Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Na’ah Illahee Fund

Role of Na'ah Illahee Fund in the Funding Ecosystem

Na'ah Illahee Fund is an Indigenous-led intermediary that moves resources to grassroots leaders and organizations. The site describes its work as regranting combined with advocacy and capacity-building, which places the organization in a philanthropic and community-funding role rather than a purely program-delivery role.

The fund’s portfolio centers Indigenous self-determination, climate justice, food sovereignty, land and water protection, and cultural continuity. It serves Indigenous communities across the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia.

Funding Approach and Priorities

The organization states that its regranting model is guided by Indigenous values of reciprocity, accountability, and community governance. Funding recommendations are made through a community-led committee and affirmed by the board, showing a structured grantmaking process rooted in local knowledge and shared decision-making.

Across the pages provided, the fund references a range of funding streams and cohorts, including community funding, Indigenous leadership initiatives, the HEAL Grant, Indigenous Lifeways Fund, Food Sovereignty Fund, Rights of Nature Grant & Cohort, Green Infrastructure Grant, and the Let’s Help End Gender Based Violence & MMIWP Grant. These examples suggest a broad mix of project-based funding for Indigenous-led initiatives, environmental restoration, cultural work, and community well-being.

History and Evolution

Founded in 2004 by Susan Balbas and Bernadette Zambrano, Na'ah Illahee Fund began with early grants supporting canoe families, traditional foods gatherings, and youth-elder exchanges. Its history page shows an organization that has evolved from small cultural investments into a wider intermediary supporting grassroots movements and building the infrastructure needed for long-term Indigenous leadership.

Publics Served and Impact

The fund works with Indigenous leaders, grassroots organizations, and community networks. Its programming emphasizes leadership development, peer learning, fiscal support, and movement-building, while its impact area spans both urban and rural communities in the Pacific Northwest and adjacent regions.