Erik Stegman

Philanthropy in the U.S. has long overlooked the country’s Indigenous people, with Native American organizations and causes typically receiving less than 1% of foundation grants each year. Erik Stegman wants to change that. 

Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), where he’s CEO, works to increase funding for Native communities, support Native people working in the sector, and help philanthropy understand and align with Indigenous values. “A lot of the work that we do is about making sure funders understand how Native people look at philanthropy through their worldview and their values,” he says.

Notably, in 2025, NAP organized the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund, with funding primarily coming from the Newman’s Own Foundation and Novo Nordisk. It took a participatory grant-making approach—still rare for the field—in which the donors stepped back while 21 young Indigenous leaders steered the selection and awarding process, identifying 24 nonprofits to receive $30,000 each. 

“A lot of funders don’t understand us,” Stegman explains. “One of the best ways that you can help move resources when you don’t understand communities is to actually empower those communities to make those decisions.”