“Being a member and part of the network that The Circle provides has created immeasurable opportunities for me personally as well as professionally. The Circle team centers their work from an Indigenous perspective, which is an approach that many philanthropic organizations can learn from. They have consistently kept my organization top of mind while hosting and creating relationships with the sector that has directly led to financial and other much needed support.”

“…when I first started in the sector, and was still figuring out what exactly this whole philanthropy thing was, I was pleasantly surprised to hear people talk about generosity, giving, and sharing. I soon realized that despite using the same English words, we actually weren’t talking about the same thing. Many folks in the sector were actually talking about charity and about giving back only after they’d, or the organizations they work for, had accumulated so much. What I was talking about was justice and responsibility, and that as a Métis person I had a responsibility to take care of others, to gift and to share, and to use my skills for the collective good.” | Governing Circle Members in Conversation

“Indigenous-led community foundations can start to support longer-term solutions and investments so we aren’t only looking at the short-term and stuck dealing only with crises as they arise. Our communities have the solutions, we just need the resources to support long-term initiatives.” | Indigenous Gift Giving

“Think of the things that feel precious to you: when asked this question, I think of wild berries. What do we want for the things that are precious to us? We want them to thrive in abundance.” | Abundance in Practice

“The Feast House logo features many different design elements that represent Indigenous wealth, abundance, and connection. The design is held together with the shape of a bowl to symbolize nourishment and feasting. It includes medicines and berries – sage, tobacco, cedar, strawberries, and blueberries – that signify the relationship we have with sacred plants, their value, and how they are important to trade, ceremony, and food. The design also includes earthly elements like the sun, water and trees. When I think of abundance, these are the elements that I see. We gain so much from being within the forest and on the water – these are spaces we return to as Indigenous peoples to feed us and our spirits.” | jadeleviroberts.com

“Sovereign Seeds has been directly and indirectly uplifted by The Circle’s efforts. The Circle has been a dedicated advocate and trailblazer for organizations like ours, and it has been so encouraging to witness the needed changes they’ve generated in philanthropy over the years for Indigenous people and initiatives. Through our relationship with The Circle, Sovereign Seeds received an unexpected and impactful contribution to our work that strengthened our community-led education efforts. The Circle facilitated this contribution with care, and they modelled a commitment to values and Indigenous leadership that created a refreshingly empowering and relational experience.” | Sovereign Seeds