Native Forward Scholars Fund celebrated its 50th Anniversary Celebration event in Washington, D.C. on February 22, 2023. The historic anniversary event honored the legacy that began in 1969. The momentous evening was dedicated to its founders, inaugural Hall of Fame inductees, and those who continue to make impacts in and for Indian Country.

In a recent article by Inside Philanthropy, they examine the national nonprofit’s decades of impact, Native Forward has helped over 20,000 Native students from over 500 tribes in all 50 states. The article also examines how Native Forward goes beyond helping Native students through higher education. Native Forward CEO Angelique Albert discussed the impact of an unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott.

“We are the subject matter experts when it comes to serving Native students in higher education and helping them persist, helping them to graduate,” Albert said. “To have the freedom to direct those funds in a way that impacted our students the most and allowed us to grow the organization in a way that made sense for us — that was truly transformative.” 

Read the full Inside Philanthropy article here.