Case Studies: Proven Results in Strategic Advancement

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Case Study #1: Friends of the Falls

The Friends of the Falls

Minneapolis, MN | TheFalls.org/

The Friends of the Fall has the opportunity to transform the heart of Minneapolis’ Central

Riverfront from a deactivated, concrete lock and largely inaccessible green space into an

iconic destination honoring both Indigenous history and the beauty of Owámniyomni

(meaning “turbulent waters” in the Dakota language), or St. Anthony Falls, itself.

This space, and the entire City of Minneapolis, are located on Dakota homeland. The

Dakota people came to Owámniyomni for ceremony and to Wíta Wanáǧi (Spirit Island) to

give birth. This place of power had spiritual significance long before it was forcefully

claimed by settlers. For more than 60 years, the site has been fenced off with limited

public access. This Falls Initiative is a chance to create a place of healing at Owámniyomni

that acknowledges the past and advances a more equitable and inclusive future.

This is an ambitious project. InnoNative was retained to provide strategic guidance and direction in support of a major advancement initiative, including fostering the development of an internal advancement team, creating the necessary infrastructure to allow for effective donor engagement, and identifying a pathway to financial sustainability.

This collaborative, community-building work is transformative. The state of Mni Sota and

the waterways of Wakpá Tháŋka have held and continue to hold cultural significance to

the Dakota people. Returning this land to the original inhabitants and centering the future

of the site through the ownership and cultural lens of the Dakota community exemplifies

InnoNative’s cultural value of authenticity. This continues the circle of healing and growth

that centers on resilience of our Indigenous communities.

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Case Study #2: American Indigenous Business Leaders

American Indigenous Business Leaders

(AIBL) | Missoula, MT | AIBL.org/

Only 11% of Native Americans obtain Bachelor’s degrees, and 6% obtain Graduate level

degrees. AIBL aims to provide Indigenous youth with the resources, support, and work

experience necessary to improve these statistics. As the only American Indigenous

non-profit organization solely dedicated to empowering business students in the United

States, AIBL’s programs are designed to engage students in activities that stimulate,

enhance, and expand educational experiences beyond traditional academic methods.

Much of AIBL’s already limited funding is restricted to programs. Not only does this inhibit

AIBL’s ability to achieve its long-term objectives but it also limits AIBL’s ability to remain

agile in the ever-changing landscape they operate in. Sufficient capital is necessary to

support ongoing operational excellence.

AIBL retained InnoNative to design a robust and diversified resource development

strategy that can not only raise funds but also increase AIBL’s public profile through

hosting a series of conversations and events throughout Indian Country to provide AIBL

with much-needed flexibility and capacity. Through this engagement, InnoNative

developed an inaugural national golf tournament in Las Vegas as a kickoff event to a

national native economic development conference. This repeatable event introduced

AIBL to over two dozen stakeholders in support of the AIBL mission and programming,

and raised over $100,000 in funds.

AIBL used the funds from this event to support their leadership team with a more

intentional engagement strategy with tribes, tribal membership, tribal staff, and tribal

enterprises, which subsequently allowed for a more meaningful partnership for the

betterment of the next generation of Indigenous business leaders.

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