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 then the board of directors.”

“Process to monitor compliance with conflict of interest policy: the board of directors, the ceo and all senior employees sign conflict of interest statements annually. Additionally, our employee reference guide has a section on our conflict of interest policy and new employees receive and sign an acknowledgment of the policy and completed questionnaire upon hire. 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 employees' job functions and compensation, including comparisons to similar organizations in size and function. The compensation study was reviewed by the board and each employee received information about their role within the context of the study. The study is updated to add new positions or modify existing positions that have changed.”

“Availability of documents: audited financial statements, 990's, and annual reports are available on pwna's website. The organization presently does not publish its governing documents or conflict of interest policy but will provide them upon request.”

“Changes to conducting program services: throughout 2020, the pandemic sparked continuous requests for covid relief. We modified program delivery in compliance with stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions. Home health check-ins were by phone, doorstep, or zoom. Pwna utilized a digital platform to conduct vital training in food and nutrition and emergency preparedness..”

“EMERGENCY SERVICES: (CONTINUED FROM PART III) PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To provide disaster relief, seasonal support and critical supplies for reservation Elders, communities, and shelters, and to support tribal readiness to respond when disasters strike. SITUATION: The natural 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. PWNA is recognized as a reliable first responder for the reservations, quick to respond to tribes when disaster relief is needed. Some communities also experience acute or chronic contaminated-water emergencies. Additionally, 90,000 Native Americans are homeless; 40% of Native Americans live in sub-standard, overcrowded housing, with the typical wait time for tribal housing assistance at three years or more. When disaster strikes, mainstream news coverage is low and outside aid is slow to come. PWNA RESPONSE: Throughout 2020, the pandemic sparked continuous requests for COVID relief. Some 49 partners on 25 reservations reached out to PWNA for emergency supplies due to stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions on the reservations to keep the Elders safe. We responded with more than 1 million pounds of staple foods, bottled water, hygiene kits, diapers, blankets, PPE and other essentials, aiding more than 55,300 Native Americans impacted by COVID-19. While group training for emergency preparedness was somewhat hampered in 2020, we managed to reach 1640 participants to keep tribal communities moving forward. This included 507 participants for CERT and online training, nearly 1,100 for community engagement activities, and 35 in Zoom focus groups. All this was made possible with the support of Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies and collaboration of the American Red Cross, FEMA, and other emergency providers. Previously trained Emergency Managers also mobilized to help their communities navigate the pandemic. Additionally, PWNA provided supplies to residential shelters for the aged, homeless, disabled and domestic abuse victims, assisting approximately 14,402 people in 2020. We supplied winter fuel for about 163 Elders of the Rosebud, Northern Cheyenne, Zuni and Navajo nations, as well as winter and summer emergency kits for about 2,405 Elders across 13 reservations in the Northern Plains and Southwest. These emergency kits equipped Native Elders with supplies such as blankets, batteries, candles, water, nonperishable food and other items helpful during winter storms, and water, sunscreen, bug spray, and other items helpful during summer heat, storms and outages. PWNA rotates its seasonal readiness services to different tribal communities each year to avoid creating dependency, but the level of need suggests increasing these services as funding permits. *DBA programs of PWNA for Emergency services: Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA), Northern Plains Reservation Aid (NRPA), Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC), Navajo Relief Fund (NRF), Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF) and Native American Aid (NAA).”

“HEALTH: (CONTINUED FROM PART III) PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To support preventative care, essential services and health education initiatives of reservation programs serving tribal citizens, and to help them motivate involvement in healthy lifestyles and community service. SITUATION: The people PWNA serves on rural and geographically-isolated reservations rely on limited Indian Health Services (I.H.S.) for medical care. These federally-operated clinics are notoriously understaffed, underfunded and often long distances away. Only 500 clinics serve the 574 federally recognized tribes (less than 1 per reservation) - and lack of transportation is an issue for many people. Inadequate healthcare continues to take a harsh toll during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving Native Americans to lose 1 in every 475 tribal citizens (compared to 1 in every 825 whites). I.H.S. is ill-situated to respond to a healthcare crisis, and in the case of the pandemic, overcrowded housing for social distancing added fuel to the fire. PWNA supports tribally-operated, preventative health and wellness programs that (during non-pandemic periods) encourage people to take part actively in community projects/services to receive materials and services from PWNA, adding to individual and community well-being and supporting self-determination. The pandemic necessitated a no-contact element to delivery of tribal health services. PWNA RESPONSE: In 2020, PWNA supported tribal programs providing preventative care, home health check ins by phone and non-contact education such as by phone, doorstep or when possible Zoom meetings, helping them address diabetes at epidemic levels, obesity even for youth, tuberculosis seven times higher than for whites, more cancer-related disparities than any minority group in the U.S., higher infant mortality and lower life expectancy for some Native men (especially in the Northern Plains), as well as the community-wide need for personal protective equipment (PPE). We supported healthy lifestyle programs and community activities for approximately 88,521 people. Among them, some 82,299 people benefited primarily from no-contact check-ins by partners (mostly phone after the pandemic started) for COVID-19 check ins, quarantines, elderly needs, and pre- and post-natal care, parenting and behavioral health. PWNA supported 331 tribal partners who conducted mostly phone screenings about diabetes, high blood pressure, tuberculosis and cancer; phone and mail education on diabetes prevention, healthy nutrition and heart health; youth education such as suicide awareness and prevention; health appointments for immunizations, hospital post-release and medication monitoring; and no contact visits with those who are homebound or otherwise unable to access services. And 27 of the partners focused on youth development, suicide prevention and preservation of language and culture at community-wide events (mainly pre-pandemic). Throughout the pandemic, with the support of Newman's Own Foundation, PWNA utilized a digital platform to conduct its vital Train-the-Trainer (T3) service. We featured Native American chefs in videos to emphasize preparing healthy meals with ancestral and locally available foods, reaching 171 professionals who prepare meals for tribal members on remote reservations and can impact diets for 1,026 people total. In first quarter before the pandemic, we also conducted a Strive Forum reaching 35 participants in the Southwest, and in the Northern Plains collaborated with Lakota Food Sovereignty on the Lakota Food Summit, helping 41 Native youth integrate food and culture. These two events supported the Indigenous tenet of food as medicine and inspired participants toward healthy, ancestral foods. We also supported continuation of two community investment projects in New Laguna, NM and Tucson, AZ., with support of Latter-Day Saints Church of Jesus Christ (LDS Charities). *DBA programs of PWNA for Health services: Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA),”

“SEASONAL: (CONTINUED FROM PART III) PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: TO HELP OUR RESERVATION PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT TIMES WHEN NATIVE FAMILIES MAY BE EXPERIENCING ABOVE AVERAGE DISENFRANCHISEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES RELATED TO THE HOLIDAYS. SITUATION: NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILIES INCLUDING ELDERS AND CHILDREN ON THE RESERVATIONS PWNA ASSISTS ARE UNABLE TO CeLEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH SUFFICIENT FOOD, RESOURCES, AND ABILITY TO GATHER WITH FAMILY. UP TO 61% OF NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN LIVE IN POVERTY OR LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, MANY OF THEM RAISED BY GRANDPARENTS ON SEVERELY LIMITED, fixed incomes such as social security - and 29% of Native Americans who are employed full-time live below poverty level. The overall rate of impoverishment across the hundreds of tribal communities PWNA serves ranges from 38% to 63%. PWNA RESPONSE: During the 2020 holidays, PWNA helped program partners address immediate needs by distributing stockings or holiday gift bags filled with practical items to nearly 15,000 delighted children and Elders. Rather than the group distribution events typically used by partners to promote skill building and volunteerism, they coordinated drive-through pick up of holiday stockings and Elder gift bags, as well as individual home deliveries - reaching Elders and children across 14 reservations in the Northern Plains and 14 in the Southwest. *DBA programs of PWNA for Holiday support: Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA), Northern Plains Reservation Aid (NRPA), Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC) and Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF).”

“EDUCATION SERVICES: PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To increase resources for Native American education, support access and retention of Native students from pre-kindergarten through college and support professional development for emerging leaders. SITUATION: Education is one of the most important cornerstones of self-sufficiency and quality of life, and a key to addressing the long-term poverty and other challenges facing the reservations PWNA serves. High school dropout rates range from 30 up to 70% (varies by community), often due to lack of the basics (e.g., school supplies, clothing, adequate housing, transportation). Access to education was further challenged in 2020 due to the requirement for extended distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many Native students to access WiFi in parking lots or on rooftops. About 17% of Native American students start college, and only 13% of Native Americans hold a college degree. Contrary to public perception, college is not free for Native Americans, but Native students are often slow to ask for aid, believing college is not an option for them. Thus, non-native students are twice as likely to achieve an undergraduate degree. PWNA RESPONSE: By addressing both immediate and long-term educational needs, PWNA helps our partner schools and colleges motivate students and improve retention. In 2020, PWNA furnished school supplies for approximately 14,825 K-12 students at 56 partner schools, and essential supplies to support literacy for nearly 6,500 children across 10 reservations, motivating reading and parent-child reading time and supporting reading comprehension. More than 6,300 pairs of TOMS shoes were distributed to students for school enhancement (and another 6,200 pairs were included in backpacks). PWNA also supports Native American students pursuing higher education, awarding scholarships to applicants who are most often in the middle range of the academic ranking and may not be considered by other providers despite their serious drive and proven 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 success to our individualized mentorship program and our unique selection process of identifying candidates with a likelihood of overcoming the first-year challenges that are unique to Native students. To increase funding for Native students in 2020, PWNA awarded $200,225 in undergraduate and graduate scholarships and awarded nearly $10,100 in grants to tribal colleges, universities, and other groups committed to Native education, impacting college access and retention for approximately 57 Native American scholars. With the support of Walmart Foundation, we awarded several laptops to first-year students, and the PepsiCo RISE Native American employee resource group continued mentoring our AIEF scholars and 4 Directions (4D) leadership development cohort. We completed the 4D cohort with White Mountain Apache tribal leaders in January 2020, but afterward launched no new cohorts due to the pandemic; nonetheless, our 149 prior 4D graduates continued to make positive strides for their 40 collective tribes. *DBA programs of PWNA for Education: American Indian Education Fund (AIEF) FOOD AND WATER: PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To ease food insecurity by increasing food supplies for Native American Elders, children and families, and supporting food sovereignty through gardening and localized access to healthy foods on the reservations we serve. SITUATION: Food insecurity increased nationwide due to COVID-19, demonstrating to many what Native Americans have been up against all along. Low food security - insufficient food quality or variety for dietary health - is a key issue on the impoverished reservations PWNA serves, fueling high rates of nutrition-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity when families must turn to less expensive but fatty and high-carbohydra”

“PWNA RESPONSE: As COVID-19 took its severe toll on Native Americans in 2020, many U.S. groups and individuals awoke to the decades of disparities our tribal citizens face - grasping for the first time how those disparities translate to daily challenges such as food insecurity, overcrowded housing, lack of internet and inadequate healthcare. PWNA helped by reaching a potential reading, listening and viewing audience of more than 1 billion people with public education about current challenges and realities on the reservations - including the factors unique to tribes such as Navajo and others especially hard hit by COVID-19. We achieved this through 130 news articles, press releases, radio and TV mentions, expanded social media channels, videos, coffee chats with groups like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, relevant content on our website, and timely original content on our blog. Pre-pandemic, we also ran a five-minute PSA on PBS channels nationwide, featuring award-winning actor Wes Studi (Cherokee) to highlight disparities for tribes and solutions that are underfunded. Studi also partnered with PWNA to develop a PSA alerting America about the tribes being hard hit by COVID and asking for PWNA donations to support emergency COVID deliveries to the reservations. We also initiated a health PSA with Studi and the CDC, leading to more than 1 million views for public education in tribal communities.”

“ORGANIZATION'S MISSION: PWNA is committed to improving quality of life for Native Americans living in remote, under-resourced and underserved reservation communities. We believe 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 trusted partner and resource to lift their efforts - to champion hope and support for their success today and tomorrow. PWNA creates high impact through a dual approach: addressing immediate needs in reservation communities by providing food, water, school supplies and other critical materials, and supporting community-led projects that sustainably address the core symptoms of poverty and contribute to self-sufficiency and social equity. We approach humanitarian service through asset-based community development (ABCD), encompassing material provisions, capacity building, community building, asset/resource development and higher education. This ensures we build on assets present in the communities we serve and bring together individuals, programs, and outside resources to leverage 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 gains for the Native community priorities, programs, and people PWNA serves.”

“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), northern plains reservation aid (npra) & southwest reservation aid (swra).”