Indian Education

American Indian education has an important place in U.S. education, and grant makers can form lasting relationships with indigenous communities that will have a broad impact on both Native education and education in the U.S. as a whole. These relationships can yield transformational change in Indian communities and can be rewarding for grant makers as they see the results of their efforts and investments on this underserved group. American Indians have some of the lowest educational attainment rates of any ethnic group in the United States. Not coincidentally, one in four American Indians live below the poverty line, and reservation communities are among the poorest in the nation. Across all levels of education, Native people still struggle to access and succeed in education. Despite these facts, there is hope. A new era of self-determination in Indian education and growing partnerships with the philanthropic community have yielded tremendous breakthroughs in recent years.

Relationships, Respect and Revitalization. Grantmaking Strategies: A Guide for Native American Education and Philanthropy. Observations from a Grantmakers for Education Member Briefing.