Indigenous Women's Fund

Investing in Indigenous Women — Innovative Intercultural Philanthropy

"Today in the Mayan calendar is designated as the day of water — March is the month of water: we are set for prosperity and to multiply our work around the World. Our ancestors are with us my sisters let us begin in good spirit."1

In the last few decades, an Indigenous Women's Fund has been a dream of Indigenous women. In fact, in the Beijing Declaration of Indigenous Women it was agreed that a fund for Indigenous Women would be established as FIMI's "economic and philanthropic arm" to provide resources for Indigenous women from all 7 geo-cultural regions defined by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. FIMI believes strongly in participatory methodologies and therefore is going to engage in a process of regional consultations to identify key priorities for funding for indigenous women organizations.

Led by and for Indigenous women, the Indigenous Women's Fund aims to provide Indigenous women with resources in a way that increases their sense of dignity and self-esteem and that respects their visions, priorities, and perspectives that are compatible with the self-determination of their peoples. The Fund is committed to the concept of Intercultural Philanthropy, which puts forth a vision of respect for cultural diversity where Indigenous women can fully and effectively participate at all levels and spheres, and where they can exert leadership in the realization of the individual and collective human rights of all Indigenous Peoples. Intercultural Philanthropy builds from the knowledge that Indigenous Peoples have their own learning processes, systems of knowledge and ways to integrate new information, values, and interpretations and transfer them to new generations.

Go to Vision, Mission & Goals

Contact us for more information
121 W. 27th Street, #301; New York, NY 10001
(212) 627-0444; fimi@madre.org