Partnership with Native Americans

“Process to review form 990: the organization works with an independent accounting firm to prepare the 990. Once prepared, the controller 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 an annual comprehensive compensation review 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.”

“EMERGENCY SERVICES: (CONTINUED FROM PART III) SITUATION: As global warming increases disasters such as floods, forest fires, blizzards and tornadoes, it is critical that PWNA continue to serve as a first responder for the reservations and equip Native communities to plan, train and respond to these events locally. Winter warmth is always a concern for the Elders too. On any given night, 19,000 Native Americans are homeless (sheltered, unsheltered). 40% of Native Americans live in sub-standard homes and 16% are overcrowded. In addition, 75% of Hopi residents rely on water contaminated with arsenic, and 30% of Navajo families haul water due to 521 abandoned uranium mines. PWNA RESPONSE: PWNA can't predict every emergency, so we give seasonal aid to help prepare for them. In 2022, this included year-round aid to 59 shelters for the aged, homeless, disabled and domestic abuse victims, aiding approximately 6,663 people in 2022. We also provided firewood or winter fuel vouchers to Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Winnebago, Navajo and Mescalero Apache Elders, as well as winter and/or summer emergency boxes to 8 Northern Plains and 4 Southwest tribes. 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, fire extinguishers 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. Life on the reservation often means less access to basic resources when disaster strikes - and it struck 10 times for 6 Southwest tribes in 2022. We provided emergency relief for 2 water shortages, a fire, monsoon and flooding, and COVID relief 5 times, infusing over 548,000 pounds of staple foods, bottled water, hygiene kits, diapers, blankets, PPE and other essentials to assist about 4,660 people. PWNA also invests in emergency planning and training with tribes. With support from the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, we facilitated resource and asset mapping, safety and first responder training so that Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Lake Traverse, Pine Ridge and Santee reservations can better respond to disasters. With generous support from Boeing, Levi Strauss and Freeport-McMoRan, PWNA facilitated emergency preparedness planning and training in three White Mountain Apache communities. Altogether, 377 tribal citizens were trained and/or engaged around disaster readiness. *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) SITUATION: A legacy of healthcare disparities and high disease rates persists across Native America. For instance, Native adults are nearly 300% more likely to have diabetes and 50% more likely to have obesity than non-Hispanic whites. Yet medical care is limited to the Indian Health Service (I.H.S.). There are only 500 of these federally-run I.H.S. clinics to serve 574 recognized tribes (less than 1 per reservation), and lack of transportation is an issue for many residents. Despite CARES Act funding, I.H.S. remains ill-situated to respond to a healthcare crisis, and 19% of Native Americans lack any form of health insurance for outside care. Thus, tribally-run health and wellness programs often take the lead on preventative health care, as well as efforts to improve Native food security and long-term food access. PWNA RESPONSE: Through new initiatives in 2022, PWNA promoted dental care for #GivingTuesday, supplying oral hygiene products for 16,000 people. We also provided winter coats to 891 San Carlos elementary students, in collaboration with Operation Warm and Molina Healthcare. Meanwhile, PWNA continued supporting tribal programs that offer preventative care, home visits and health screenings, helping 250 health and wellness partners address diabetes at epidemic levels, obesity even for youth, tuberculosis seven times higher than for whites and more cancer-related disparities than any minority group in the U.S. We supported healthy lifestyle programs and education for approximately 53,132 people, including COVID-19 check ins, pre- and post-natal care, parenting and behavioral health, screenings and education for diabetes, high blood pressure, TB, cancer, and heart health, suicide awareness and prevention, immunizations, medication monitoring and care for the homebound or others unable to access services. And 52 of these partners focused on youth development, such as suicide prevention, language and culture preservation through community events. On the healthy nutrition front, the modern diet is detrimental - especially in the face of poverty and limited food access. PWNA facilitated 3 Train-the-Trainer (T3) cohorts, reaching 47 participants from 8 reservations now able to impact the diets of about 282 people (6 per trainee). One T3 cohort was accomplished with support of Newman's Own Foundation on the Rosebud Reservation, while two were supported by Native American Connections in the Southwest, reaching educators, garden coordinators and cooks who prepare congregate meals for tribal members. As always, our T3 training utilized Native American chefs to help make the link between ancestral foods, locally available foods, culture and food as medicine. In addition, PWNA facilitated a roundtable at the Lakota Food Summit in Rapid City, SD and conducted a foraging and gathering session on the Pine Ridge Reservation to teach about ancestral plants and locally available foods, thanks to Newman's Own Foundation and Feeding America. *DBA programs of PWNA for Health 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).”

“EDUCATION SERVICES: SITUATION: Education is a cornerstone of economic mobility. But due to systemic failures and unrealized treaty promises, half of Native students are not finishing high school. About 7% of Native students attend reservation schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Much like the Indian Health Service, these federally-run schools are understaffed and underfunded, leaving students with the lowest reading scores in America. Students who graduate high school then face barriers to higher education such as poverty, the digital divide and racial discrimination, while some people believe college is free for Native Americans. Yet only 16% of Native Americans hold a college degree (compared to 40% of whites). In addition, 65% of all jobs in the economy require post-secondary education or training beyond high school, including technology and soft skills. PWNA RESPONSE: In 2022, PWNA's American Indian Education Fund (AIEF) program invested in Native students from cradle to college and career. Approximately 12,888 K-12 students at 58 partner schools received school supplies and backpacks, with support of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and 3,303 children across 7 reservations benefited from books and other supplies motivating reading or parent-child reading time and supporting reading comprehension. We distributed 1,146 pairs of TOMS shoes to students and another 3,266 pairs at back-to-school time. Many students also received Bombas socks. On the college front, many Native students need equitable access to resources for a 21st century education, from school supplies to laptops, software and internet access. PWNA awarded $240,400 in undergraduate and graduate scholarships, prioritizing scholars in the middle range of the academic ranking who may not be considered by other providers despite their serious drive. The academic-year completion rate for first-year students who receive our scholarships is 90-95%, much higher than the national average. PWNA credits this success to individualized mentoring provided by the PepsiCo RISE Native American employee workforce group and selecting candidates with a likelihood of overcoming the first-year challenges unique to Native students. Synchrony Bank and Dougherty Foundation helped by funding 56 scholarships, and The Walmart Foundation provided laptops to first-year students. We also provided care packs and holiday gifts throughout the year. Our Four Directions Development Program (4D) trains emerging leaders who want to make a greater impact in their Tribal communities. A hybrid curriculum for a six-month cohort of experiential learning may encompass CPR and self-defense, healthy ancestral food as medicine, leadership development and/or personal branding. With support of General Motors and Newman's Own Foundation for adult and youth cohorts in both regions, as well as Protect Native Elders, Native American Connections and Newman's for sponsoring a Southwest 4D youth alumni event, we graduated 41 new 4D participants in 2022. PWNA's strength-based services help fuel self-sufficiency. Thanks to the Grow With Google Indigenous Career Readiness Program, PWNA launched a vocational scholarship program, provided free digital training to 1,621 students and regranted $58,000 to Native-serving organizations for digital training. *DBA programs of PWNA for Education: American Indian Education Fund (AIEF)”

“FOOD & WATER: PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To ease food insecurity by increasing local food supply for Native American Elders, children and families, and supporting food sovereignty through gardening and local access to healthy foods on the reservations we serve. SITUATION: Food on the table is a basic human right, but it's not that simple for the people PWNA serves. With more Americans now experiencing food insecurity and food hardship, many are realizing for the first time what Native Americans have been up against since the reservations began. Low food security - defined as insufficient food quality or variety for dietary health - has impacted reservations for decades, fueling high rates of nutrition-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity because less expensive foods tend to have more fat and carbohydrates. The U.S. Department of Agriculture designates many tribal communities as "food deserts" devoid of fresh fruits and vegetables, and 51% of Native residents travel off-reservation for grocery shopping. Food hardship - the inability to afford enough food for yourself and your family - has increased in families with children, according to a 2018 study by the Food & Action Center. The food hardship rate is 23% for Native families (compared to 16-19% nationwide). Today, rather than an emergency solution, food aid has become a long-term solution with more families consistently needing aid. This is certainly the case for many families and food banks in the communities PWNA serves, along with another hardship - contaminated drinking water. 25-40% of Native Americans live with water insecurity, and 1 in 3 Navajo families haul water for daily needs. PWNA RESPONSE: Areas with high poverty and minority populations are more likely to be food deserts. We provided fresh produce to 2,960 people, including 2,200 from Pine Ridge and Eight Northern Pueblos with support from Bank of America. We provided emergency food boxes to 2,751 people, with Olo for Good funding 2,112 of them along with fresh bison or mutton and solar lights. This helped Elders who worry about bills and gas for the grocery store many miles away. PWNA also provided staple foods to 85 food banks and/or senior centers, providing food for 17,940 people, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for 20,329 people and Rosebud Elders picked up 744 bags of breakfast groceries. In addition, we provided 268,272 bottles of water to communities with unsafe drinking water. Our drivers traversed nearly 117,000 miles to deliver food, water and other basics in 2022. *DBA programs of PWNA for Food 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). HOLIDAY: PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: To help our reservation partners spread community cheer, engagement and active involvement at times when families may be experiencing more disenfranchisement and seasonal stress. SITUATION: The holidays can be an extra hardship for many Native families. The Elders and children on the reservations PWNA serves are certainly aware of holidays celebrated across the U.S., but many families cannot afford holiday gifts or celebrations. 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 Native joblessness is twice that of whites. The overall rate of impoverishment across the hundreds of tribal communities PWNA serves ranges from 15% to 54%. PWNA RESPONSE: Happy holidays contribute to overall well-being. During the 2022 holidays, PWNA helped program partners spread holiday cheer by delivering stockings and holiday gift bags filled with practical items. These gifts were given to 13,661 delighted children and Elders across 17 reservations in the Northern Plains and 11 reservations in the Southwest. *DBA programs of PWNA for Holiday support: S”

“ORGANIZATION'S MISSION: PWNA's Dual Role and Humanitarian Service Strategy: PWNA is a trusted resource and intermediary for philanthropic solutions in Indigenous communities. Entrusted by Native partners and funders alike since 1990, PWNA is one of the largest Native-led nonprofits in the U.S. A 501(c) (3), PWNA invests in the most geographically isolated and impoverished Tribal communities, reaching Navajo, Pine Ridge, Rosebud and more to champion hope for a brighter future. We achieve our mission by partnering with Native professionals who can drive social change in nutrition, education, health and emergency response; delivering critical supplies and funding education, capacity building and community investment projects; and respecting the self-determined goals of the tribes and connecting them with outside resources. For over three decades, PWNA has partnered with reservation-based programs to infuse social equity into Tribal communities. We address immediate needs 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. PWNA leverages an asset-based community development (ABCD) model to employ materials, capacity building, community building, asset/resource development and higher education, bringing together individuals, programs and outside resources to leverage the social capital of a much larger network mobilizing toward a common solution. The severities created by western colonization and the reservation system, broken treaty promises and racial marginalization have led to food insecurity, education barriers and a digital divide across the reservations. Plus, even as Black Lives Matter and other race-equity movements evolved, 2022 brought new economic threats. Among these were exorbitant gas prices averaging 33 percent higher (46 percent in the first half of the year), the cost of food at home rising 11.4 percent (up to 15 percent in some food categories), energy costs up 8.7 percent and retail up 5.6 percent over 2021. This diminished purchasing power in every U.S. home. Sadly, the underserved tribes in PWNA's service area faced these same increases - although starting from a much poorer economic base. In addition, supply chain issues and inflation challenged PWNA like other Native nonprofits, leading to: - higher prices for the critical goods we deliver year-round - an unexpected $67,000 surcharge for outsourced shipping, such as emergency relief - 52% higher fuel cost for in-house deliveries (292 per truck, up from $192 in 2021) - slower deliveries dictating funding and stocking of supplies before tribal partner requests - difficulty keeping up with expenses and adequate staffing In every Tribal community, grassroots leaders are making positive strides to change lives. PWNA functions as an ally to help address the issues they prioritize. Not assuming we know best or that Tribal communities lack the capacity to deliver, we support them with resources and training to increase their impact. We know that none of our work would be possible without these partnerships and the generosity of donors who believe in our mission. Indian Country has the highest need in the U.S., clearly pointing the way for individual donors, corporate social responsibility and inclusion in the American dream.”

“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).”