Community Funding

Community Funding

Regranting with an Indigenous Democratic Model

At Na’ah Illahee Fund, our regranting process is rooted in Indigenous values of reciprocity, accountability, and community governance. We don’t just distribute funds—we practice democratic grantmaking through a community-led committee made up of former grantees, cultural practitioners, youth leaders, and local knowledge keepers. Each funding cycle is guided by those who live the work and understand what our communities need most. All committee members are honored for their time and expertise through compensated honoraria, reflecting our commitment to economic justice and the true value of Indigenous leadership. Every funding recommendation is affirmed by our Board, ensuring that our process is both community-driven and institutionally supported. This model is more than philanthropy — it is a living expression of our values in action.

Meet a Program Participant:

Alaska Native
Birthworkers Community

We are our ancestors. When we can heal ourselves, we also heal our ancestors, our grandmothers, our grandfathers, and our children. When we heal ourselves, we heal Mother Earth.

-Grandma Rita Pitka Blumenstein (Yup’ik)

Past Programs

Land Back

Land Back is a cornerstone of our cultures and teachings—restoring the relationships that sustain our identity, wellbeing, and future generations. By returning land to Indigenous

Healthy Environments for All (HEAL) Grant

Support for projects such as family and community gardens, sacred seed saving and sharing, traditional food and medicine workshops with skills sharing, re-establishing cooperatives and

Indigenous Lifeways Fund

Support for projects such as family and community gardens, sacred seed saving and sharing, traditional food and medicine workshops with skills sharing, re-establishing cooperatives and

Power of Ceremony & Healing Grant

Power of Ceremony & Healing Gift

Na’ah Illahee Fund and Potlatch Fund partnered in a collective giving campaign to bring forward the Power of Ceremony & Healing Grant to help bring

Food Sovereignty Fund

Food Sovereignty Fund

Support for projects such as family and community gardens, sacred seed saving and sharing, traditional food and medicine workshops with skills sharing, re-establishing cooperatives and

Indigenous Arts & Culture Grant

Indigenous Arts & Culture Grant

The Indigenous Arts and Culture (ARTS) grant is a City of Seattle funded program to provide grants for arts and cultural events/activations in neighborhoods through

Rights of Nature Cohort

Rights of Nature Grant & Cohort

Support for people or groups leading the development process of Rights of Nature framework for their Indigenous territories to recognize the rights of ecosystems to

Green Infrastructure Grant

Green Infrastructure Grant

This funding opportunity provides capacity-building grants for projects in AK, OR, ID, MT, WA and British Columbia that promote the healing of the land.

Let's Help End Gender-Based Violence MMIWP Grant

Let’s Help End Gender Based Violence & MMIWP Grant

Support for innovative, collaborative movements that will raise awareness and develop partnerships working to end gender-based violence in Native Communities and end the crisis of

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Shelly Vendiola

(she/her), Swinomish/Visayan, Community Engagement and Culture Director

Shelly Vendiola, (Swinomish/Visayan) is an enrolled member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, and Visayan. She has served as an educator, facilitator, activist, and peacemaker/mediator for over 30 years. Shelly co-founded the native Community Engagement and Peacemaking Project and offers consultation in the areas of community engagement and facilitation services including: leadership development, strategic planning, organization mapping, dispute resolution, interest-based negotiations and peacemaking circles throughout the country.

Currently she works as a Community Engagement & Culture Director for the Na’ah Illahee Fund, and serves on the board of the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Skagit YMCA. She continues to work in partnership with the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection, co-chairs the Protect Mother Earth Subcommittee, and is a member of the Swinomish Health, Education and Social Services Committee. Shelly developed a place-based curriculum about the history and culture of the Swinomish peoples and taught a series of cultural sovereignty courses for over 10 years at the Northwest Indian College – Coast Salish Institute within their Native Studies Leadership Program.

Previously her team provided leadership and consultation for the Lummi Cedar Project – Organized Generations Healthy Lifestyles Program. Ms. Vendiola served as President for the national Indigenous Women’s Network and a Campaign Director for the Indigenous Environmental Network. Shelly received several years of formal dispute resolution training from the Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc., and the San Francisco Community Boards Program. She is the recipient of the Native Action Network – Enduring Spirit Award, and a recognized educator and peacemaker in the Northwest region. Shelly has an M.Ed. in Higher Education and practices indigenous pedagogy and indigenous research methodology within all aspects of her work.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Shelly is passionate about gardening. She practices the ancient form of meditation known as Qi Gong for balance, energy, and resiliency, and is a certified Yoga instructor. Her motto is, “There is nothing permanent in the world but change, the key is how we flow with it!”