Application Phase Now Open for NDN Changemaker Fellowship

July 1, 2021

Application Phase Now Open for NDN Changemaker Fellowship

The NDN Changemaker Fellowship is a 12-month opportunity for Indigenous leaders to articulate their vision for social change, to identify the support they will need to get there and to invest in their own development, health, healing and wellbeing.

For Immeditate Release: July 1, 2021

NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power, announces for its third year a groundbreaking Fellowship for Indigenous Peoples throughout Turtle Island and surrounding Island Nations. The Changemaker Fellowship will be offered to 21 Indigenous Changemakers across the continental U.S., Canada, Mexico, Islands of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This Fellowship is designed to amplify, deepen, and catalyze the development of Indigenous leaders ready to create movements in their communities, building a world that is just and equitable for all people and the planet. 

The NDN Changemaker Fellowship is a 12-month opportunity for Indigenous leaders to articulate their vision for social change, to identify the support they will need to get there and to invest in their own development, health, healing and wellbeing. NDN Collective is honored to support visionary Indigenous leaders from across Turtle Island, and beyond, who are working towards sustainable solutions for their people and homelands.

“The Changemaker Fellowship program was designed to recognize those who are already leading important work in their communities”, shared Tina Kuckkahn, Director of Grantmaking. “We look for movement-builders who embrace their inherent gifts, who inspire and engage others to create something larger than themselves. Changemakers aren’t always the people out in front; sometimes they are the ones doing the critical work behind the scenes that make real change possible.”

Applicants are Indigenous Changemakers who come from all life experiences and professional backgrounds.Individuals who are working or aspiring to work towards social change: Defending our homelands and rights, developing model regenerative Nations, revitalizing our Indigenous ceremonies, cultures, languages,ways of life, actively decolonizing and healing our communities and families. 

The NDN Changemaker Fellowship upholds NDN Collective’s cultural values and norms, including the interconnectedness of all things, Indigenous self-determination, and equity and justice for all people and the planet.

Changemakers will receive flexible cash awards of $75,000 to invest in and support their innovation as leaders. To apply, applicants must first complete a letter of interest (LOI) which can be accessed on the NDN Changemaker page at the NDN Collective websiteApplicants must be over the age of 18 to apply.

UPDATE: Deadline to submit LOIs is Friday, August 6, 2021 at 5 pm MST.

For more information and to apply, visit https://ndn.staging.deeplight.studio/grants-fellowship/ndn-changemaker-fellowship/. Or, for English-speaking locations, contact Dr. PennElys Droz, NDN Foundation Program Officer at pennelys@ndncollective.org. For Spanish-speaking locations, contactNicole Yanes, NDN Foundation Program Officer at nicole@ndncollective.org.

###

Learn about the 2021 Cohort of NDN Changemaker fellows here.

NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.

January 2024 Edition

Stay Informed. Take Action.

Subscribe to the NDN allies newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter. Delivered once per month.

We care about the protection of your data and would never sell your email or share it with anyone without your permission.

'We Are Not Americans, We Will Die as Hawaiians': Ka Wai Ola a Kāne Launched in Nānākuli, Oahu

Angelica (Angie) Solloa , Kailea Loften

Posted 2 years ago
NDN Collective journeyed to Oʻahu to train and share knowledge with Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) relatives as an extension of our deep dive work within the region.
'The Medicine Wheel Coming Together': NDN Collective's ȞeSápa Action Camp Builds Community Among Organizers

Jordynn Paz , Sarah Sunshine Manning

Posted 2 years ago
The ȞeSápa Action Camp brought together organizers and movement builders from across Turtle Island and beyond for a week-long training in the Black Hills. There were several trainings offered including Creative Resistance, Tactical Media, Climbing and Blockades.
"Keep Fighting": Leonard Peltier Message to Supporters on 48 Years Since Arrest Posted 2 years ago
Leonard Peltier has been unjustly imprisoned for 48 years on this day. In this letter, he reflects on the anniversary of his incarceration and calls upon all to "keep fighting." Read more for ways you can support the fight to #FreeLeonardPeltier.
NDN Collective Celebrates Mineral Withdrawal Resolution Passed By Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Posted 2 years ago
The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council passes a resolution support the proposed mineral withdrawal around the Pactola Reservoir in the Black Hills. The mineral withdrawal will ban mining in the region for years, preserving the land and drinking water.
NDN Collective Redistributes Nearly $8 Million to Indigenous Peoples Posted 3 years ago
In 2023 the Collective Abundance Fund supported the wealth building of 200 Indigenous Families across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
NDN Collective Redistribuye Casi $8 Millones a Personas Indígenas Posted 3 years ago
El Fondo de Abundancia Colectiva (Collective Abundance Fund) apoya la construcción de riqueza de 200 Familias Indígenas en Minnesota, Dakota del Norte y Dakota del Sur.
Community Mobilizes in Bitter Cold to Shelter Unhoused Relatives in Rapid City Posted 3 years ago
City officials issue warning in response to lifesaving efforts to shelter unhoused relatives from freezing temperatures. This came after city officials claimed they would make temporary changes to their intake policies and promised to not turn people away from city shelters.
NDN Collective Opens 2024 Application Period for Community Action Fund Posted 3 years ago
The Community Action Fund (CAF) furthers Indigenous Peoples’ mobilization strategies as it relates to the defense, development, and decolonization of peoples and the planet. This $1 million fund is available to support such efforts in 2024, with grants up to $40,000.
NDN Collective abre el periodo de aplicación 2024 para el Fondo de Acción Comunitaria Posted 3 years ago
Para su publicación inmediata: 11 de enero de 2024 Rapid City, SD - Hoy, NDN Collective abre el periodo de aplicación para el Fondo de Acción Comunitaria 2024, que proporciona subvenciones urgentes para la acción directa y la organización en…
NDN Collective ouvre la période de candidature 2024 pour le Fonds d’action communautaire Posted 3 years ago
Le Fonds d’action communautaire (FAC) favorise les stratégies de mobilisation des peuples autochtones en ce qui concerne la défense, le développement et la décolonisation des peuples et pour la Terre Mère. Ce fonds d'un million de dollars est disponible pour soutenir de tels efforts en 2024, avec des subventions allant jusqu'à 40 000 dollars. 

United like never before, we rise together—arm in arm—to equip all Indigenous Peoples with the tools needed to become architects of our future. Through a holistic approach to infrastructure, funding, advocacy, movement building, and philanthropy we are fostering a world of justice and equity for all people and the planet.