Native and Tribal Partnerships Grant Supports Community-Led Work Across Southwest Washington

SWACH’s Native and Tribal Partnerships Non-Competitive Grant has concluded after supporting Native and Tribal communities, Native-led organizations, and Native and Tribal-serving partners across Southwest Washington.

The grant was designed to move resources closer to work already happening in Native and Tribal communities. Rather than using a traditional competitive grant process, SWACH focused on reducing administrative barriers and supporting priorities identified by communities and organizations with deep relationships, knowledge, and experience in the region.

The grant supported four recipients: Nch’i Wana Housing, One Community Health, Gorge Native American Collaborative, and Chinook Indian Nation. Together, their work reflects a broad vision of health and wellbeing that includes housing stability, health care access, food sovereignty, cultural preservation, youth and family support, and community safety.

Mercedes White Calf, SWACH’s Tribal Liaison, said the non-competitive structure was intentional because it allowed partners to identify their own priorities instead of reshaping their work to fit a traditional grant process.

“It allowed partners to identify their own priorities instead of aligning their community needs with what SWACH is requiring,” White Calf said. “It supported their autonomy.”

For White Calf, that distinction matters. Competitive grants often require significant time, staffing, and administrative capacity. Smaller organizations and community-led groups may be doing essential work in the field, but may not have the same infrastructure as larger organizations to pursue funding through a more traditional process.

“It eliminated the administrative processes and burdens from non-traditional organizations serving non-traditional communities,” White Calf said. “They are in the field, and we didn’t stop them or take them away from the field to do a process. We put impact above process.”

That approach also reflected a commitment to trust and relationship-building. White Calf said the grant was not about telling Native and Tribal communities what they need. It was about recognizing that communities already know their strengths, needs, priorities, and ways of caring for one another.

“We trust that you know what you’re doing,” White Calf said. “We’re just going to support you, and we’re going to invest in your plan, your vision already.”

For Nch’i Wana Housing, the grant supported work focused on housing stability for Native individuals and families. That included support for rent assistance, winter needs, and emergency resources for people navigating housing instability, including those living at in-lieu fishing sites.

For One Community Health, the grant supported mobile, culturally responsive health services for Native and Tribal communities. This included a free vision and dental clinic and a back-to-school health event designed to reduce barriers to care and bring services closer to Native youth and families.

Chinook Indian Nation used funding to support culturally grounded health and wellness work, including a full-time healthcare coordinator role to help with care coordination and resource navigation. The funding also supported elder food access efforts, including Meals on Wheels and food bank-related work.

Gorge Native American Collaborative, also known as GNAC, used the funding to support community-led, culturally centered work in the Columbia River Gorge region. GNAC’s work includes gatherings, food access, youth and family support, and efforts that strengthen belonging, visibility, and connection among Native community members.

White Calf said the grant helped create more meaningful conversations between SWACH and Native and Tribal partners because it was grounded in respect for community autonomy.

“It created more meaningful conversations between myself, SWACH, and the organizations because it built a level of trust and showed our interest and our respect for their autonomy,” White Calf said. “They were able to openly discuss with me their capacity and their challenges.”

The grant also helped strengthen SWACH’s Native and Tribal Partnerships Program by building relationships beyond a one-time funding exchange. White Calf said that continued relationship-building is essential to supporting work in a way that honors Tribal sovereignty, Native expertise, and community-led decision-making.

Looking ahead, White Calf said she hopes to expand shared decision-making by involving more community members in advisory spaces. She also hopes SWACH can continue supporting Native and Tribal communities by helping move outside funding and resources to organizations that may qualify for grants but may not have the administrative capacity to pursue or manage them on their own.

White Calf said one of the biggest lessons from the grant is the importance of staying grounded in humility and recognizing that communities know how to best serve their people.

“They know how to serve their own communities better than I ever would,” White Calf said. “What I may prioritize may not be what they consider a top priority.”

As the grant closes, the relationships and priorities it supported will continue. Through the Native and Tribal Partnerships Program, SWACH remains committed to supporting community-led work, reducing barriers to funding, honoring sovereignty, and investing in efforts rooted in culture, healing, wellness, and community wisdom.