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- By Native News Online Staff
A Native-led grant database is helping Tribal governments and Native-serving organizations tap into millions of dollars in new funding, according to the Hozhonigo Institute.
The institute announced that its flagship initiative, the Tribal Funding Registry, has tracked more than $34.5 million in funding in 2025 and has helped Native organizations secure $6.38 million in confirmed grant awards as of Oct. 28. Institute officials said the figures reflect the strength of Indigenous-led infrastructure built to expand access to critical resources.
The Tribal Funding Registry, or TFR, is a free, searchable online database designed by a Native nonprofit for Tribal communities. It compiles active grant opportunities from federal, state, foundation, corporate and Tribal giving programs. The registry now lists more than 1,700 grants representing more than $34 billion in available funding. More than half of the postings come from non-federal sources — a key factor for Native communities seeking to diversify beyond federal dollars, the institute said.
The platform also provides webinar replays, a downloadable grant toolkit, step-by-step videos and free live support during virtual office hours held five times a week. Monthly virtual grant-matching workshops help users identify three grant opportunities tailored to their projects.
Since its launch, the registry has grown to more than 2,000 users representing nearly 500 Tribal governments and Native organizations nationwide. Institute leaders say the tool reflects a Native-led model built to streamline access to funding once scattered across multiple platforms.
Through grant-matching sessions, one-on-one support and training tools such as Philanthropy 101, TFR is helping Native organizations develop long-term strategies to compete for and secure grants.
“This is about correcting generations of funding inequity,” Onawa Haynes (Diné/Mescalero Apache), president of the Hozhonigo Institute said. “In 2024, private philanthropy gave nearly $600 billion yet Native communities still receive less than half a percent of all foundation giving. The Tribal Funding Registry gives us the visibility, the data, and the leverage we’ve been denied for too long. The Tribal Funding Registry is a one-stop-shop and opens the door to billions of dollars in grant opportunities; funding that has the power to transform Native communities for generations to come.”
For more information, visit tribalfunding.org.
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