OUR WORK
NATIVE UNITY
Collective power through dialog, education, action, and advocacy.
COLLECTIVE
ADVOCACY
22,000
INDIVIDUALS SERVED
ANNUALLY BY OUR
MEMBERS
Seattle Urban Native Nonprofits
Seattle Urban Native Nonprofits represents a new era of collective advocacy on behalf of urban Natives. Since 2017, the SUNN Collaborative has convened 13 urban Native organizations that serve and engage the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population in Seattle-King County through culturally attuned services and programs. Meeting regularly, leaders from these organizations gather for dialog and advocacy, and to advance the priorities of the urban Native community.
The SUNN member organizations represent civic engagement, health and social services, arts and culture, economic development, and education. SUNN creates a space for smaller organizations to join with larger organizations, amplifying their role in decision-making and their ability to advocate on behalf of the communities they work with. Together, these member organizations reach more than 22,000 individuals annually with programming and services.
A UNIFIED STRATEGY
As the first-ever organization of its kind in King County, the SUNN Collaborative seeks to build a healthier and more sustainable urban Native community by focusing on:
Leadership Development and Training
To advocate for the urban Native community in the public and philanthropic spheres through leadership development, training, and cooperative strategic planning.
Education and Advocacy
To work with policy decision makers on community priority issues through policy analysis and monitoring, grassroots mobilization, and collective advocacy campaigns.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Build Collective Advocacy and Visibility
With a focus on community driven solutions, a Native-led policy agenda and platform, and the strengthening of Native voices and leadership, we will unite to advocate and raise awareness for the urban Native community in the public sphere.
Nurture Community Engagement and Empowerment
Our community’s cohesion is one of its greatest strengths. We will develop and nurture Indigenous leaders to serve in leadership capacities on boards, commissions, and advisory committees. We will harness existing organizational bases to develop a dedicated and empowered foundation of community advocates who can work effectively together for widespread systems change.
Address Housing Affordability and Access
As the Seattle-King County area grows increasingly gentrified and unaffordable, we will support individuals and organizations working to decrease homelessness, make housing more financially attainable, and advance housing equity.
Increase Economic Opportunity
By creating more opportunities for Native small businesses, creating community capital through financial wellness classes, and developing more chances for youth to have paid internships, we will build a more secure and sustainable economic future for the Native community.
Invest in Youth and Young Leaders
We will encourage and equip youth to take an active role in the community and to become advocates for issues that directly impact them. We will create opportunities for strengthening cultural identity and pride.
Invest in Health and Holistic Well-being
To counteract the racial inequities that persist in healthcare and result in disproportionately poor health outcomes, we will reclaim and integrate Indigenous lifeways and traditions and develop a holistic culture of wellness in the Native community.
Enhance Partnerships with Funders
We will work to decolonize philanthropy’s history, power dynamics, processes, and structures, while at the same time creating collaborative funding opportunities that strengthen all organizations involved.
