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- By Kaili Berg
The Decolonizing Wealth Project (DWP) has opened applications for its 2025 round of funding through the Liberated Capital Indigenous Earth Fund (IEF), adding another $1 million to the $4.3 million already invested since the fund launched in 2021.
The fund supports Indigenous-led climate and conservation efforts rooted in ancestral knowledge, ecological stewardship, and advocacy for systemic and policy change.
DWP’s Indigenous Earth Fund has already invested millions to help tribes and Indigenous organizations across the United States drive solutions to the climate crisis.
Since its founding, DWP has distributed more than $11 million to Indigenous communities through IEF and other initiatives, including the California Truth and Healing Fund and the California Tribal Lands Return Initiative.
Together, these efforts have reached more than 270 Tribes, empowered over 11,000 Indigenous youth, and contributed to returning more than 200,000 acres of ancestral land.
“Indigenous leadership is essential to healing our land and shaping a future where everyone can thrive,” Edgar Villanueva, founder and CEO of Decolonizing Wealth Project said in a press release. “For centuries, Indigenous peoples have sustained their communities and lands with strength and wisdom. This fund is an investment in that ongoing leadership—with the goal to turn ancestral knowledge into action and transform wealth into collective wellbeing.”
The new round of funding will continue to support projects that protect ecosystems and bio-cultural heritage, restore water sources and critical natural resources, and manage land, forest, freshwater, and marine environments through Indigenous frameworks.
It also prioritizes food sovereignty and subsistence rights by revitalizing traditional harvesting, hunting, foraging, and fishing practices, defending resources like salmon, and reinforcing Indigenous food systems to improve climate resilience.
DWP is also focused on helping Tribes prepare for a just transition to renewable energy through advocacy and planning, with an eye on community-led economic development.
“It’s only through mutual respect, collective responsibility, and shared power that we can shift towards mutual thriving, ensuring a just and sustainable future for all,” Dr. Dana Arviso, Director, Indigenous Programs at Decolonizing Wealth Project said in a press release.
Those interested in applying for funding and resources can find more information and apply here.
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