Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced that it was awarded a $200,000 grant from the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in Princeton, NJ. The award is designed to support nonprofit organizations that have experienced a recent leadership change. WRDF was one of only five organizations in the United States to receive this specific funding.
“We are very proud to have this new relationship with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and to benefit from this innovative program,” stated Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of the Wind River Development Fund. Huberty is an enrolled member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota and joined WRDF in early 2023. “Leadership transitions at small nonprofits can be challenging and often disruptive to the organization. RWJF recognized this challenge and developed a pilot program to support new leaders with funding and peer-to-peer engagement through a national leadership cohort.”
The Wind River Development Fund is a Native-led nonprofit located in Fort Washakie, WY. The organization focuses on economic development and supporting entrepreneurs who want to start new businesses or grow their existing businesses. WRDF offers market-competitive loan products, business planning, financial coaching, and homeowners education programs.
“When community development organizations have leaders with lived experience of the communities they serve, or ‘proximate leaders,’ residents are more likely to have their needs met because organizations can draw on the expertise of firsthand knowledge,” said Zoila Jennings, Lead Investment Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We hope that fellow philanthropic organizations will join us in supporting community development organizations such as the Wind River Development Fund that truly understand residents’ needs.”
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Wind River Development Fund is a non-profit, Native Community Development Financial Institution located in Fort Washakie, WY. The mission of the Wind River Development Fund is to provide financial opportunities to stimulate economic development on the Reservation, to promote self-sufficiency, self-determination, and an enhanced quality of life for the Reservation community.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health and health equity in the United States. In partnership with others, we are working to develop a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. For more information, visit rwjf.org.