Guiding Principles
The turtle below offers a visual representation of the living systems and fields of work that are central to the Indigenous-led initiatives we support. Inspired by Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg symbols and traditions, this turtle embodies the interconnected and overlapping areas of focus at the heart of our grantmaking, while not setting or limiting our approach.
image description
This turtle-shaped infographic presents a visual framework for Indigenous-led initiatives. The turtle is shown from above, with its shell divided into connected sections.
At the center of the shell is a gold section labeled “Indigenous-led.” Around it are shell sections labeled “Lifeways” at the top, “Ceremonies” at the bottom, “Economies” on the left, and “Relations” on the right.
A blue diagonal four-pointed shape crosses the shell. Its four labeled sections are “Networks,” “Institutions,” “Organizations,” and “Funds,” showing support structures connected to the central Indigenous-led work. A green band encircles these sections, forming the outer edge of the Turtle’s shell. Within the band are 14 moons shown in various phases (full, new, crescent, etc.).
Outside the shell, four broader fields of work are placed around the turtle: “Food Systems & Seeds” above the turtle, “Knowledge Systems” to the left, “Language Revitalization” to the right, and “Land Rematriation” below.
The image uses the turtle form, circular layout, shell divisions, and surrounding patterned elements to show these areas as connected parts of a living, interrelated system rather than separate categories.
About Our Grantmaking
Our grantmaking begins with relationships. Our Indigenous leadership enters into trust-based reciprocal relationships, often long-term, and listens closely to our partners’ goals, values, and dreams. From there, we offer support in ways and on timelines that honor our partners’ own priorities and needs. We prioritize Indigenous knowledge systems, Tribal sovereignty, and self-determination as we support the important work of our partners, and these priorities shape how we build relationships with the leaders and organizations carrying out this work. We practice reciprocity with an understanding that we are interconnected and share resources as part of a larger web of relational kinship with one another and our Earth.
The following frameworks guide our grantmaking:
- Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). As articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), FPIC is the foundational process by which we operate, and it shapes the core principles we apply across our grantmaking.
- The Five Rs of Indigenous philanthropy: Relationships, Respect, Reciprocity, Redistribution, and Responsibility. These principles, championed by International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) and Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), are central to our grantmaking approach. In practice, this means we build relationships grounded in patience, trust, and deep respect.
Our Funds
Tamalpais Trust recommends its grants through various philanthropic funds: Tamalpais Trust Fund, Indigenous Knowledge Holders Fund, Seeds Soil and Culture Fund, and One Bowl: A Fund for Land Return.
Our Regions
To align our work with a relationship-based approach to grantmaking, our current geographic priorities encompass places and partners of deep connection within the trade routes in Turtle Island (Canada, United States, and Mexico), Abya Yala (Central and South America), Circumpolar Arctic, and Moananuiākea (Pacific region following the kelp highway and Austronesian migration), and Australia. We also work with select grant partners that have a more global reach.