Key Takeaways:
The Indigenous Tomorrows Fund is investing $1.65 million in its second year, up from a $720,000 pilot that funded 24 organizations in 2025.
Every funding decision is made by Native youth ages 14 to 24, who set priorities, review proposals, and award the grants with mentorship from grantmakers and Elders.
Applications close July 14, with grants of $25,000, $65,000, and $100,000 across three tiers.
Native Americans in Philanthropy, Newman's Own Foundation, Novo Nordisk, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation are running the second year of the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund, a $1.65 million grantmaking pool where the people deciding who gets funded are Native young people between 14 and 24. The application window closes July 14.
The model got a real test in 2025. The pilot awarded $720,000 to 24 organizations, with youth defining the priorities, reviewing every application, and making the final calls alongside mentors and Tribal leaders. The money went to food justice, community health, and programs connecting food, culture, and healing across generations. NAP chief executive Erik Stegman said the fund shows what philanthropy looks like when young people are "trusted not just to participate, but to lead."
Year two more than doubles the pool and adds structure. Emerging grassroots groups can apply for $25,000 seed grants, established organizations for $65,000, and collaboratives working on systems-level change for $100,000. One 2025 cohort member, Sara Jefferson of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, said the first round deepened cultural connection and helped her community serve people more holistically.
The bigger story is who gets to hold the pen in philanthropy. New decision-makers keep arriving, from AI agents making auditable on-chain donations to creators becoming a fundraising engine for nonprofits. A funding pool directed by teenagers and twenty-somethings, backed by Newman's Own and a Tribal Nation, is the most human version of that shift. Worth watching what 24 organizations becomes at $1.65 million.
People Also Ask
What is the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund?
It is a participatory grantmaking initiative from Native Americans in Philanthropy that puts funding decisions in the hands of Native youth ages 14 to 24. It is investing $1.65 million in its second year.
Who can apply before the July 14 deadline?
Native-led and Native-serving organizations across the US and its territories. Grants run in three tiers: $25,000 for emerging groups, $65,000 for established organizations, and $100,000 for collaboratives.
What is participatory grantmaking?
A funding model where the communities affected by grants hold real decision-making power. In this fund, young people set priorities, evaluate proposals, and make the final awards with mentorship from Elders and experienced grantmakers.
Who funds the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund?
Native Americans in Philanthropy runs it in partnership with Newman's Own Foundation, Novo Nordisk, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, building on the fund's $720,000 pilot year.
Sources
Native Americans in Philanthropy, Newman's Own Foundation