HIGHLAND, CALIF. (Sept. 16, 2024) — The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (SMBMI) announced awarding of 228 grants, totaling over $12.6 million, to support crucial initiatives in the Inland Empire and across Indian Country. This year, the Tribe has targeted 50% of its grant funding for programs benefiting Native American communities, underscoring their dedication to preserving cultural heritage, strengthening tribal communities, and empowering tribal nations.
“The Spirit of Yawa’— acting on one’s beliefs— is at the heart of everything we do and has guided us since the days of our ancestors to serve those in need,” said Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. “It is our honor to make a difference for communities across the region and Native people across the nation.”
SMBMI is committed to addressing needs as the data shows that less than 1% of U.S. philanthropic funding reaches Native American communities. Nonprofit organizations in the Inland Empire receive significantly less support than all other regions of the state receiving only $26 in per capita funding, compared to the California statewide average of $262 per capita.
One of the Tribe’s major grants this cycle is $100,000 awarded to the Native American Land Conservancy (NALC) in Southern California. NALC is dedicated to preserving Indigenous heritage and biodiversity by acquiring lands where sacred sites are located, then preserving and protecting the sites from desecration. The grant will support maintenance of two sacred sites, Mamapukaiv and Coyote Hole, and increased accessibility of Morongo Canyon.
“The Native American Land Conservancy is thankful to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their financial support, as well as the other ways in which the Tribe assists in our management of sacred sites,” said Michael Madrigal (Cahuilla), Native American Land Conservancy Board President. “We could not do what we do without such support!”
Among the notable gifts made by the Tribe are the following:
• Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians – awarded a $2.4 million grant to enhance the tribe’s capacity to supply adequate power to the new Bad River Health and Wellness Center, which will provide services to 2,400 tribal community members
• Time for Change Foundation – awarded a $500,000 grant to increase emergency shelter capacity and access to affordable housing, enhance employment development programming, and expand access to mental health assistance while serving the homeless
• Make-A-Wish Orange County & the Inland Empire – awarded a $450,000 grant to fulfill at least 78 wishes to children living with a critical illness in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, reducing the number of children who are waiting to have wishes fulfilled due to a lack of funding
• Native Forward Scholars Fund – awarded a $100,000 grant to advance educational goals and opportunities for Native American students by providing scholarships
• Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians – awarded a grant of $83,000 for the Mesa Grande Youth Regaining Cultural Identity Program to expand language and cultural programming year-round
Since 2003, SMBMI has donated more than $400 million to causes that align with the Tribe’s giving pillars:
• Inspiring Our Future Through Education
• Empowering Lives
• Reinforcing Healthy & Resilient Communities
• Preserving Cultural Traditions & Empowering Indian Country
Today’s announcement kicks off a year-long effort by San Manuel to highlight the profound impact of its community partners.
To learn more about the Tribe’s philanthropy, visit www.SanManuelCares.org.
About the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized Indian tribe located on the San Manuel Indian Reservation near Highland, California. San Manuel exercises its inherent sovereign right of self-governance and provides essential services for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services, and promoting social, economic, and cultural development. As the Indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys, mountains, and high deserts, the Serrano people of San Manuel have called this area home since time immemorial and are committed to remaining a productive partner in the San Bernardino region. For more information, visit http://www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov.
