Tribal Climate Action Resource Center, Grant Applications, and More!

For the past several months, NCAI’s Partnership for Tribal Governance (PTG) has been working to develop the NCAI Climate Action Resource Center. This new resource is designed to serve as an online hub where tribal leaders, natural resource managers, climate scientists, and other interested stakeholders can access the latest information, data, and other key resources on climate change, its particular impacts on Indian Country, and how tribal nations are taking action to combat it.

Last week, NCAI initiated its soft launch of the Center to provide NCAI’s members, partners, and other key stakeholders with a sneak peek of the site and get their feedback. We plan to integrate all feedback that we receive into the Resource Center prior to the site’s official public launch on Monday, February 11, 2019.

The Center features four main learning components:

·     Tribal Approaches: An alphabetized, linked list of formal climate assessment and adaptation plans and strategies developed by individual tribal nations and inter-tribal organizations.

·     Global Landscape: A comprehensive listing of key resources designed to inform tribal decision-makers’ understanding about the current state of climate change and climate action efforts across the U.S. and around the world.

·     Data: NCAI’s recently released policy update on climate change and climate change data, followed by an extensive compilation of data-based resources that inform tribal decision-making about climate action.

·     Other Resources: Features two types of resources: News Coverage, which compiles the latest news articles documenting tribal climate action efforts and climate change impacts; and Organizational Resources, which lists organizations, academic institutions, and other entities committed to informing and supporting tribal nations’ efforts to effectively design and implement climate action plans and strategies.

To provide NCAI your general feedback about the resource center or suggest specific resources that it should add to the site, please email NCAI’s Tyesha Ignacio at tignacio@ncai.org.

To view the Climate Action Resource Center, please click here.

NCAI Contact Info: Tyesha Ignacio, Second-Year Wilma Mankiller Fellow, tignacio@ncai.org

Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results

Presented by National Congress of American Indians

Wednesday, January 16 at 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST

NCAI is pleased to co-sponsor this briefing by the Funders Census Initiative, part of a series on census messaging results in partnership with the Democracy Funders Collaborative Census Subgroup. Last year, national field partners conducted get-out-the-count messaging research to identify messages that resonate with hard-to-count communities. You can find recordings and slides from past discussions here. During this webinar, attendees will learn about:

·     The methodology used by each organization

·     The findings of their message testing

·     Recommended messengers and messages

Moderated by: Karen Narasaki, Consultant to the Bauman Foundation

These briefings are open to funders and field partners. Please feel free to share with colleagues who you think may be interested in this briefing series.

NCAI Contact Info: Amber Ebarb, Program Manager, NCAI Policy Research Center, aebarb@ncai.org

An NCAI planning and implementation opportunity for two tribal nations/Native organizations located in the following states: Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is pleased to announce a new initiative that will provide two tribal nations and/or Native organizations across eight states (IA, ID, MN, MT, ND, OR, SD, and WA) the opportunity to design and implement strategic plans for their workforce development approaches.

Priority will be given to tribal nations and Native organizations that (1) have a history of prioritizing the development of their human capacity in order to achieve their long-term, strategic priorities, and (2) are already working to integrate their workforce development, education, and economic development efforts. The NCAI-facilitated strategic planning process – using NCAI’s new workforce development toolkit – will enable the selected applicants to empower these efforts and advance these priorities.

For details about this opportunity, click on the two links below:

The Initiative: NCAI’s Commitment

The Initiative: Applicant’s Commitment

Who is Eligible to Apply:

(1) Tribal governments

(2) Tribal coalitions that must include tribal governments and can feature other entities (tribal economic development corporations, tribal colleges, Native community development financial institutions, etc.) engaged in workforce development efforts with those governments

(3) Native non-profit organizations

When/How to Apply:

Those eligible should complete the application form by Friday, February 8, 2019. NCAI will notify applicants whether or not they have been selected by no later than Friday, February 22, 2019.

This initiative is made possible by support from the Northwest Area Foundation.

NCAI Contact Info: Ian Record, Partnership for Tribal Governance Director, irecord@ncai.org

Due January 15, 2019

Last week, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the Department of Health and Human Services announced a planning grant on Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. This $24 million grant program is expected to have 120 awardees and is available to all domestic public, private, non-profit, and for-profit entities, including tribal nations organizations. The grant focuses on the prevention and treatment of high-risk populations in rural communities.

The grant deadline is January 15, 2019.

For more information on eligibility and the application, click here.

NCAI Contact Info: Nicholas Courtney, Policy Analyst, ncourtney@ncai.org

The TELGP authorizes $2 billion for partial loan guarantees on energy development projects that benefit federally recognized tribal nations (up to 90 percent of the total principal and interest on the loan guaranteed). TELGP is designed to encourage private lending and increase the availability of commercial debt financing in tribal energy markets. The TELGP solicitation document provides guidance on the application process.

Application Deadlines:

Part I Applications: Begin January 16, 2019 and subsequent application rounds follow every other month until November 1, 2019.

Part II Applications: Begin December 19, 2018 and subsequent application rounds follow every other month until November 30, 2019. (See below)

Click here for entire list of deadlines

Application Fees: The total fee is $35,000 ($10,000 for Part I; $25,000 for Part II).

Examples of Eligible Projects (including but not limited to):

·     Electricity generation, transmission and/or distribution facilities, using renewable or conventional energy sources

·     Energy storage facilities, whether or not integrated with any of the above

·     Energy resource extraction, refining or processing facilities

·     Energy transportation facilities, including pipelines

·     District heating and cooling facilities

·     Co-generation facilities

·     Distributed energy project portfolios, including portfolios of smaller distributed generation and storage facilities employed pursuant to a unified business plan

For more information, visit the DOE website here.

NCAI Contact Info: Darren Modzelewski, Policy Counsel, dmodzelewski@ncai.org