Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance

Education and Outreach - Trade and exchange has not fully returned to normal in 2023. MNIBA continues to assist businesses transition to a virtual platform. MNIBA continued its role as a reviewer and commentor on the Building Tribal Economies Toolkit - National Congress of American Indians. MNIBA engaged with partner organizations to look at what is needed to create equitable parity inaccessing resources, tools, technical assistance, and equitable access to affordable financial resources. MNIBA worked with a National team, funders and foundation to develop the Native Community Cooperative Developers Certification program. Phase II was launched in 2023, and and plans to launch Phase III, IV, and V in 2024-2025. MNIBA has become a national leader in the area of Indigenous/Native cooperative development and is called upon frequently to present and speak with communities. Over 400 native entrepreneurs and artists received direct business supports including review of market, financial and business plans, network connections and introductions, and referrals to financial resources. MNIBA's new brandig and website to have continuity in messaging in all communication platforms. RESULTS Over 20,000 people were touched through email and phone communications, virtual presentations, newsletter, statewide work groups, website, and social media platforms. Over 2000 hours of time-based giving throughout all MNIBA's programs on behalf of the board of directors, ED, statewide working groups, organizational partners, and volunteers.

NATIVE ARTS - hosted three Native arts events, Art Attack (5,000 vistors), Art A Whirl (20,000 visitors, Native Winter Art Gift Boxes (1,000 visitors) Hosted nine Art Talks and Tea (over 32,900 people watched the livestream event, and continue to watching the videos on YouTube and FaceBook) Hosted two Indian Arts and Crafts Revision conversations focused on artists and Native businesses, and the other on proposed agricultural reviions (over 7,000 people watched the livestream events and continue watching via Facebook and YouTube.). MNIBA participated in the national event of Artist Sunday and Small Business Saturday events to draw attention to and promote Native business and artists in Mni Sota. MNIBA is being called upon as a trusted resource to recruit artists for gallery events, boothing, art demonostrations, art educatio, abd funding opportunitie, and have referred over 500 Native artists throughout the state in response to these inquiries. the Native arts are led by Native artists and redesigned in a way that decentralizes institutional modes of power and systemic racism. MNIBA pubished a two year research report on MN's Legacy Fund. RESULTS Over 1,000 Native artists, Native-led organizations serving artists, and creatives have been touched through surveys, attending virtual presentations, giftboxes, referrals, email and telephone communiques, interviews, photoshoots, newsletter, website, and social media platforms. Over 1500 hours of time-based giving on behalf of MNIBA's board of directors, staff, volunteers, organizatitional partners and their staff.

Buy Native Statewide Campaign - MNIBA continues its Buy Native Campaign messages to keep our native business and artists in the public eye and continues testing different models to get them introduced to new customers/clients and created tools that entrepreneurs are using to diversify their marketing strategies. MNIBA launched its Buy Native online interactive business directory. MNIBA continues to deploy a marketing strategy locally, regionally, and nationally.

Good Relatives Collaborative - MNIBA designed and launched an Oral Application and criteria and helped prep 10 Native organizations for their Oral application interviews. This resulted in 5 organizations being funded at an increased level from the previous year. MNIBA desiged and developed the Bush Prize application and criteria and launched a campaign to recruit Native-led organizations in Minnesota to apply for the Bush Prize build out and and this resulted in two Minnesota organization being awarded the Bush prize and two organizations being awarded a consolation award. MNIBA video interviewed the previous years awardees and will have a Red Paper published on what was learned to share with donors and foundations.--These awards were distributed by the Four Bands Community Development Fund - funding was provided by the Bush Foundation and awarded to Sacred Pipe Resource Center - fiscal agent for the Good Relatives.