EP160: Investing in Native Futures: How Native Forward Is Empowering 22,000+ Scholars, with Sara LaBarge

Only 16 percent of Native Americans hold a bachelor's degree, but one organization is rewriting that story.

In this episode of In the Margins, we sit down with Sara A. LaBarge, M.S.Ed., CFRE, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Native Forward Scholars Fund, the nation's largest direct scholarship provider for Native students. A proud citizen of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and an alum of the program herself, Sara shares how Native Forward is breaking barriers in higher education through culturally relevant support, strategic philanthropy, and transformational alliances with federal agencies, tribes, and corporate partners.

LaBarge discusses how Native Forward has more than doubled its revenue, expanded its reach across all 50 states, and helped over 22,000 Native students from 500 tribes pursue degrees with financial and emotional support tailored to their needs. She also discusses the impact of major philanthropic gifts, such as MacKenzie Scott's $50 million donation, the power of allyship, and the urgent need to fund basic necessities like housing, transportation, and food security to support students' success.

Key Points:

- Native student enrollment decline and its root causes

- How Native Forward has grown its impact and scaled nationwide with 22,000 Native students supported across 500 tribes

- Tackling food, housing, and transportation needs that hinder degree completion

- Sara's Story: From Menominee roots to higher-ed changemaker

- The role of representation and belonging on campus

- Rising demand, 35% more scholarship applications this year

- Building cross-cultural alliances and advocating for policy change

- Transformative Giving: $50M gift fuels scholarships and growth

- The lasting impact of MacKenzie Scott's trust-based philanthropy

- How listeners can become allies and support Native education

- Future Vision? Closing the $150M funding gap for Native scholars.

Resources:

Scholarships For Native Students | Native Forward Scholars Fund

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Closed captioning and live show transcription are available in the video for this episode.

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