Better Way Foundation’s partners are finding a better way to build a future where child well-being contributes to strong families and communities.
As a non-Indigenous foundation, we strive to be a good ally to our partners. Every day, we are learning—listening, unlearning, and deepening our understanding of Indigenous values and ways—to transform our work. We are on a learning journey, one that we unfold by putting in time and effort ourselves; we then complement what we uncover with the knowledge and wisdom of our Indigenous partners. We are grateful for their support of our growth.
Priority Communities
Throughout U.S. history, Indigenous peoples have persevered through systemic oppression, racism, and economic injustice. What’s more, Native Americans in Philanthropy reports that Native communities continue to be the most under-invested in the United States, receiving less than half a percent of all private philanthropic funding.
Better Way Foundation is honored to partner with Native American leaders and communities to fulfill their vision for high-quality, community-driven, culturally rooted early childhood learning and development. The strength and creativity of the solutions our partners share inspire us and we prioritize allocating resources across Indian Country to support their efforts to restore languages and cultures and help children and families thrive.
As a foundation committed to advancing Indigenous ECD, we’re excited to share our latest progress: Our Work in Indian Country (Video)
We continue to be inspired by our partners’ dedication to systemic and holistic approaches that support the well-being of all children.
Indigenous Early Childhood Development (IECD)
We are halfway through a 10-year, $10 million strategic initiative to support the advancement of Indigenous early childhood development. In assessing how to explore IECD, we started by learning from Indigenous communities and following their lead. This includes partnering with Echo Hawk Consulting in the development of a landscape analysis and listening to current and prospective partners.
Investment Priorities Include
- IECD leadership and staff development
- Supporting transitions from pre-K to Kindergarten
- Truth & Healing work to mitigate intergenerational trauma
- Development of IECD programs and curriculum integrating Native languages & cultures
Grant-making Strategies Include
● Multi-year grants throughout long-term partnerships
● Systems approaches to bring diverse stakeholder together
● Networks & collaborations
● Piloting new projects and programs
● Multi-year grants
Current IECD Partners
- C̣aƞṡayapi Waḳaƞyeża Owayawa Oṭi (via Lower Sioux Indian Community)
- Comanche Language & Culture Preservation Committee
- Hearts Gathered
- Indigenous Montessori Institute (via KCLC)
- Little Earth Residents Association
- Montessori American Indian Childcare Center
- NACA-Inspired Schools Network
- Oceti Sakowin Community Academy
- Oglala Lakota College Lakota Head Start & Early Head Start
- Pueblo of Isleta Head Start & Child Care
- Saad K’idilyé
- Thunder Valley CDC
- Tohono O’odham Community College
- Weetumuw Katnuhtôhtâeekamuq (via Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe)
- Wicoie Nandagikendan
Previous IECD Partners
- Keres Children’s Learning Center
- Pueblo of Jemez Walatowa Head Start Language Immersion Program
American Indian Catholic Schools Network
We support the American Indian Catholic Schools Network and its member schools as they collectively advance three pillars:
- Professional development
- Marketing and advancement
- Truth & Healing
We also provide member schools with direct grants, supporting projects aligned with the network’s priorities, such as Native language instruction, educator development, and technology improvements.
Network Member Schools
- Apache Language program
- De La Salle Blackfeet School, Little Flower Academy
- Maȟpíya Lύta – Red Cloud Indian School, Truth & Healing project – Part II
- San Carlos Apache Catholic Community: St. Charles School, Teach Them
- St. Anthony’s Indian School, Zuni Language & Culture Program
- St. Augustine Indian Mission School, Blended learning expansion
- St. Joseph Mission School, Kindergarten & Pre-K support
- St. Mary’s Mission School, Expanding donor base and increasing donations launch
- St. Michael Indian School, Early Education Development Cultural Learning Center, **not a part of the network**
- University of Notre Dame American Indian Catholic Schools Network, Member Schools network support
Truth & Healing
Intergenerational trauma and the boarding school era significantly impact the work of our IECD partners to build better futures for Native children, families, and communities.
We approach Truth & Healing at the intersection of our broad partnerships and our Catholic roots. We are compelled by our mission, vision, and values and guided by our Native community partners to think about the ways we can support Truth & Healing in a humble, authentic way.
We began this work in 2018 with a convening of a Truth, Healing & Reconciliation Task Force that included partners to explore both the landscape and opportunities. We are currently building out our commitments to support Truth & Healing.
Previous Projects & Programs
Healthy Children, Healthy Nations
(2018-2020)
The initiative’s launch followed the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis establishing the Center for Indian Country Development in 2015, it identified ECD in Indian Country as one of its focus areas. (Link).
In partnership with Echo Hawk Consulting, the center, and the Shakopee Mdewankanton Sioux, we aligned on three objectives: (1) Gain a better understanding of the IECD landscape in Minnesota and the 11 Native Nations in it; (2) Spotlight the excellent work of IECD providers; and (3) Engage funders in learning and reflection to drive more philanthropic dollars toward IECD.
The initiative produced an extensive report and partners hosted a conference to plan actions stemming from it. Shakopee Mdewankanton Sioux and Better Way then seeded a new Healthy Children, Healthy Nations Fund to bring new resources to IECD. Casey Family Programs contributed additional funding.
The fund awarded $200,000-plus in 2019 and has helped raise the profile of IECD and engage other funders in it.
Crystal Echo Hawk Landscape & Opportunities Report
(2016)
In 2016, Echo Hawk Consulting completed research on the landscape of ECD service provision in Native communities and analyzed opportunities, challenges, and potential entry points for our support and engagement. Recommendations include supporting Native-led and -serving organizations to:
- Facilitate collaboration, networks, and partnerships
- Teacher recruitment and retention
- Native language and culture
- Planning and capacity building
- Mental health
- Facilities improvement
The report also calls for using grant strategies, such as core support grants, systems approaches, geographically focused work, and multi-year grants.
Indigenous Evaluation
(2016-2020)
Indigenous evaluation was an important part of the recommendations from the 2016 Echo Hawk Indigenous ECD Landscape Report. In 2018, we began learning about Indigenous evaluation with expert Dr. Teresa Peterson (Upper Sioux Community) and consulting with Dr. Shelly Valdez and Jill Stein to help IECD partners build out evaluation strategies. Learnings and Indigenous evaluation principals informed our current Evaluation Framework.
University-Community Partnerships
(2009-2020)
This initiative, inherited during the merger from the original Better Way Foundation, provided seed funding for innovative ideas that faculty at Catholic Universities put forward to support ECD research and education: Catholic University of America, St. Catherine University, Boston College, University of Dayton and University of Great Falls.
TANZANIA
(2007-2025)
In 2007, we explored programs for vulnerable children in East Africa, and made early grants in eastern Tanzania. After deepening relationships and integrating early lessons, we focused investments on direct ECD delivery organizations and national advocacy for ECD. In addition to supporting increased access to ECD, we connected our partners with Results for Development to build their capacity to monitor, evaluate, and strengthen programs. After nearly 15 years of partnership, we have achieved many of the goals of this initiative, and in 2022 our board voted to begin responsible exit.
Partners
- Amani Girls Home, https://amanigirlshome.or.tz/
- TECDEN, https://www.tecden.or.tz/
- Mama’s Hope Organization for Legal Assistance, http://www.mhola.or.tz/
- Tanzania Home Economics Association, https://tahea.or.tz/
- Tumaini Letu, https://tumainiletu.org/
As our Tanzania initiative winds down (through 2025), we are committed to a responsible exit to ensure the stability of our partner organizations and the long-term sustainability of ECD in Tanzania. Learn more about our partnership framework and lifecycle.
Current Grant Opportunities
Thank you for your interest in partnering with Better Way. Formal proposal submission is by invitation only. Kindly be advised that our current capacity for inquiries from prospective partners has been reached and we are no longer accepting proposals. However, we remain open to engaging with organizations that are interested in exploring funding opportunities in the future.
Should you be interested, we invite you to stay up to date with our work through our newsletter, follow us on social media, or send any questions.
60 South 6th Street, Suite 2950
Minneapolis, MN 55402
info@betterwayfoundation.org