Alaska Native Heritage Center

Strengthening the Arts and Cultures Infrastructure

Location:

Anchorage, Alaska

Award:

$20,000

Website:

A globally renowned cultural facility, ANHC promotes and shares the rich heritage of Alaska’s 11 different cultural groups. Their programming is inclusive of all the Native peoples in Alaska and the center not only features cultural artifacts, physical culture, and a beautifully expansive campus, but is a living facility that offers a diverse array of programs including artist classes, cultural workshops, high school immersion camps, internships, and cultural events all in outreach to the greater community. ANHC boasts strong leadership, a primarily Native board and staff, strong support from the state’s native peoples, and serves as a cultural beacon in terms of the capacity of its administration, scope of its programming, and cultural presence in the community.

Funding for ANHC was used to develop institutional marketing featuring ANHC as an essential Alaska Native arts organization, cultural tourism destination, and gathering place of Alaska Native people. Support for marketing, outreach, public relations, and communications were used to develop membership promotional materials and marketing to individuals, corporations, and shareholders. More specifically, ANHC applied these funds toward an aggressive individual/corporate donor solicitation and cultivation events. For example, part of the funds were used for a Fundraising breakfast event that raised $30,000 and Corporate Donations overall have increased with focused effort. In addition, Alaska Native Heritage Center staff were supported by this funding to travel to Juneau and advocate for inclusion in the Alaska Education Tax Credit option. This change in legislation is expected to result in much more substantial corporate donations (and incentives to donate) than has ever been seen before. Following this landmark change in tax credit access, came the need for marketing material (brochures) to inform corporations of this new option that is expected to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars.

*This award was made possible with generous support from the Rasmuson Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska.

“The act of giving was part of the ‘gifting economy’ of the Northwest where one’s wealth was measured by generosity, good work and a good heart. That is the work of philanthropy too: It’s an honor to have plenty and to share. There is no lack when you have this process in place and the most important mindset to have while participating is gratitude, or giving thanks and promising to care for all, no matter what.”

Elizabeth Woody, Navajo/Warm Springs/Wasco/Yakama

K-12 Program Coordinator, Center for Coastal Marine Observation & Prediction

“These gifts demonstrate strong tribal interest in creating a powerful funding engine for protecting and preserving Native art and culture—the very cornerstones of tribal sovereignty. A foundation of this nature will help reverse the long history of government suppression of Native culture done as part of the United States' assimilation program. Through gifts of this nature, Indian Country can direct its resources to protect what is closest to home to all Indian tribes—our own cultures."

Walter Echo-Hawk, Pawnee

Board Chair, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation

Alaska Native Heritage Center

2011/2012 Grantees

2010/2011 Grantees