Partnership With Native Americans
About Partnership With Native Americans
On remote reservations, a box of food, a water delivery, or school supplies can change the shape of a week. Partnership With Native Americans gets those basics where they are needed through reservation-based partners, then keeps going with emergency aid, holiday support, education, and animal welfare services. If you want to support Native communities with both immediate relief and long-term solutions, this is the kind of work that meets people where they are and stays with them.
PWNA works through reservation Program Partners, a Native-led approach that sends requested goods and services directly into remote communities. That structure keeps the work grounded in what each reservation says it needs, whether that is food, health support, disaster response, education help, or care for animals.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Northern Plains Reservation Aid (NPRA)
Provides food and water, emergency, health, and holiday support services throughout remote Native American reservations in the Northern Plains.
Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA)
Provides food, water, health products, and emergency services for Native American elders, families, and children in need on Southwest reservations.
Navajo Relief Fund (NRF)
Brings food and water, emergency, and health services to Navajo elders, children, and families in the Southwest.
Sioux Nation Relief Fund (SNRF)
Provides food, health, emergency, and holiday support services for Native American elders, children, and families on remote Northern Plains reservations.
Native American Aid (NAA)
Addresses immediate needs for tribes experiencing disasters, food shortages, and health care needs in the Northern Plains.
Southwest Indian Relief Council (SWIRC)
Brings support, hope, encouragement, and relief through food and water, emergency, and holiday support services for Native Americans on rural and remote Southwest reservations.
American Indian Education Fund (AIEF)
Provides educational support services for Native American students, including school supplies, scholarships, laptops, books, and literacy incentives.
Reservation Animal Rescue (RAR)
Supports animal welfare groups that rescue, rehabilitate, and place injured or stray animals in foster care or forever homes.
About this work
In their own words — what they do, who it reaches, and what your dollars actually fund.
Mission
Serving immediate needs, supporting long-term solutions for strong, self-sufficient Native American communities.
Who they serve
Native Americans living on remote, isolated, and impoverished reservations, including elders, children, families, students, and reservation-based program partners; scholarships are offered nationwide to eligible Native students.
Their impact
- Supported healthy lifestyle programs and education for approximately 47,960 people in 2024.
- Helped 336 health and wellness partners in 2024.
- Aided approximately 8,549 people through year-round aid to 66 shelters in 2024.
- Delivered 509,850 pounds of staple foods, bottled water, hygiene kits, diapers, blankets, PPE, and other essentials to about 2,750 households in 2024.
- Delivered holiday stockings and gift bags to 15,170 children and elders across 26 reservations in 2024.
- Trained and/or engaged 479 tribal citizens across 23 reservations around disaster readiness in 2024.
- Graduated a total of 1,144 people from T3 training who can train others and impact 6 people each with healthier meals.
- Furnishes school supplies for more than 28,000 K-12 students on 25+ reservations.
- Serves 200,000 Native Americans each year through tribal partners.
- Trucks about 2 million pounds of materials to reservation partners each year.
How your donation helps
- Food and pantry staples
- Fresh produce
- Emergency food boxes
- Holiday meals and stockings
- Winter fuel vouchers
- Blankets, coats, scarves, and mittens
- Hygiene kits and cleaning supplies
- School supplies, laptops, books, and scholarships
- Pet food and animal care supplies
- Disaster relief supplies, including bottled water and PPE
Our story
Partnership With Native Americans is Native-led and Native-serving, built through long-term collaboration with reservation partners. Over nearly 30 years of work in Indian Country, it developed The PWNA Way, a model shaped by stewardship, volunteerism, and respect, and it now connects outside resources directly to remote reservations through its partner network.
Need help?
How someone in need can access Partnership With Native Americans’s services.
Services are delivered through reservation Program Partners in the organization’s service areas. Community members typically receive aid through local partners such as schools, Elder Nutrition Centers, shelters, tribal health programs, and animal welfare groups that identify needs and receive requested goods and services.
Stories
The people behind the work.
In their words
“It’s a warm feeling and lets us know we are not alone.”
“Thank you, your donations bring the community together.”
“Receiving this Thanksgiving meal this year is a blessing.”
“I’m really grateful; some of our Elders are in so much need, but we always try to help one another, too.”
Events
Giving Tuesday winter warmth campaign
Giving TuesdayA seasonal fundraising effort to provide blankets, coats, scarves, and mittens for Native children and elders.
Santa Stops
seasonalA holiday support event where program partners receive stockings and toys for young children.
Tribal emergency management summit
occasionalEmergency planning and training for tribal participants on mental health, first aid/CPR, CERT, FEMA tribal courses, and related skills.
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Partnership With Native Americans has shared.
Current needs
- Winter warmth items, including blankets, coats, scarves, and mittens
- Food and water for remote reservation communities
- Hygiene supplies and cleaning supplies for emergency and residential services
- Pet food and animal care supplies for reservation animal welfare partners
- School supplies and scholarships for Native students
Volunteer opportunities
- Help distribute holiday stockings and gift bags
- Support community events and food demonstrations
- Assist reservation Program Partners with event setup and distribution
- Help cook, serve, and conduct food demos for nutrition training cohorts
Recognition & press
Awards & recognition
- BBB accreditation
- GuideStar Platinum Exchange member status
- GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Nonprofit, since 2011
Press & mentions
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
How does PWNA deliver services to reservation communities?
PWNA works through reservation Program Partners, who help identify community needs and guide the distribution of requested goods and services.
What kinds of holiday support does PWNA provide?
PWNA provides holiday stockings, gift bags, and Santa Stops with practical items, toys, and seasonal supplies for children and elders.
What does the education program support?
The education program supports K-12 students and higher education with school supplies, literacy incentives, laptops, scholarships, and related support.
What does the animal welfare program do?
The animal welfare program supports partners that rescue, rehabilitate, and place injured or stray animals in foster care or forever homes, and it also provides supplies and grants for animal care.
What areas of service does PWNA focus on?
PWNA focuses on food and water, education, health, emergency services, holiday support, and animal welfare.
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