Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, NM, March 19, 2024 – Today, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced Project Venture as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. Project Venture received $2 million.
The National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project (NIYLP) program Project Venture is an evidence-based youth development model that promotes positive outcomes through experiential, adventure-based learning in the outdoors, meaningful service-learning activities, and peer mentoring. Project Venture was created under the guidance of Indigenous elders, who emphasized using traditional culture to address contemporary challenges. The organization supports youth, communities and partners in 25 states, Canada and Jamaica.
In March 2023, Yield Giving launched an Open Call for community-led, community-focused organizations whose explicit purpose is to enable individuals and families to achieve substantive improvement in their well-being through foundational resources.
“On behalf of Project Venture, we are honored and humbled to receive the Yield Giving award. Project Venture has been at the forefront of positive youth development programming for Indigenous youth since the 1980’s. This recognition is greatly appreciated and will allow us to achieve our goals for the next several years,” said McClellan Hall, Founder/CEO.
“On behalf of the Board of NIYLP, we are thrilled and honored to be selected and thank Mackenzie Scott and Yield Giving for this award. We believe it reflects the importance of our culturally driven, community-based program, Project Venture, that supports Native and Indigenous youth to overcome multi-generational challenges by developing the foundational skills that are needed for overall well-being and life success, and to become leaders in their communities,” said Board Chair Elizabeth Reilinger, Ph.D.
“On behalf of all the Native and Indigenous youth we reach, we can't thank Mackenzie Scott’s Yield Giving enough for this support. This award will make a significant contribution to empowering Indigenous youth, advancing our mission, and ensuring a bright future ahead for the organization and youth we serve.” says Sheri Pfeiffer-Tsinajinnie, COO Project Venture.
The Open Call received 6,353 applications and initially planned for 250 awards of $1 million each. In the Fall of 2023, organizations top-rated by their peers advanced to a second round of review by an external Evaluation Panel recruited for experience relevant to this cause and underwent a final round of due diligence. In light of the incredible work of these organizations, as judged by their peers and external panelists, the donor team decided to expand the awardee pool and the award amount.
"We are excited that our partnership with Yield Giving has resonated with so many organizations," said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. "In a world teeming with potential and talent, the Open Call has given us an opportunity to identify, uplift, and empower transformative organizations that often remain unseen.”
More information on the Yield Giving Open Call and other initiatives can be found at www.leverforchange.org.
CONTACT: Kianna Holian, Project Venture kholian@niylp.org 505-263-3360
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National Indian Youth Leadership Development ProjectThe National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project is an Indigenous-led nonprofit working over three decades to empower the lives of Native and Indigenous youth and communities. NIYLP is a national leader in culturally responsive positive youth development and experiential education fields. Our flagship program, Project Venture, is an evidence-based youth development model that promotes positive outcomes through experiential, adventure-based learning in the outdoors, meaningful service-learning activities, and peer mentoring.
Project VentureProject Venture is an evidence-based program born from the National Indian Youth Leadership Project that aims to support Native and Indigenous youth to develop healthy lifestyles and positive relationships with the natural world, to achieve their full potential, and to become leaders in their communities. Since its inception more than 35 years ago, Project Venture has served over 9,000 indigenous youth in nearly 100 different adaptations across 25 states and four countries. To learn more, visit www.projectventure.org.
Yield GivingEstablished by MacKenzie Scott to share a financial fortune created through the effort of countless people, Yield Giving is named after a belief in adding value by giving up control. To date, Yield’s network of staff and advisors has yielded over $16,500,000,000 to 1,900+ non-profit teams to use as they see fit for the benefit of others. To learn more, visit www.yieldgiving.com.
Lever for ChangeLever for Change connects donors with bold solutions to the world’s biggest problems—including issues like racial inequity, gender inequality, lack of access to economic opportunity, and climate change. Using an inclusive, equitable model and due diligence process, Lever for Change creates customized challenges and other tailored funding opportunities. Top-ranked teams and challenge finalists become members of the Bold Solutions Network—a growing global network that helps secure additional funding, amplify members’ impact, and accelerate social change. Founded in 2019 as a nonprofit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Lever for Change has influenced over $1.7 billion in grants to date and provided support to more than 145 organizations. To learn more, visit www.leverforchange.org.
