As your state nonprofit association, we are here to provide resources to strengthen your organization.
As your state nonprofit association, we are here to provide resources to strengthen your organization.
Foraker’s project protocol is patterned after the ethical principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) as laid out in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Free
Foraker’s activities are done without coercion or exploitation.
Prior
Foraker will seek consent of governing entities before starting a project.
Informed
Foraker will provide to a tribe a full explanation of scope including duration and reasons for a project. Foraker will share the findings of our work with the tribe in a timely manner.
Consent
Foraker will discuss project components and results with a tribal council in each community. Foraker will then seek consent from the councils to move forward. A tribe can choose to remain anonymous or withdraw from the project at any time.
Foraker’s overall methodology stems from Foraker’s core values of Sustainability, Strategic, Collaborative, Urban/Rural/Native/Non-Native. Our values drive our decisions, actions, and interactions as we work to strengthen nonprofits and tribal governments. In addition to our values, our theory of change articulates the way we work with organizations, leaders, and the sector to achieve our strategic goals. We recognize that our role is to stand beside nonprofits and tribes as we work to strengthen individual and collective efforts. Foraker will stay true to its values as a leader, catalyst, convener, innovator, and connector throughout the duration of this project, which will be implemented using the following steps:
1. Establish contacts in each village
There are three ways that Foraker will be in contact with tribes:
In options 2 and 3 when we have not been directly invited to participate with a tribe, Foraker will not proceed until we meet with the tribal council president or an acting member of the council to share information about the project and learn about the governance structure of the tribe. If the council agrees with the purpose of the project and is willing to participate, then we will ask council member(s) to recommend a tribal council representative willing to serve as a point of contact on behalf of the tribe to help Foraker coordinate activities throughout the duration of the project, including setting up interviews and meetings.
2. Seek consent from tribal leadership
At least one Foraker representative will meet with tribal councils, and other individuals within the community (cultural value bearers) where appropriate, to explain the project and ask for their consent to participate. If consent is granted, then we will begin the project, which may include interviews of individual council members or recommended tribal citizens.
3. Share project findings in a timely manner
Foraker will meet with a cohort of representatives (tribal administrators/executive directors/project designee) named by the tribal councils to report on project results and request consent to publish those results on the Foraker website and in any other form (e.g. print, newsletter) that is helpful to share the appropriate level of information. This could also include hosting a public meeting that includes all those who were interviewed to review the project information and ask again for consent to publish their statements.
4. Continue to ask for consent throughout the duration of the project
Foraker will meet with tribal council representatives (tribal administrator/executive director/designee) to seek consent regarding the project’s direction when emerging needs and information may differ from the original intent.
5. Partners must agree to follow these protocols.
Foraker may partner with other organizations during our work on a specific project. In each instance, Foraker will require the partnering organization to uphold these protocols.