[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]UAII has just announced that along with our exciting transition to a newly-constructed headquarters on Temple Street, we will be launching a new foundation to fund college scholarships and grants for local Native youth.
The Natives Funding a Native Future Foundation has just been launched in order to reduce the obstacles that our Native youth currently face in funding their education.
“Our community is in an educational crisis caused by a lack of philanthropic access, and this has contributed to the worst educational and work sector disparities among any group of Americans,” said UAII Vice President of Development Joseph Quintana (Kewa, Pueblo). “For the past few years, our community has collaborated with governmental and foundation partners and launched many promising new solutions, but a great deal of work remains to be done. We are now committed to addressing this crisis from within.”
The Natives Funding a Native Future Foundation will focus on grant-making and the creation of new initiatives to support the educational success and workforce readiness of our local Native youth.
UAII will reach out to Native individuals, organizations, and tribes, as well as non-Native individuals and organizations, using our own charitable giving for investment in the Los Angeles Native community.
“In the philanthropic sector, people often don’t think of Natives,” added Quintana. “We must fund from within.”
As a result of our new commitment to funding from within, UAII will develop strategic partnerships and initiatives that strengthen the educational achievements of Native youth. “We want to think about the challenges impacting our youth, and we want to hear directly from the community,” continued Quintana. “UAII already has intimate knowledge about our community, but we want to go even further. We empathize with what our youth is going through, and when it comes to funding their education, it’s an uphill battle. This new foundation will empower the community to solve our own challenges without the need to go elsewhere. It’s the most empowering thing we’ve ever done as a community.”
To contribute to the Natives Funding a Native Future Foundation, please go to UAII.org and click on “donate” or, for major contributions, please contact Joseph Quintana or Luis Cervantes at UAII.
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