Our Frontlines in America team researched, studied, learned, and gathered critical insights that prepared us for our efforts in Reno during our community visit with our partner, the Nevada Indigenous nonprofit Tribal Minds. Immersion in these communities was transformative. We shared meals, stories, laughter, sweat, and tears with our partners, and we were honored to meet with council members and leaders of five different tribes. Some things we learned were expected, many were not. We knew we would have a lot to learn from Native communities in Nevada; rich cultural traditions, community and family values, adaptability, care for the land and environment, and holistic health. Despite these strengths, we were also aware that Native people are often marginalized and face limited economic opportunities, barriers to health and education, resource exploitation, and limited political representation and influence.
What became clear to us as we went through our week in Nevada was that everything Tribal Minds is involved with is done with unreserved love, vigor, and consideration. During our interview with a recent Tribal Minds partner, we asked him what Tribal Minds biggest issues were currently, and he stated that “I loved working with them, but if you asked me what they did I couldn’t tell you.” We also heard Summit Lake’s Vice Chairwoman Nedra Crane confuse the voting initiative and lobbying efforts that Teresa has done outside of Tribal Minds and attributed that work to Tribal Minds. For everyone that we interviewed, few could tell us what Tribal Minds did without taking time to think about it and even then, it was extremely broad. From partner organizations that worked with Tribal Minds, there was consistent high praise but an acknowledged difficulty in deciding "what to pitch" to leadership in order to garner support for the partnership with Tribal Minds.
There is nothing half hearted about any of Tribal Mind's projects, and that was clear from our interactions with community members, but also from our own observations. This type of passion is rare, but can be unsustainable if not harnessed strategically.
It’s for that reason that our team landed on the Rez Girls Wellness Retreat as Tribal Minds' springboard program, having grown from 10 to 16 participants between 2022-2023 while providing Native young women with essential wellness support. The program's documented success, clear structure, and focus on critical issues like mental health and cultural identity make it particularly appealing to funders and suitable for replication across Native communities. By strategically focusing on this proven initiative, Tribal Minds can build a strong brand identity and foundation for future expansion while maintaining its commitment to cultural sensitivity and community impact.
Having made that identification, the organization now faces the critical task of strengthening its operational foundation to support both current activities and future growth. Increasing numbers of potential partners and donors are discovering Tribal Minds via its website, and while the program's success speaks for itself, maximizing its impact requires robust systems for donor management, financial tracking, and program administration. To address these needs and set the stage for expansion, Tribal Minds can implement immediate improvements in two key areas: donor relationship management and financial organization.
A phase of this operational enhancement focuses on implementing a professional Donor Relationship Management (DRM) system and restructuring QuickBooks to better track program finances. These foundational improvements will not only streamline current operations but also create the infrastructure needed to scale the Rez Girls Wellness Retreat and potentially expand to serve additional demographics within the tribal community.