Federal Funding Navigator (FFN) Program
For years, it has been well recognized that Tribes and communities across Alaska face significant challenges in accessing funding. To address this, there was a clear need to build a network of individuals equipped to assist Tribes in navigating the federal funding landscape. Building on the inspiration of the Alaska Federation of Natives Navigator Program, the Northern Latitudes Partnerships secured resources to establish their own Federal Funding Navigators–advancing the concept by enabling Navigators to fully participate in the grant writing process and at no cost to the Tribes they serve. The FFN Program was first funded in 2024 and is designed to enhance the grant-seeking and writing capabilities of Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Tribal Communities throughout Alaska. Funding Navigators align with the NLP regions and currently serve Tribes within the Western Alaska Landscape Initiative (WALI) and Aleutian Bering Sea Initiative (ABSI) regions.
How Can a Federal Funding Navigator Help You?
Federal Funding Navigators focus on four key areas of support:
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We can help you identify funding opportunities for your projects by scanning federal, state, and philanthropic sources. We will work with you to compile funding opportunities that best match your project needs, eligibility, and timeline. Reach out to let us know about your community or projects so we can do research into open and forecasted grant opportunities that align with your needs.
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From brainstorming to full proposal development, we can assist you through every step of the grant writing process. Whether you are looking for help writing your narrative, developing budgets, workplans, assembling required documents, or reviewing your application to ensure it meets application requirements, we can help!
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If there is no funding currently available to support your project, we can work with you to build a draft application package to ensure your project is funding ready and can be quickly updated when the right opportunity becomes available.
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We are in the process of developing a variety of tools, templates and guides to make the process of finding funding and writing grants easier. If you are interested in learning more or obtaining some of these materials, please connect with us!
Who We Work With
Federal Funding Navigators are able to work with Tribes, Tribal Communities, Tribal Organizations, and projects supporting Tribal members in Alaska. Each Federal Funding Navigator has been assigned to a region that aligns with the Northern Latitudes Partnership; to determine which NLP region you are in, navigate to the map found here.
Connect With Us!
To connect with a Federal Funding Navigator and/or inquire about getting support for your project, please follow this link to our Grant Support Request Form or contact a FFN in your region directly. Please note that during times of high grant volume and deadlines, each FFN must prioritize Tribal Governments within their region(s).
Western Alaska Region
Grace Ellwanger
grace@deerstoneconsulting.com
Aleutian Bering Sea Region
Aurora Taylor
ataylor@aleut.com
Program Partners
The Federal Funding Navigator Program is a collaborative effort by DeerStone Consulting, Igiugig Village Council, Aleut Community of Saint Paul Island and the Northern Latitudes Partnerships. Funding for this program has been provided by private, philanthropic donors, including the Ishkode Fund and The Christensen Fund.