S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 15, 2015
7
General Council briefed on Community Fund
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund Director Kathleen George
provided the membership with an
update on the Tribe’s philanthropic
entity at the Sunday, Oct. 4, Gen-
eral Council meeting held in the
Community Center.
Since the Community Fund’s in-
ception in 1997, the Grand Ronde
Tribe has donated 6 percent of Spir-
it Mountain Casino profits – more
than $67 million at this juncture –
to fund charitable organizations in
11 northwestern Oregon counties,
as well as the nine federally recog-
nized Tribes in the state.
In 18 years, the Community Fund
has distributed 2,214 grants.
“Not only is this a wise, generous
thing for the Tribe to do, but it is
also consistent with our culture of
giving, our culture of taking care
of the less fortunate,” George said.
The Community Fund was creat-
ed to counter proposals in the late
1990s that Tribal casino profits
should be taxed by the state. Its
creation and operating guidelines
are included in the Tribe’s gaming
compact signed with the state in
January 1997.
“Our council at the time did see
the wisdom of working with the
governor to create an agreement
that would, number one, allow our
casino to grow, to continue to pro-
duce more revenue for the Tribe,
but also would be a good response
to those people who thought that
some of that revenue should be
coming back to the state,” George
said.
The Community Fund distrib-
utes grants in the areas of arts
and culture, education, health,
historic preservation, public safety,
environmental preservation and
fighting problem gaming.
George said that about a third
of all grants have been in the two
areas of health and education.
The Community Fund is over-
seen by an eight-member Board
of Trustees, which includes three
Tribal Council members. Current-
Photo by Dean Rhodes
Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Kathleen George briefs the
membership on the Tribe’s philanthropic entity during the General Council
meeting held Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Tribal Community Center.
ly serving on the board are Tribal
Council Chair Reyn Leno, Vice
Chair Jack Giffen Jr. and Tribal
Council member Ed Pearsall.
Current health-related funding
priorities, George said, include
healthy mothers and children,
oral health, and healthy diets and
lifestyles.
Education priorities include get-
ting children ready for school with
early reading programs and envi-
ronmental priorities focus on river
health, environmental justice, fish
restoration and reducing toxic pol-
lution in Oregon waterways.
The Community Fund’s Tribal
Grants Program awards funds to
the nine federally recognized Tribes
in Oregon, which are traditionally
underserved by the philanthropic
community. George said Tribal
grant decisions are made by the
non-Tribal members of the Board
of Trustees to ensure no conflict of
interest.
“We put at least $500,000 a year
aside for Tribal awards,” George
said. “It’s our only set aside in the
fund. … We’re very proud of it.”
The Community Fund also allo-
cated $322,500 to the Grand Ronde
Police Department this year, which
was not part of the normal competi-
tive process with nonprofits or other
Tribes, George said. Previously, the
Community Fund had awarded mon-
ey to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office
to pay for additional coverage in the
Grand Ronde area, but now that the
Tribe has its own police force, the
funding is going to the Tribe.
The Community Fund also oper-
ates the Hatfield Fellowship, which
sends a deserving Native American
from Oregon, Washington, Idaho
or Montana to Washington, D.C.,
to work in the office of an Oregon
congressional delegation member
for nine months. The current Hat-
field Fellow is Maria Givens of the
Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
George said the good work done
by the Community Fund, in addi-
tion to the connections made by
having people serve on the Board
of Trustees – Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown served on the board from in-
ception until she became governor
earlier this year – are invaluable
to the Tribe.
Brown’s successor is Val Hoyle,
a Democratic representative from
the Eugene area. “We were very
pleased to get Val,” George said. “I
think she will be a great voice for
the fund.”
After her presentation, George
fielded eight comments and ques-
tions.
Before George’s presentation, a
70-minute Financial Report was
presented to Tribal members only.
The report was delivered in execu-
tive session, which limits how much
Smoke Signals can report on the
meeting.
A recording of the Financial Re-
port was made and Tribal members
who did not attend can request a
copy by contacting Tribal Council
Chief of Staff Stacia Martin at
503-879-2304 or stacia.martin@
grandronde.org. Tribal Council has
waived the usual $5 fee to obtain a
copy of the meeting.
In other action, it was announced
that the next General Council
meeting will be held at 11 a.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1, in the Community
Center to review the preliminary
2016 Tribal budget.
Tribal Elders Alton Butler and
Julie Duncan and Tribal spouse
Bob Duncan won the $50 door priz-
es and Tribal Elder Wink Soderberg
won the $100 door prize.
In addition, two necklaces donat-
ed by Tribal Council member Jon
A. George and canned food items
donated by Veronica Gaston were
raffled off.
The video of the regular meeting
can be viewed in its entirety at the
Tribal website, www.grandronde.
org, by clicking on the News tab
and then Video. n
Board seeking younger veteran help
The Tribal Veterans Special Event Board is to recruiting younger vet-
erans – Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans – to join.
“Our committee is getting older,” said Veterans SEB Chairman Steve
Bobb Sr., who is a Vietnam War-era Marine Corps veteran.
Members of the SEB attend events as flag carriers and represent the
Tribe, as well as their branch of service.
Veterans interested in volunteering should contact Tribal Council Chief
of Staff Stacia Martin at 503-879-2304 or stacia.martin@grandronde.org. n
Speakers announced for convention
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten,
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kamana’opo-
no Crabbe and Pacific Northwest photographer Matika Wilbur will
be keynote speakers at the 46th annual National Indian Educa-
tion Association Convention and Trade Show set for Oct. 14-17 in
Portland.
The trio will discuss the changing educational landscape of Native
communities and how the Education Association and its members
continue to work collaboratively to strengthen relationships and
educational priorities to foster the next generation.
The Education Association was founded by Native educators in
1969 with the mission of advancing comprehensive educational
opportunities for all American Indian, Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian students.
For more information about the Education Association and to
inquire about attending the convention as a member, sponsor or
tradeshow exhibitor, visit www.niea.org on the Internet. n
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