Partnership with Native Americans

“Process to review form 990: the organization works with an independent accounting firm to prepare the 990. Once prepared, the cfo and ceo review the form with the finance committee and the board of directors.”

“Process to monitor compliance with conflict of interest policy: the board of directors, the ceo and all senior level employees sign conflict of interest statements annually. Additionally, for our employees, our employee reference guide has a section on our conflict of interest policy. Conflicts of interest, if any, are resolved as they arise. If any director discloses a conflict of interest, they are also asked to abstain from voting on matters related to the potential conflict.”

“Review of ceo or top management official compensation: the board of directors annually conducts a formal performance appraisal of the ceo, including the ceo's compensation. Every 2-3 years compensation data for ceo's of similarly sized non-profits is gathered and compared with the compensation provided to the organization's ceo. The final performance review is presented to the board and any compensation adjustments are documented in the minutes.”

“Review of other officers or key employees of the organization: an external consulting firm concluded a comprehensive compensation review in 2016 to include all other officers and key employees' job functions and compensation, including comparisons to similar organizations in size and function. They are evaluated through an online hrms system, and copies of the evaluations are included in the employee files. The compensation study was reviewed by the board and each employee received information about their role within the context of the study.”

“Availability of documents: the organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are available to the public upon request.”

“Doing business as: american indian relief council (airc), council of indian nations (cin), american indian education fund (aief), southwest indian relief council (swirc), sioux nation relief fund (snrf), navajo relief fund (nrf), native american aid (naa), national relief charities (nrc) & reservation animal rescue (rar).”

“SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES: (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)... In 2015, our organizations name was changed to Partnership With Native Americans to better communicate our mission and the partnership we have with tribal communities. See www.nativepartnership.org to learn more. PWNAs Dual Role and Humanitarian Service Strategy: PWNA believes that Native American peoples have the power within themselves to build strong communities. The community members we work with know the challenges that exist and are finding solutions to them. We are a consistent, reliable source to lift up their efforts to provide hope and support for their success today and tomorrow. We take a dual approach to serving Native Americans, responding to immediate needs in reservation communities by providing food, water and other critical materials, and supporting community-based projects that sustainably address the core symptoms of poverty and contribute to self-sufficiency. Our organization approaches humanitarian service through an asset based community development (ABCD) strategy. ABCD encompasses all strands of services in our program logic model (material services, capacity building, community building and higher education) ensuring we build on assets present in the communities we serve and bring together individuals, programs, and outside resources to focus on solutions. This community-driven model leverages the social capital of a much larger network mobilizing toward a common solution. Local participation and empowerment lie at the core of ABCD and lead toward sustainable community gains for the reservations and people we serve.”

“HEALTH: (CONTINUED FROM PART III) SITUATION CONTINUED: These clinics are often long distances away only 500 clinics serve the 573 federally recognized tribes and lack of transportation is a major problem. Also, severely underfunded and understaffed for the size and location of the populations it serves, I.H.S. focuses on healthcare crises rather than preventive care. Due to higher infant mortality, lower life expectancy, diabetes at epidemic levels, tuberculosis seven times higher for Native Americans and cancer-related disparities higher than for any minority group in the U.S., PWNA supports reservation programs that address preventative care, home health visits, and health education initiatives for long-term impact. A long history of oppression has contributed to the limited view of opportunities many Native Americans envision for themselves and their families. Supporting self-determination and requiring people to take part actively in community projects and services to receive materials and services through PWNA adds to individual and community well-being. PWNA RESPONSE: In 2017, PWNA supported healthy lifestyle programs and community activities for approximately 233,565 people. Among them, some 207,817 people participated in health events or other projects hosted by our reservation partners to increase community involvement in schools, elderly service programs and wellness initiatives. Nearly 850 new moms participated in pre- and post-natal care, parenting and behavioral health programs, receiving baby baskets full of essential products. PWNA supported 444 reservation partners who conducted health screenings for diabetes, high blood pressure, tuberculosis and cancer; education classes on diabetes prevention, healthy nutrition and heart health; youth programs such as cultural camps or suicide awareness and prevention; health appointments for immunizations, hospital post-release and medication monitoring; and home visits with those who are homebound or otherwise unable to access services. Additionally, PWNA supported community investment projects related to youth development, nutrition training and emergency preparedness, involving about 666 participants across 22 reservations and communities, including Ak-Chin, Chemehuevi, Cheyenne River, Cocopah, Colorado River, Crow, Gila River, Jicarilla, Navajo, Northern Cheyenne, Pascua Yaqui, Pine Ridge, Ponca, Quechan, Rosebud, Salt River, San Carlos, Santa Clara, Standing Rock, Tohono, Ute and White Mountain. *DBA programs of PWNA for Health services: NRF, SNRF, CIN, NAA, AIRC and SWIRC.”

“FOOD & WATER: (CONTINUED FROM PART III) SITUATION CONTINUED: Contaminated drinking water is also an issue in many of the communities PWNA serves. Although many food banks operate within our service area, a study by America's Second Harvest shows that the majority of food banks lack an adequate supply of food to meet demand. PWNA RESPONSE: PWNA helped meet immediate needs by continuing our food deliveries and nutrition support in 2017. Our food boxes helped food pantries feed about 42,950 people. The staple foods we supplied for Elderly Nutrition Programs and soup kitchens fed approximately 21,553 people hot meals 5 days a week. We provided emergency and breakfast food for about 8,135 people; much needed fresh produce for about 2,545 tribal members, food for approximately 10,015 people at community-wide bulk distributions, and Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meals for about 15,824 people. To distribute these essential products in 2017, our trucks and staff traveled more than 220,000 miles. Taking a long-term view of food sovereignty and dietary health, PWNA supported 23 individual and community gardens and three community investment garden projects on the Northern Cheyenne, Standing Rock and San Carlos Reservations, involving 1,133 participants. In 2017, PWNA also launched critical Train-the-Trainer (T3) programs, incorporating Native American chefs and focusing on long-term health through education and capacity building. Through T3, we trained on preparing healthy meals with ancestral and locally available foods, reaching 30 cooks and nutrition professionals from the Cheyenne River, Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Winnebago, Ponca, Santee, Crow Creek, Gila River, Tohono Oodham and Navajo reservations. They in turn trained 280 other people in their tribal communities. PWNA also advanced skills in canning and food preservation, reaching 350 participants from all of the T3 communities, as well as the San Carlos, Ute, White Mountain, Cocopah, Chemehuevi, Pascua Yaqui, Quechan, Ak-Chin, Salt River, Standing Rock and Crow communities. Some of the canning participants used produce grown in their gardens. *DBA programs of PWNA for Food services: NAA, NRF, AIRC, CIN, SWIRC and SNRF.”

“HOLIDAY: (CONTINUED FROM PART III) SITUATION CONTINUED: Poverty rates on the 60 reservations served by PWNA range from 38% to 63%. PWNA RESPONSE: During the 2017 holidays, more than 33,000 delighted children, teens and Elders received holiday gift bags filled with practical items to meet immediate needs. More than 16,000 children and families received incentives and prizes when they came together to participate in spring, Easter and other community gatherings. PWNAs partners also used these and other events for skill building, community building, and community service across 83 communities on 16 reservations in the Northern Plains and 97 communities on 19 reservations in the Southwest. *DBA programs of PWNA for Holiday gifts: AIRC, CIN, NAA, SWIRC and SNRF.”

“OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: EMERGENCY SERVICES: PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To provide disaster relief for tribes, seasonal weatherization and housing assistance for Native American Elders and critical supplies for shelters. SITUATION: The physical environment on the reservations PWNA supports is often harsh, giving rise to a wide range of environmental disasters such as floods, forest fires, blizzards, ice storms, tornados and hurricanes. We are quick to respond to the tribes in and beyond our normal service area when disaster relief is needed. Some communities also experience acute or chronic contaminated-water emergencies. In addition, 90,000 Native Americans are homeless and 40% of Native Americans live in sub-standard, overcrowded housing, with the typical wait time for tribal housing assistance at three years or more. PWNA RESPONSE: PWNA provided supplies to residential shelters for the aged, homeless, disabled and domestic abuse victims, assisting approximately 26,296 people. We also provided supplies for some 2,541 children in foster care or recovery from other trauma. In 2017, PWNA supplied winter fuel for 328 Elders on four reservations, including Rosebud, Navajo, Crow Creek and Lower Brule, and repaired eight homes for Navajo Elders at risk. PWNA distributed winter emergency kits containing blankets, batteries, candles, water, nonperishable food and other items helpful during winter storms, as well as summer emergency kits of water, sunscreen, bug spray, fire extinguishers and other items helpful during summer heat, storms and outages, aiding approximately 2,140 Elders of the Omaha, Santee, Yankton, Rosebud, Mescalero, Navajo, Santa Clara, and San Carlos reservations and pueblos. PWNA rotates our winter readiness and housing services to different communities in the Plains and Southwest to avoid creating dependency. In 2017, three communities on three reservations reached out to PWNA for disaster relief, including Cheyenne River, Lake Traverse and White Mountain. In response, PWNA delivered critical water and other supplies for tribal community members, aiding approximately 820 people. *DBA programs of PWNA for Emergency services: SNRF, SWIRC, NRF, CIN, NAA and AIRC. EDUCATION SERVICES: PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To invest significant resources toward Native American education and assist students of all ages in pre-kindergarten to college. SITUATION: Education is one of the most important cornerstones of self-sufficiency and quality of life. It is also a crucial factor in addressing long-term poverty and other challenges on the reservations PWNA serves. High school dropout rates range from 30 up to 70% (varies by community). About 17% of Native American students are starting college, with only 13% completing college. Contrary to public perception, college is not free for Native Americans, and many Native students believe college is not an option for them. Thus, Non-Native students are twice as likely to achieve a college degree. PWNA RESPONSE: By addressing both immediate and long-term educational needs, PWNA helps our partner schools and colleges motivate students and improve student retention. In 2017, PWNA furnished school supplies for approximately 26,545 K-12 students, and essential supplies to support literacy for about 18,063 children on some 16 reservations, motivating reading and parent-child reading time. To support early childhood education, PWNA provided supplies to help our partners motivate nearly 8,216 people to participate in programs focused on obesity, exercise and other healthy activities for youth and Elders. PWNA also supports Native American students pursuing a higher education, awarding scholarships to applicants who are most often in the middle range of the academic ranking but who have serious drive and a demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles. The academic-year completion rate for students who receive PWNA scholarships is 90-95%, considerably higher than the national average. PWNA credits this succ”