Northwest Area Foundation Awards Grant to Native American Youth & Family Center, Portland, Oregon Focuses on Reducing Poverty, Developing Community Economy

One of Two Foundation Grants Announced Today

Fr:  Susan Buckles, APR                  Colin McCormack
 651-225-3865                                    503-288-8177
 sbuckles@nwaf.org                         colinm@nayapdx.org

St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 10, 2007 – Today, the Northwest Area Foundation announced the award of a two-year grant to the Native American Youth & Family Center, Portland, Oregon.  It is one of two grants announced today to help build capacity and programs to reduce poverty among urban American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN).  The other grant was made to the Native American Development Corporation of Billings, Montana.

“Poverty wears many faces, and some of those are often hidden from easy view,” said Nichole Maher, executive director of the Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA Family Center).  “It is also true that the urban Indian community throughout the greater Portland area can enhance its abilities to reduce poverty and build prosperity in ways that are innovative and anchored in our culture,” she said.  “This grant boosts opportunities to bring voices, perspectives and partners to the table to create lasting change.”

“We believe, and experience is demonstrating, that poverty reduction initiatives have greater chance of success if communities assume leadership in addressing poverty and intentionally develop the capacity to do so,” said Kari Schlachtenhaufen, Interim President and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation. “We are excited to make this grant and hope other funders and partners will join in this effort to reduce poverty long term.”

Over the next two years, NAYA will apply the $3.36 million grant to establish a model for sustainable poverty reduction based on a two-pronged approach: enhancing community resources for an integrated set of strategies, and improving advocacy for urban AI/AN poverty reduction.  The community resource development will address the lack of low-income housing and the need for effective workforce development.

“Many foundations, our own included, search for initiatives that will bring deep and lasting benefit to families and communities,” said Gary Cunningham, Northwest Area Foundation Vice President for Programs and Chief Program Officer.  “We also look for communities and organizations that bring experience, innovation, and systemic thinking to their efforts.  We appreciate both the lessons we’ve learned in this grant-development process and the opportunity to support NAYA in work that will benefit generations,” said Cunningham.

The NAYA Family Center’s mission is to enhance the diverse strengths of our youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education.

The Northwest Area Foundation realizes its mission – helping communities reduce poverty – by supporting strategic efforts within a small number of urban, rural and American Indian communities in: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.  These states were serviced by James J. Hill’s Great Northern Railway.  Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the foundation in 1934.  Since 1999, the Foundation has invested approximately $193 million in community-based poverty reduction programs, and expects to invest an estimated additional $75 million within the next two years. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests.  For more information: www.nwaf.org, or 651-224-9635.

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