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Organization

Decolonizing Wealth Project (Indigenous Earth Fund; California Tribal Land Return)

Decolonizing Wealth Project, a fiscally sponsored grantmaker, runs a California Tribal Land Return program and an Indigenous Earth Fund.

Kind
Fiscally sponsored project (sponsor: Assets Under Movement)
Native-led
mixed
Works with
Tribal and Indigenous-led groups, incl. California tribes
Region
National; national, CA
Focus
Reparative philanthropy; grantmaking funds including California Tribal Land Return and the Indigenous Earth Fund
Registry
Fiscal sponsor Assets Under Movement EIN 82-1517696 (own donate page; ProPublica: Assets Under Movement, Washington DC)

What happened

Decolonizing Wealth Project is a project, not a stand-alone charity. Its donate page says it is fiscally sponsored by Assets Under Movement, EIN 82-1517696, meaning that group holds the legal and tax status. ProPublica lists Assets Under Movement in Washington, DC, with tax exemption issued in September 2017. The about page names Edgar Villanueva (Lumbee) as founder and CEO and says it works with people who hold wealth, to move money toward repair.

Its California Tribal Land Return project launched in 2025. Its page says it gives technical assistance, training and coaching to California tribes working to overcome barriers to land return, including barriers in financing and the law. The project page reports "Acreage Returned in 2025" of 17k+ and 30 tribes represented, with $2.35 million granted. Another page on the same site says the project supports 31 California tribes seeking the return of more than 25,000 acres.

Its Indigenous Earth Fund lists 2026 grantee partners including the Indigenous Environmental Network, Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute and Native Conservancy, and reports $6.3 million granted to organizations and tribes.

The group funds other organizations' work. It does not state that it holds title to land. The acreage figures are its own, and it does not tie them to specific parcels.

Good to know. Gifts go through its fiscal sponsor, Assets Under Movement. Its acreage figures are self-reported and its pages differ (30 vs 31 tribes; 17k+ acres returned in 2025 vs more than 25,000 acres sought).

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error

What the sources say, and how this was checked

Supported by the sources below; some details rest on one source.

  1. Decolonizing Wealth Project is fiscally-sponsored by Assets Under Movement (AUM+), EIN: 82-1517696.Decolonizing Wealth Project - Donate
  2. Edgar Villanueva (Lumbee) Founder & CEODecolonizing Wealth Project - About
  3. This project will provide technical assistance, training, and coaching to overcome the primary barriers to Tribal land returnDecolonizing Wealth Project - California Tribal Land Return
  4. supporting 31 California tribes engaged as individuals and consortiums seeking the rematriation of more than 25,000 acres of landDecolonizing Wealth Project - Indigenous Earth Fund
  5. Tax exemption issued: Sept. 2017ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Assets Under Movement

Research notes. Fiscal sponsorship: gifts are tax-deductible only through Assets Under Movement, whose ProPublica revenue (hundreds of millions) covers many projects and is not Decolonizing Wealth's own. Acreage and grant totals are self-reported and two pages differ (30 vs 31 tribes; 17k+ acres returned in 2025 vs 25,000+ sought). A grantmaker: a gift funds others' land work and the project's operations.

Visit the organization’s website or give directly on its own page. This site takes no money.

Connections

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Works in 1

Works with 1

Sources

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The record’s fields
Vetting notes
2026-10-17: Sponsor EIN printed on own donate page matches ProPublica. Site says Indigenous and Black experiences are central; named leadership not checked here, so mixed. Gifts are tax-deductible only through the sponsor. A grantmaker, so a gift funds others' land work and the project's operations. Source: https://www.decolonizingwealth.com/donate ("Decolonizing Wealth Project is fiscally-sponsored by Assets Under Movement (AUM+), EIN: 82-1517696.")
Kind
Organization
Confidence
Medium

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