Lessons from the Process of Creating the Native Governance Center

This report documents the development of the Native Governance Center, beginning with the Bush Foundation's work supporting the self-determination of Native Nations, through the emergence of a fully independent, Native-led 501(c)(3) organization in 2015 . Included is an analysis of the environment in which the new organization was developed, how we thought about the opportunity at hand, selecting an organizational model, financing considerations, building of leadership, developmental issues, and lessons learned along the way.Our hope is that by reflecting on our experience, and sharing that with others, we can help make more knowledge and tools available to help others — foundation leaders, intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs in philanthropy, and other actors working to advance social good — who may be interested in pursuing a similar path, do their work better .