Advisory Group
The purpose of this group is advisory support from national field experts from among leading Native Art and Cultural organizations in the shaping of the articulation of program vision, application, and evaluation processes.
Catherine Bryan
First Nations Development Institute, Director of Programs – Strengthening Tribal and Community Institutions
Navajo
Catherine is a member of the Navajo Nation and is the Director of First Nations Development Institute’s Strengthening Tribal and Community Institutions program area. Catherine joined First Nations in 2008 and is based out of the organization’s Colorado office. As one of First Nations’ directors of programs, she provides strategic leadership, management, and direction for several First Nations program areas. Catherine leads First Nations’ Native Arts Initiative and the First Americans’ Cultural Treasures Initiative. Through these initiatives, First Nations supports community partner organizations with general operating and program support grants and training and technical assistance to elevate their work in community to sustain Native knowledge systems and lifeways. Catherine also leads First Nations’ Native Fundraisers Community of Practice, which supports emerging Native grant writers and fundraisers with strategies and tools to increase organizational capacity and sustainability and ensure long-term service to their communities. This initiative also equips community partners with tools to ignite narrative change through strengths-based messaging and counter negative and false perceptions held about Native people and communities by the general public and mainstream philanthropy.
