as a collaborative grantmaking initiative between Native Americans in Philanthropy and Common Counsel Foundation. Since its inception, NVR has distributed a total of $16.5 million in flexible support to Native-led grassroots and advocacy efforts empowering American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities.
