San Manuel Band Provides $100,000 Grant to American Indian College Fund

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

$100,000 Grant

DENVER - The American Indian College Fund received a $100,000 multi-purpose grant from the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians, based in Highland, California.

The grant will be divided to support several major initiatives: $50,000 will support the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians Tribal College Scholarship Program; $25,000 will go towards the Sovereign Nations Scholarship Fund Endowment, which provides scholarships to Native American students in perpetuity; and $25,000 will support expenses for the American Indian College Fund's annual fundraiser, the Flame of Hope Gala, on Thursday, October 20, in Denver, Colorado.

"We are honored that the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is continuing its support of American Indian education," said Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. "Their generous gift is an outstanding example of how Natives are helping to transform Indian Country through its grassroots efforts. A college education is the first step towards eradicating poverty and empowering American Indian people, and the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians has been instrumental in this effort."

The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is federally recognized American Indian tribe. The Serrano Indians are indigenous of the San Bernardino Valley area in southern California.

The American Indian College Fund is the nation's largest private provider of scholarships for American Indian students, providing an average of 6,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education and support to the nation's 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities.

posted June 29, 2011 10:37 am et