This November, during Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate the resilience of Indigenous peoples and acknowledge the ongoing injustices they face. This Give Guide, curated by our Indigenous Communities Working Group, highlights five Indigenous-led organizations in the Bay Area that are working to reclaim ancestral lands, revitalize cultural practices, provide essential services to Native youth and families, and advocate for a more just and equitable future. To see more organizations doing important work in this space, please also explore our 2023 Native American Heritage Month Give Guide.
We invite you to join us in supporting these vital organizations and honoring the legacy of Indigenous peoples. If you are making a grant from your donor advised fund, please recommend your grants by December 13, 2024, to help make 2025 a more prosperous and powerful year for everyone in the Bay Area.
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is an urban Indigenous women-led organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the unceded ancestral territory of the Ohlone people. They facilitate the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people. The land trust’s name comes from a place of deep significance to the Ohlone, who fought to protect this sacred site from desecration. Since its founding, Sogorea Te’ has advanced racial equity and economic inclusion through community organizing, policy advocacy, land stewardship, and rematriation efforts. They work with local and state governments, tribal councils, foundations, non-profit organizations, donors, and corporate partners to achieve their goals. The organization secured a major victory earlier this year when the City of Berkeley transferred a 2.2-acre plot on Fourth Street, between University and Hearst avenues, back to Sogorea Te’.
Donor Center Specifics:
Grantee: Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
Short purpose: For general support.
Friendship House Association of American Indians (Friendship House SF)
The Friendship House Association of American Indians, founded in 1953, is one of the oldest Indigenous-led organizations in the nation. Located in San Francisco, on the unceded ancestral territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone people, Friendship House recognizes the ongoing displacement of Indigenous peoples due to centuries of harmful U.S. policies. Rooted in Indigenous practices and ancestral ways, they are dedicated to reclaiming and rebuilding community for San Francisco’s Indigenous peoples. Friendship House believes that “culture is medicine” and works to advance community power, advocacy, healing, and cultural revitalization.
Recently, Friendship House launched a comprehensive digital archive showcasing its rich history and the ongoing story of urban Indians in San Francisco. This invaluable resource provides access to historical documents, photos, and oral histories, preserving and celebrating the resilience and cultural heritage of Indigenous communities.
Donor Center Specifics:
Grantee: Friendship House Association of American Indians, Inc
Short purpose: For general support.
American Indian Child Resource Center (AICRC)
The American Indian Child Resource Center (AICRC) is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to supporting First Nations, American Indian, and Alaska Native children and their families. It works to promote healing from the devastating impacts of forced removal, forced boarding schools, and the criminalization of Indigenous cultures and practices. Its youth and family support offerings include the Indian Education Center, which provides after-school programming to Oakland Native students; Sovereign Seeds and Starts, which helps to facilitate a revival in Indigenous traditional foods and agriculture; and its work to provide culturally appropriate foster homes for Native children. AICRC is also a powerful advocate for policy and systems change. It successfully advocated for increased funding for culturally-relevant mental health services for Indigenous youth in the Oakland Unified School District.
Donor Center Specifics:
Grantee: American Indian Child Resource Center
Short purpose: For general support.
Muwekma Ohlone Tribe
The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, one of the First Nations peoples of the San Francisco Bay Area, has maintained deep connections to its ancestral lands for thousands of years. Despite historical erasure, the Muwekma Ohlone continue to preserve and revitalize their cultural heritage. Central to the Tribe’s mission is the commitment to rematriation —the return of land, cultural items, and ancestral remains to their Native caretakers. Through movement work like the Trail of Truth, the Tribe is working to honor the true history of its people, highlight its ongoing struggles for justice and federal recognition, and strengthen Native power building. The Tribe is also in coalition with SFF grantees to lead the Stop Cop City on Ohlone Land campaign, which opposes the construction of a police training facility on sacred Ohlone land in Contra Costa County.
Donor Center Specifics:
Grantee: Muwekma Ohlone Tribe
Short purpose: For general support.
California Truth and Healing Council: We’re Still Here Documentary Project
The California Truth & Healing Council launched in 2019 after Governor Newsom formally apologized on behalf of the state for the attempted genocide of California Native peoples. To clarify the state’s role in past injustices and amplify Native voices, the Council engaged Jacob Kornbluth, an Emmy-winning director of TV, film, and theater, to produce the documentary film, “We’re Still Here.” The film follows California Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari (Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians) and Deputy Tribal Affairs Secretary Loretta Miranda (Morongo Band of Mission Indians), two California Native women who lead and convene the Council. This project aims to educate and engage wider audiences about the diverse histories and nuances of California Indian Country, all while featuring irreplaceable personal narratives from California Native people and examining the tensions of existing as a California Native person after a state-perpetrated genocide as the state works towards healing. To complete this vital project, additional philanthropic support is needed for filming, post-production, and distribution.
Donor Center Specifics:
Grantee: We’re Still Here
Fiscal sponsor: Global Impact
Short purpose: For general support.
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