Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

National Urban Indian Family Coalition

Website:

www.nuifc.org/
Location:

Seattle, WA
Tax ID:

46-2157403
Budget (2017):

Revenue: $303,113
Expenses: $144,879
Assets: $247,973
Formation:

2003
Type:

Native American Advocacy Organization
Executive Director:

Janeen S. Comenote

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC) is a left-of-center Native American activism and grantmaking organization founded in 2003 with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. 1 NUIFC is comprised of 45 member organizations in 34 cities across 22 states and claims to represent more than 1.7 million urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. 2 The group distributed $416,500 in grants to “voter engagement” projects in 2018. 3

NUIFC has received donations from a number of left-of-center organizations. NUIFC received $75,000 from the left-of-center Marguerite Casey Foundation in 2019. 4 NUIFC received $170,000 from the center-left Tides Foundation and $75,000 from the Casey Foundation in 2018. 5 6 That same year, the left-of-center NoVo Foundation allocated $150,000 to the Tides Foundation for NUIFC. NUIFC also received a “significant” donation from MacKenzie Scott in 2020. 7

NUIFC’s activism includes partnering with Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote, part of the “dark money” Arabella Advisors network, for voter registration efforts prior to the 2020 presidential election8 and work with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), National Congress of American Indians, Urban Indian Health Institute, and the left-of-center Center for Native American Youth on Census-related programs. 9

History and Leadership

The National Urban Indian Family Coalition was founded in 2003 in Seattle, Washington. NUIFC claims 45 member organizations in 34 cities across 22 states and claims to represent more than 1.7 million urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. 10 Members of the coalition include Americans for Indian Opportunity and the left-of-center Center for Native American Youth, a project of the Aspen Institute. 11

Janeen Comenote is the founding executive director of NUIFC. Comenote previously worked as a human rights commissioner for the city of Seattle. 12 She is also a board member for left-of-center nonprofit The Praxis Project and sits on the External Diversity and Inclusion Council for Charter Communications. 13 14

Rio Fernandes works as NUIFC’s communications director and is a member of the King County Young Democrats. Amanda Lagrandeur is NUIFC’s administrative coordinator, and Audrey Gray is the director of operations. 15

Activities and Funding

NUIFC was granted tax-exempt status in 2017. 16 Prior to that status, the Native American Youth Family Center worked as a fiscal sponsor for NUIFC, reporting its operations as an expense of $376,027. 17

In 2017, the center-left Tides Foundation granted $100,000 to the Native American Youth and Family Center to then be allocated to NUIFC. 18 The Tides Foundation also made two direct grants to NUIFC totaling $170,000 in 2018. 19 NUIFC received $150,000 from the NoVo Foundation through the Tides Foundation in 2018. 20 NUIFC also received $10,000 from the Schott Foundation through a grant to the Native American Youth and Family Center. 21

The Marguerite Casey Foundation distributed a $75,000 grant to NUIFC and allocated an additional $100,000 for an approved future payment to the group in 2019. 22 NUIFC also received a $75,000 grant from the Casey Foundation in 2018. 23

In 2018, NUIFC launched the American Indian and Alaska Native Civic Engagement Initiative and expanded its mission to include an “accurate Census count” in 2020 as a part of a “coalition for Census and Civic Engagement.” NUIFC worked in conjunction with the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) to operate civic engagement on Census activities. The Native American Rights Fund (NARF), the National Congress of American Indians, Urban Indian Health Institute, and Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) also participated in the program. 24 NUIFC disbursed grants of $416,500 to “voter engagement” projects in 2018. 25

NUIFC worked in conjunction with CNAY on several campaigns in 2020. The 2020 Gen-I Census Campaign26 implemented “community action projects” and distributed micro-grant funding to various groups to “get out the count,” awarding over $58,000 to Native American youth organizations as a part of this campaign. 27

NUIFC launched the “Democracy is Indigenous” campaign in 2020 with CNAY, as well, creating artwork, videos, and native vote merchandise to increase Native American turnout in the 2020 election. 28 NUIFC’s 2020 election activism included a partnership with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote, part of the “dark money” Arabella Advisors network, prior to the 2020 presidential election. 29 NUIFC has 24 national partners as a part of its Native American voter outreach efforts. Partner organizations receive a range of funding from NUIFC and work towards increasing “voter registration, engagement, and turnout.” 30

References

  1. “About.” National Urban Indian Family Coalition. Accessed March 12, 2021. https://www.nuifc.org/about.
  2. “Our Members.” National Urban Indian Family Coalition. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.nuifc.org/members.
  3. National Urban Indian Family Coalition. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2018. https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2019/462/157/2019-462157403-17250933-9.pdf?_gl=1*5gwqg2*_ga*MTg0OTk4NTU1Ny4xNjE1MTMxNTA5*_ga_0H865XH5JK*MTYxNTU4MjQ2OC41LjEuMTYxNTU4MjcwOC4w*_ga_5W8PXYYGBX*MTYxNTU4MjQ2OC41LjEuMTYxNTU4MjcwOC4w&_ga=2.244785859.730612756.1615582468-1849985557.1615131509.
  4. Marguerite Casey Foundation. Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF). 2019. https://caseygrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2019-Form-990PF-PD-Copy-40210-1.pdf
  5. Tides Foundation. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2018. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/510198509/02_2020_prefixes_47-52%2F510198509_201812_990_2020021017130090.
  6. Marguerite Casey Foundation. Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF). 2018. https://caseygrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2018-Form-990%E2%80%90PF-Return-of-Private-Foundation-public-disclosure.pdf.
  7. “NUIFC Announcement//NUIFC Receives Significant Investment to Strengthen Its Advocay for American Indian Families Living in Urban Areas.” National Urban Indian Family Coalition. https://www.nuifc.org/news/12-20-announcement.
  8. “NUIFC executive Message // Democracy is Indigenous – Expanding the NUIFC for the 2020 Election.” National Urban Indian Family Coalition. August 12, 2020. https://www.nuifc.org/news/8-20-exec-message.
  9. “NUIFC Press Release: The National Council of Urban Indian Health Joins an Unprecedented National Coalition for Census & Civic Engagement Work in All Native Communities.” National Council of Urban Indian Health. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.ncuih.org/news?article_id=473.
  10. “Our Members.” National Urban Indian Family Coalition. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.nuifc.org/members.
  11. “National Partners.” Native Vote Project. National Urban Indian Family Coaltion. Accessed March 11, 2021.  https://www.nuifc.org/nativevote.
  12. “Our Board.” The Praxis Project. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.thepraxisproject.org/our-board.
  13. “Our Board.” The Praxis Project. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.thepraxisproject.org/our-board.
  14. “Janeen Comenote.” Charter Communications. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://corporate.charter.com/edic/janeen-comenote.
  15. “NUIFC Staff.” National Urban Indian Family Coalition. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.nuifc.org/staff.
  16. “National Urban Indian Family Coalition.” GuideStar. Accessed March 12, 2021. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-2157403.
  17. Native American Youth and Family Center. Return of an Organization Exempt from income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/931141536/201810969349300621/full.
  18. Tides Foundation. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. https://www.tides.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2017-Tides-Foundation-Fed-Form-990-amended.pdf.
  19. Tides Foundation. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2018. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/510198509/02_2020_prefixes_47-52%2F510198509_201812_990_2020021017130090.
  20. Novo Foundation. Return of a Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2018. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/470824753/02_2020_prefixes_47-47%2F470824753_201812_990PF_2020021817158474.
  21. The Schott Foundation for Public Education. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/43457065/10_2018_prefixes_04-06%2F043457065_201706_990_2018100315761295.
  22. Marguerite Casey Foundation. Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF). 2019. https://caseygrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2019-Form-990PF-PD-Copy-40210-1.pdf
  23. Marguerite Casey Foundation. Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF). 2018. https://caseygrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2018-Form-990%E2%80%90PF-Return-of-Private-Foundation-public-disclosure.pdf.
  24. “NUIFC Press Release: The National Council of Urban Indian Health Joins an Unprecedented National Coalition for Census & Civic Engagement Work in All Native Communities.” National Council of Urban Indian Health. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.ncuih.org/news?article_id=473.
  25. National Urban Indian Family Coalition. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2018. https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2019/462/157/2019-462157403-17250933-9.pdf?_gl=1*5gwqg2*_ga*MTg0OTk4NTU1Ny4xNjE1MTMxNTA5*_ga_0H865XH5JK*MTYxNTU4MjQ2OC41LjEuMTYxNTU4MjcwOC4w*_ga_5W8PXYYGBX*MTYxNTU4MjQ2OC41LjEuMTYxNTU4MjcwOC4w&_ga=2.244785859.730612756.1615582468-1849985557.1615131509.
  26. “Democracy is Indigenous.” Center for Native American Youth. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.cnay.org/civic-action/.
  27. “Democracy is Indigenous.” Center for Native American Youth. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.cnay.org/civic-action/.
  28. “Democracy is Indigenous Campaign.” Center for Native American Youth. Accessed March 11, 2021. “Democracy is Indigenous.” Center for Native American Youth. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.cnay.org/civic-action/..
  29. “NUIFC executive Message // Democracy is Indigenous – Expanding the NUIFC for the 2020 Election.” National Urban Indian Family Coalition. August 12, 2020. https://www.nuifc.org/news/8-20-exec-message.
  30. “National Partners.” Native Vote Project. National Urban Indian Family Coaltion. Accessed March 11, 2021.  https://www.nuifc.org/nativevote.
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 2017

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Jun Form 990 $303,113 $144,879 $247,973 $0 N $303,113 $0 $0 $58,000 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    National Urban Indian Family Coalition

    100 N BOWDOIN PL
    Seattle, WA 98103-7031