Trees, Water & People (TWP) was honored to participate in a convening of New Mexico Foundation grantees just outside of Albuquerque this past July. This two-day retreat and networking event for recipients of the Native American Recovery Fund Zone Grant (NARFZ) became a great way for TWP staff to feel a part of a larger movement of more than 30 community and funding partners who are committed to underserved communities in New Mexico on the frontlines of the fight against climate change.

The New Mexico Foundation (NMF) is an amazing network of funders that is rethinking the world of philanthropy. This organization is committed to a grassroots method of strengthening communities in order to "empower community members to collaborate on critical issues ... and discover ... the strength in themselves." This goal for empowering communities is at the heart of New Mexico Foundation's trust-based giving model: a mutual, longstanding trust that’s so important – and often unavailable – to our Tribal partners.

“In the past, non-Native funders were coming in and saying, ‘This is what you need, this is what we are giving you,’ the foundation’s Executive Director JoAnn Melchor told Native Americans in Philanthropy. “We can do better [by] asking communities, ‘How can we be in partnership with you?’”

JoAnn, herself from Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo, leads the way to help shift power to underfunded communities and create an event that gives nonprofits time to recharge. Additionally Native American women-led organizations at the NARFZ convening were quick to express their admiration for JoAnn as she continues to pave the way for Native women to be empowered and inspired in their work.

As part of the convening, NMF fostered a remarkable feat of creating space to allow networking and dialogue between grantees and funders. Just giving TWP the opportunity to share stories with funding partners who are personally committed to our mission was a simple, innovative way to engage naturally with funders.These two-way discussions allowing all participants to share what was working and what wasn’t, and in some cases, offering a safe space for those who traditionally felt left out of conversations on climate change, health care, women in leadership, and cultural preservation to share honestly what they really need. Funders and colleagues were able to get a real understanding of the needs of Pueblo communities and their lands, and at the same time feel the strength of a unified front in community-led solutions.

For those of us working directly with underserved communities, this is a sense of unity unlike any other. We all realize that not only is the work we are doing important and effective, it's part of a larger movement based on trust that gives voice to Native American communities, places support where it is actually needed, establishes true respect for traditional knowledge, and prioritizes honor for Native American lands and lifeways. Thanks to all of our donors who have joined in this trust-based work that is – one partnership at a time – making this planet a better place to live.