Weaving Partnerships to Improve the Quality of Life of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians & Strengthen WNC
September, 2012
New Report about Place-based Grantmaking
Photo Contest Winners Announced
Fall Skill Builder Schedule
Cherokee Youth Council Member Achieves Milestone
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About Us
Cherokee Preservation Foundation (www.cpfdn.org) was established in 2000 as part of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Compact between the EBCI and the State of North Carolina.

It is an independent nonprofit foundation funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues generated by the Tribe. CPFdn is not associated with any for-profit gaming entity.
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Greetings!
We are writing to tell you about a new report Cherokee Preservation Foundation has published to add to the knowledge base about place-based grantmaking.  We also want you to know about upcoming Skill Builder classes, winners of the 10th Anniversary Community Photo Contest, and a leadership milestone achieved by the Cherokee Youth Council.

CPFdn Publishes New Interactive Report

about Place-based Grantmaking

  

With ten years of Cherokee Preservation Foundation grant-making experience and many lessons learned, a new report titled From Transactional to Transformational has been created to describe some of the unique challenges of place-based grantmaking on tribal lands and rural communities and highlight strategies for success that may be helpful to other funders. The interactive report includes videos and pictures highlighting grantees and their work.

 

Over the past decade, Cherokee Preservation Foundation has moved from a transactional strategy typical of mainstream U.S. philanthropy to a transformational strategy that is better suited to the realities of place-based funding on tribal lands. In a transactional strategy, the funder is typically focused on developing innovations or evidence in a particular program area. The funder chooses from among a wide range of potential grantees to find the ones that are most capable of making progress in that program area. There is not a long-term commitment between the funder and the grantee, and the funder typically does not see organizational development as a key part of most grant transactions.

 

In a transformational strategy, by contrast, building capacity and developing community leadership are as important as making progress in a particular program area. The Foundation becomes an engaged partner with the grantee, and the relationship becomes one of shared learning and collective action. The Foundation has a long-term commitment to the community and the grantees, which makes a shared vision for the future and a shared commitment to learning and growth both necessary and potentially very productive

in the long run. The report addresses:

 

--The challenges arising primarily from the distance between communities on tribal land and the limited number of nonprofit agencies in the communities. 

 

--Strengths and opportunities inherent in grantmaking in tribal communities, including unique cultures, deep roots and shared sense of community among residents, the relative stability of institutions and community leaders, the ability to convene all key stakeholders, and personal relationships among key decision-makers. 

 

--The critical elements of transformative grantmaking: building organizational capacity, developing community leaders, building a shared vision, connecting and collaborating, and partnering with grantees.

 

Case studies in the report focus on the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the Cherokee Youth Council, The Right Path, the Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (RTCAR) initiative, the Sequoyah Fund, Cherokee language revitalization, WNC EdNET, Vision Qualla, and the joint marketing of Cherokee, NC, as a tourism destination.

 

From Transactional to Transformational adds to the knowledge about place-based grantmaking, and we hope it will be helpful to both traditional and place-based funders. In addition, Cherokee Preservation Foundation grantees may take from it an even better understanding of the Foundation's decisions and decision-making processes. The videos and pictures also bring home the point that many positive changes have occurred over the last ten years as a result of relationships, programs and projects that have transformed the Qualla Boundary.

 

SEE THE INTERACTIVE REPORT

Photo Contest Winners Announced

First prize winner
Chris McCoy's photo of New Kituwah Academy student Makala Washington reading a Cherokee-language book won first prize in the Adult category of the contest.

 

Cherokee Preservation Foundation sponsored a photo contest to encourage the community to be part of its 10th Anniversary Celebration, and we received 59 wonderful photos from contestants illustrating cultural preservation, economic development and environmental preservation -- the areas on which the Foundation focuses. The judges had a challenging but very enjoyable task. At an August 23 reception at Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, the following winners were announced.

 

ADULT CATEGORY

First Prize: Chris McCoy, "Kituwah Academy Student Reading Cherokee Book"

Second Prize: Jeanne Burgess, "Spirit on the Water"

Third Prize: Jody Bradley, "Carving Soapstone at CCS Summer Camp"

Honorable Mentions

Vita Nations, "Tom Bradley's Bean Garden"

Tedi McManus, "Bird Banding at Cowee Mound"

Sky Kanott, "Youth Learning Traditional Gardening Techniques at Kituwah"

Sabrina Kumar, "Trillium"

Jeanne Burgess, "TJ Holland Showing Boys How to Use a Blowgun"

 

YOUTH CATEGORY

First Prize: Tiffany Frady, "Raindrops Remind Us How Important It Is to Keep Our Environment Clean"

Honorable Mentions

Nick Cucumber, "Washing Corn Beads to Make a Necklace that Will Represent My Tribe"

Tiffany Frady, "Water Wheel in Jackson County"

William Paul, "Corn Beads Representing the Trail of Tears"

Tiffany Frady, "Bamboo Thicket" 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Skill Builder Classes Announced

Two Skill Builder workshops have been scheduled for CPFdn grantees. Both workshops will be held at the Chestnut Tree Inn and start at 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., followed by lunch.  To sign up, call Cherokee Preservation Foundation at 828/497-5550.

 

Grants Part I: Preparing Your Grant Proposal, October 24

This course provides step-by-step guidance in how to effectively complete the grant request process. This session will take the mystery out of what you need to do to submit a clear and compelling proposal.

 

Grants Part II: Defining and Tracking Project Results, November 28

What difference does your project or program make? It is critical for you to be able to define what you expect to achieve from your project. This training will teach you how to define and track measurable outcomes.

Cherokee Youth Council Member

Joins UNITY's National Board
 

Simon Montelongo
Simon Montelongo is sworn in after being elected to UNITY's national board.

Recently the Cherokee Youth Council represented the Eastern Band of Indians at the United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) conference in Phoenix, AZ. Simon Montelongo of the Cherokee Youth Council was elected to represent the Southeast Area Caucus, making him the first EBCI member to serve on UNITY's national board.

 

"Simon is a tremendous leader in our community and we are so proud of him for taking on such an amazing national position," said Sky Kanott, Cherokee Youth Council program manager. "Our youth council strives to empower youth within our community and to give them a voice even beyond the Qualla Boundary."