Fueling the Future: Indigenized Energy and Mission Edge
Indigenized Energy is collaborating with Mission Edge, and we're celebrating huge milestones with them
The best part about our jobs here at Mission Edge is helping our community's heroes go further, faster.
Our collaboration with Indigenized Energy is one of our favorite stories to tell because the organization is creating waves of change for Native tribes across the country.
Indigenized Energy, an organization set out to help Native tribes achieve energy sovereignty, was founded in 2018 by Cody Two Bears in the wake of the North Dakota Access Pipeline protest in Standing Rock.
“We are first, and foremost, a capacity-building organization. Historically, companies would parachute in, build something on Native lands, and leave. They never took the time to learn about the people and ask them what they needed.”
— Cody Two Bears
Indigenized Energy is different; the organization works directly with tribes to plan and build a renewable energy solution that works for them, and it continues to be with those tribes as they maintain and expand renewable energy assets.
In 2022, Indigenized Energy needed a new partner to support its growth and development, as well as understand and align with its unique needs.
That’s when our stories collided.
THE CHALLENGE
Indigenized Energy sought a new fiscal sponsor who was already poised to help them usher in its next phase of growth and development. The organization needed a sponsor who could collaborate with its leadership team in ways that would allow it to work and grow in new ways.
Where mission edge came in
Our Fiscal Sponsorship team stepped in to provide tailored support for Indigenized Energy. We came alongside them to help them develop new practices and policies, offering financial transparency and foundational support for growth.
We knew a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for everyone, so we pushed beyond our previously established practices to grow with Indigenized Energy. Our partnership allowed Indigenized energy to:
Grow beyond what their previous structure allowed them.
Gain the financial transparency they need to make good decisions.
the results
Setting up suitable systems to allow Indigenized Energy to grow helped it align even closer with its mission to work closely with Native tribes. Here are some of the primary ways we're celebrating Indigenized Energy right now:
They launched a solar program with the Northern Cheyenne, leading to job training and full-time employment for more than ten individuals.
They partnered with the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation to form a coalition of 14 tribes across North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming to pursue an "EPA Solar for All" proposal.
If awarded the funding, the proposal would provide nearly $250 million for solar systems for tribes nationwide!
Most importantly, IE can now focus on its mission and impact, while Mission Edge handles the tricky and challenging realities of operating a nonprofit organization.
you can see results, too
Indigenized Energy and Mission Edge's partnership is a testament to the power of combining cultural understanding with strategic organizational support.
