Non-profit

Western Native Voice (WNV)

Website:

westernnativevoice.org

Location:

Billings, MT

Tax ID:

45-3771715

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $1,501,905
Expenses: $1,782,448
Assets: $2,470,533

Type:

Voter advocacy group

Formation:

2011

Chairman:

Pat Smith

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Western Native Voice (WNV) is an advocacy organization that advocates before governments for favorable policies for native Americans, conduct voter registration, get out the vote (GOTV) initiatives, youth development programs, and leadership and advocacy training for Native Americans on and around the seven Indian reservations in Montana. The organization is officially registered as “Western Native Voice Education Project” (WNVEP) and is a sister organization of Western Native Voice Inc. (WNVI). 1 2 3

Background

Western Native Voice was founded in 2011 as a charitable organization to address claimed voter suppression of Native Americans and began reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as “Western Native Voice Education Project” in 2021. A sister organization Western Native Voice, a 501(c)(4) was formed in 2022 to influence policymakers to act in the interests of native Americans. 4 1

Related Organizations

WNV is a member of the left-leaning Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) along with Dakota Resource Council, Dakota Rural Action, Idaho Organization of Resource Councils, North Dakota Native Vote, Northern Plains Resource Council, Oregon Rural Action, Powder River Basin Resource Council, Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action, and Nebraska Organizing Project (a project of the WORC). 5

Election Activities

On November 2, 2024, Western Native Voice called Montana Native American voters to ensure that they voted in the 2024 general elections. The organization offered to transport those in need to the polls and/or help them with their ballots. 6

The organization launched what it called the “Snag Dat Vote Tour” intended to energize native American communities to participate in the 2024 election. The tour began on the Blackfeet Reservation and ended on the Crow Agency. 7

Litigation

Western Native Voice filed a 2020 lawsuit to strike down Montana’s 2018 Ballot Interference Prevention Act (BIPA), which capped the number of ballots that one person could collect at six, and HB 176 and SB 169 in 2021 that changed the identification required to register to vote and eliminated same-day voter registration. The Montana Supreme Court in a consolidated ruling issued in March of 2024 struck down the three acts. 8 9

Western Native Voice announced opposition to LC2221, a proposed bill to empower the Fish and Wildlife Commission to issue hunting licenses to owners of fee land within the Flathead Indian Reservation in violation of the 1855 Treaty of Hellgate. 10 11

Programs

Education

The group conducts programs for high schools, colleges, tribal, and nonprofit organizations to inform them about policies and their effect on day-to-day lives, how individuals can influence lawmakers, and the history of native voting. 12

Advocacy

Western Native Voice works to influence public policy in native language and culture preservation, suicide prevention, voting rights, and access to quality healthcare, education, and food. 13

Leadership Development

WNV hires and trains interns and conducts conferences and training to broaden the number of leaders in what they term “Indian Country.” 14

Expanding Horizons

The organization steers Expanding Horizons designed for high school students that seeks the preservation of tribal identities and building relationships between native Americans. 15

Day Labor

The organization develops day labor work centers that provide leadership, health and safety training, and workforce development. 16

Funding

In 2024, Third Plateau, a consulting firm that assists left-of-center nonprofits in fundraising; Native Americans in Philanthropy, a group that promotes philanthropy for left-of-center nonprofits; and Civic (Re)Solve, a program of the Wend Collective, published a Funder Guide  that included Western Native Voice and eleven other nonprofits. Titled “Indigenous-led Civic Engagement,” the guide referenced  Census data showing 66 percent of eligible Native Americans voters were registered to vote versus 69.1 percent of all eligible voters, and argued there was a need for community-based organizations to increase voter registration and turnout. The document listed WNV as a group that worked in GOTV (Get-Out-The-Vote), voter registration, education, rights, and candidate cultivation and should therefore receive funding. 17 18 19 20 21

Groundswell Fund, a left-of-center “pass through” organization funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, the Tides Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, made multiple grants of $397,200 between 2020 and 2022 to WNV. 22 23 24

WNV received annual grants between 2021 and 2024 from Native Voices Rising, a project of Native Americans in Philanthropy and Common Counsel Foundation. 25

People

Pat Smith is Chairman of the board at Western Native Voice and Ronnie Jo Horse, one of Groundswell Fund’s 2024 Vanguard Legacy Award winners, is executive director. 26 27

References

  1. “About Us.” Western Native Voice, October 17, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/about-us/.
  2. “Western Native Voice.” Western Native Voice – GuideStar Profile. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/45-3771715.
  3. “Western Native Voice Inc.” Western Native Voice Inc – GuideStar Profile. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/88-3015226.
  4. “Western Native Voice” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. Form 990. 2020, 2021, Part C.
  5. “Western Native Voice.” WORC. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.worc.org/member/western-native-voice/
  6. Journalist, Bobby Lee NonStop Local Digital, and Image: Western Native Voice. “Western Native Voice Issues Urgent Call for Mt Native American Voters to Return Ballots.” NonStop Local Billings, November 2, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.kulr8.com/elections/western-native-voice-issues-urgent-call-for-mt-native-american-voters-to-return-ballots/article_7721358c-994d-11ef-9f30-4f76fb0f3d0a.html.
  7. “Western Native Voice Launches ‘Snag Dat Vote’ Tour to Empower Native Voters.” Big Horn County News, October 9, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.bighorncountynews.com/news/western-native-voice-launches-snag-dat-vote-tour-to-empower-native-voters/article_124ec4a6-6eca-11ef-80ad-bfebee122934.html.
  8. “Montana Voting Rights (Western Native Voice v. Stapleton).” Native American Rights Fund, October 5, 2022. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://narf.org/cases/montana-bipa/.
  9. “History of the Native Vote.” Western Native Voice, July 23, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/resources/history-of-the-native-vote/.
  10. “Western Native Voice: Billings Mt.” Facebook. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/westernnativevoiceofficial.
  11. “For Immediate Release Opposition LC2221 3.PDF.” Google Drive. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZcJ5ZJ3ec0UMJafVNqnd2m2cA5MAks0Z/view?emci=60fec8dd-65cf-ef11-88d0-0022482a9d92&emdi=b186d53f-68cf-ef11-88d0-0022482a9d92&ceid=2814087&fbclid=IwY2xjawHvsO1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfpRtP7a40C_zzVTc6nbX5Kp3TwAgoAds7gWPj4zCYM2z26hRAf8nNqHgg_aem_qaGH2VMrBnC2lYOLnwKgOg&pli=1.
  12. “Education.” Western Native Voice, January 9, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/programs/education/.
  13. “Advocacy.” Western Native Voice, November 15, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/programs/advocacy/.
  14. “Leadership Development.” Western Native Voice, November 15, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/programs/leadership-development/.
  15. “Expanding Horizons.” Western Native Voice, July 16, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/programs/expanding-horizons/.
  16. “Day Labor Program.” Western Native Voice, July 7, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/resources/day-labor-program/.
  17. Bureau, US Census. “Census Bureau Releases 2022 Congressional Election Voting Report.” Census.gov, April 22, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025.  https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/congressional-election-voting-report.html
  18. Civic-Engagement.pdf – amazon AWS. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://sitesmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/archives/files/2017/09/Civic-Engagement.pdf.
  19. “Learn about Native Americans in Philanthropy Mission.” Learn About Native Americans in Philanthropy Mission. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://nativephilanthropy.org/our-mission.
  20. “Wend Collective.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/wend-collective/.
  21. Ben Davis – Resource Steward for democracy and climate justice – the wend collective | linkedin. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-davis-92090337/.
  22. “Groundswell Fund”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. Form 990. 2020. Part II Line 155.
  23. “Groundswell Fund”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. Form 990. 2021. Part II Line 162.
  24. “Groundswell Fund”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. Form 990. 2022. Part II Line 191.
  25. Navarro, Sidney. “Grant Partners.” Native Voices Rising NVR. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://nativevoicesrising.org/grant-partners/.
  26. “Board of Directors.” Western Native Voice, July 27, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/about-us/board-of-directors/.
  27. “Meet Our Staff.” Western Native Voice, January 23, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://westernnativevoice.org/about-us/staff/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 2014

  • 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
    2022 Dec Form 990 $1,501,905 $1,782,448 $2,470,533 $1,306,093 Y $1,409,249 $0 $3,184 $69,682 PDF
    2021 Dec Form 990 $1,412,407 $1,452,233 $1,509,806 $64,823 N $1,398,812 $259 $2,441 $90,042
    2020 Dec Form 990 $2,500,821 $2,250,969 $1,672,546 $187,737 N $1,966,563 $519,085 $2,337 $44,611 PDF
    2019 Dec Form 990 $1,243,980 $699,532 $1,278,063 $43,106 N $1,001,744 $253,992 $77 $75,153 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,102,188 $737,049 $719,431 $28,922 N $819,619 $299,995 $48 $0 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $434,523 $353,780 $342,928 $17,558 N $315,806 $116,124 $27 $0 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $517,979 $406,061 $269,322 $20,004 N $499,755 $23,074 $21 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990EZ $193,401 $237,843 $147,980 $10,580 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $490,709 $340,631 $197,359 $15,517 N $454,560 $36,143 $6 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $236,367 $225,165 $35,101 $3,337 N $215,525 $19,178 $4 $0 PDF

    Western Native Voice (WNV)


    Billings, MT