Wolankeyutomone Kisi Apaciyewik Fund

Let’s Take Good Care of What has Returned Fund: Overview

The Wolankeyutomone Kisi Apaciyewik Fund is a Wabanaki-led participatory-grantmaking that provides unrestricted, general operating support to Wabanaki tribal government, Wabanaki NGOs, and Wabanaki citizens. Grants from the fund are flexible 1-2 year awards based on the needs of the grantee. The Fund seeks to repair, rebuild, and sustain Wabanaki relationship, kinship, and access to place by directly helping Wabanaki people and institutions to fulfill their care-taking responsibilities of lands and waters across Wabanaki Traditional Territory in what is now known as Maine.

The application period for 2025 is currently open!

You can find a full copy of the RFP and grant application here. 

Application Deadline

Friday, March 14, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.

Award Notifications

By the end of April

Eligibility

  • Wabanaki Tribal Governments: any of the five federally recognized tribal governments in what is currently known as Maine 

  • Wabanaki NGO: a non-governmental organization or non-profit organization with a majority (50% or more) of Wabanaki citizens or descendants that make up the board of directors, staff leadership, and community organizers

  • Wabanaki Individual: a citizen of one of the five federally recognized tribal governments in what is currently known as Maine 

Funding Levels

  • Wabanaki Tribal Governments: $75K

  • Wabanaki NGO: $50

  • Wabanaki Individual: $25K

Focus Areas

The Commission is committed to funding people and organizations who do the following: 

  • Build involvement around land and culture, and bring elders and community members together around traditional uses of land and stewardship 
  • Create opportunities around cultural healing and Wabanaki connections to land 
  • Support Wabanaki access to places using appropriate access-building strategies (e.g. policy work, knowledge sharing, education about current opportunities) 
  • Help Wabanaki people who want to make their livelihoods through relationship with land (such as through guiding, canoeing, harvesting, hunting, etc.) 
  • Incorporate tribal language education in land stewardship activities 
  • Recognize the importance of our spiritual relations with one another, places connected to our ancestors and their activities, and our non-human relations 

Applications and Support

If you have questions or need support, contact the collaborative fund manager below: