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Organization

First Nations Development Institute

First Nations Development Institute, a Longmont, Colorado nonprofit, funds Native communities, including a Stewarding Native Lands program started in 2020.

Kind
501(c)(3) national Native-focused funder / technical-assistance nonprofit
Native-led
unverified
Works with
Native nations and Native nonprofits nationwide
Region
Longmont, CO; national
Focus
Economic development; Stewarding Native Lands; Tribal Lands Conservation Fund; Native Agriculture and Food Systems
Registry
EIN 54-1254491 (ProPublica); Charity Navigator 4/4 stars

What happened

First Nations Development Institute is a national nonprofit based in Longmont, Colorado. ProPublica lists it under EIN 54-1254491, with tax exemption issued in August 1984. Its staff and board page lists Michael E. Roberts (Tlingit) as president and CEO.

Its stated mission is "to uplift and sustain the lifeways and economies of Native communities through advocacy, financial support, and knowledge sharing." It works largely as a funder and intermediary. Its home page says that through year-end 2025 it had managed 4,405 grants totaling over $110.6 million to Native American projects and organizations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and two territories.

On land, its Stewarding Native Lands program began in 2020. The program page says First Nations supports tribes and Native communities in "regaining and restoring their lands" through five focus areas, and lists a Tribal Lands Conservation Fund. The program is directed by Jacque Demko (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation). Grants shown on the page include support for a Northern Cheyenne Tribe buffalo program.

First Nations also describes ratings from charity watchdogs on its About page. Those are its own claims. The organization funds land work; it does not itself hold land for return.

Good to know. A funder and technical-assistance group, not a land holder. Grant totals and charity ratings are its own statements.

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. Our mission is to uplift and sustain the lifeways and economies of Native communities through advocacy, financial support, and knowledge sharing.First Nations Development Institute - About Us
  2. we have successfully managed 4,405 grants totaling over $110.6 millionFirst Nations Development Institute - Home
  3. established the Stewarding Native Lands program in 2020First Nations - Stewarding Native Lands
  4. Michael E. Roberts President and CEO TlingitFirst Nations - Staff and Board
  5. Tax exemption issued: Aug. 1984ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - First Nations Development Institute

Research notes. A funder and technical-assistance group, not a land holder. Grant totals and charity ratings are the organization's own statements. Payee at checkout was not checked. The vetting note said the founder and governance were not stated on the home page; this record read the staff page only.

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

Connections

These links were matched automatically by name or date and have not yet been reviewed by a person.

Works in 1

Works with 1

Sources

  1. firstnations.org/self-description
The record’s fields
Vetting notes
Home page does not state founder or governance; widely reported as founded 1980 by Rebecca Adamson (Cherokee) (, not checked this session). Funder/intermediary, not a land-return organization.not yet checked against a source
Kind
Organization
Confidence
Medium
Notes
  • Some details not yet checked against a source

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