Native Voices Rising (NVR) is a left-of-center granting and regranting institution focused on Native Americans and Native-led groups. It claims to serve as an intermediary between donors and Native groups, which it claims are neglected and require more specific cultural knowledge to work with than non-Native community nonprofits. As of January 2025, it is a fiscally sponsored entity of the Common Counsel Foundation. ^{1 2}

Founding and History

Native Voices Rising was founded in 2013 as a joint project of the Common Counsel Foundation, a left-of-center grantmaking organization, and Native Americans in Philanthropy, another left-of-center grantmaking and activist organization that works to mobilize Native Americans working in philanthropy. As of 2022, NVR had distributed nearly $9 million in grants to activist organizations led by Native Americans, and by 2024, that number had risen to $16.5 million, with a goal of distributing $10 million in grants annually by 2032. ^{3 1}

In January 2025, NVR announced that it became a fiscally sponsored entity of the Common Counsel Foundation. ¹

Finances

As a fiscally sponsored entity, Native Voices Rising is not required to file tax forms with the Internal Revenue Service and its information is contained in the filings of its fiscal sponsor, the Common Counsel Foundation. The Common Counsel Foundation’s latest tax filing from 2023 as of July 2025 is from before NVR became a fiscally sponsored entity, but CCF’s filing does indicate that its four sponsored groups had $15,570,979 in expenses and $2,785,487 in revenue. ⁴

A press release announcing that NVR was becoming a fiscally sponsored entity of the Common Counsel Foundation stated that NVR had distributed $4 million in grants in 2024. ²

The group claims to have over 50 funders and donors. ¹ In 2025, it announced that the left-of-center grantmaking institution Magic Cabinet had agreed to $7.5 million in funding across the next five years. ⁵

Organization Philosophy

Native Voices Rising exists to provide an avenue for donors and foundations seeking to regrant funds to support left-of-center Native American activism. NVR argues that there is significant philanthropic underinvestment in Native American-focused and -led initiatives, and advertises itself as being a competent mediator between funders and foundations and local on-the-ground Native-led institutions. ³

NVR claims that its services as an intermediary grantmaker are necessary because Native activist groups differ from other groups in that these groups incorporate native values, participation is often multi-generational, and that direct service organizations might also include activism organizing and leadership training as part of their activities. ¹

Grantees

Native Voices Rising provides grants to a wide array of Native-led groups and nonprofits. These range from tourism boards and a cancer foundation, to more politically-oriented groups, such as Rock the Native Vote, environmental activist organizations, and the Montana Two Spirit Society. ⁶ In 2024, it provided 145 grants worth $4 million. ²

Leadership

The Native Voices Rising website does not list its staff members, and as it is not an independent nonprofit, it does not have a tax filing listing its executives. As of July 2025, LinkedIn has three profiles associated with the group as employees, though none of them are executive-level. ⁷

1. “About.” Native Voices Rising. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://nativevoicesrising.org/about/.
2. “Our Movement Towards Self-Determination at Native Voices Rising.” Common Counsel Foundation. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://www.commoncounsel.org/our-movement-towards-self-determination-at-native-voices-rising/.
3. Arviso, Dana, and Winoka Yepa. “10 Year Impact Report.” Native Voices Rising, Accessed July 8, 2025 https://nativevoicesrising.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/NVR-10year-Design-Accessibility-Update-RW-edit-V2.pdf
4. Common Counsel Rising, Return from an organization exempt from taxation (Form 990 PF) 2023, Part III.
5. “Magic Cabinet Commits $7.5 Million to Native Voices Rising to Strengthen Native-Led Organizations.” Native Voices Rising, May 30, 2025. https://nativevoicesrising.org/magic-cabinet-commits-7-5-million-to-native-voices-rising-to-strengthen-native-led-organizations/.
6. “Grant Partners.” Native Voices Rising. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://nativevoicesrising.org/grant-partners/
7. “Native Voices Rising: People.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/native-voices-rising/people/.