Pow Wow Pitch, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs, proudly announces its inaugural partnership with the National Association of Friendship Centres. This partnership signifies a commitment to empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth in urban Indigenous communities across Canada.
The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) was established in 1972 to represent, nationally, the growing number of Friendship Centres emerging across Canada. The NAFC represents over 100 Friendship Centres and Provincial/Territorial Associations (PTAs) from coast-to-coast-to-coast which make up the Friendship Centre Movement. The Friendship Centre Movement is Canada’s most significant national network of self-determined, Indigenous owned and operated civil society community hubs offering programs, services, and supports to Indigenous people living in urban, rural, and remote settings, and specifically for First Nations living off-reserve, Métis living outside of the Métis Homelands, and Inuit living in the south.
In 2023, Pow Wow Pitch was a recipient of NAFC’s Investment Readiness Program (IRP), an ESDC funded initiative that seeks to support social purpose organizations, such as charities, non-profits, co-operatives, as they develop their social enterprises and work towards goals of becoming investment-ready in Canada’s growing social finance market. The funds received from the IRP equipped Pow Wow Pitch with the resources to build organizational capacity by developing a pathway forward in governance, expanding their business model, and growing a team of motivated individuals to drive the organization’s mission.
At the heart of this partnership lies the shared goal of providing opportunities to increase Indigenous economic prosperity. As part of the partnership, the NAFC is set to actively support urban Indigenous entrepreneurs through collaborations with Friendship Centres across Canada.
“We are delighted to form a strategic partnership with Pow Wow Pitch,” said Jocelyn Formsma, Chief Executive Officer of the NAFC. “We are committed to contributing to the collective prosperity of urban Indigenous peoples and communities.This collaboration epitomizes our dedication to strengthening urban Indigenous social economies and empowering Indigenous voices in the entrepreneurial landscape within urban centres.”
“We are thrilled to deepen and grow our relationship with the National Association of Friendship Centres,” said Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch. “NAFC has played a crucial role in the growth of our organization and we are so excited to optimize our collective impact by introducing Pow Wow Pitch into the Friendship Centre Movement and continue to welcome urban Indigenous entrepreneurs into our Pow Wow Pitch community.”
By collaborating with Pow Wow Pitch, the NAFC strives to enhance the engagement of urban Indigenous entrepreneurs in Pow Wow Pitch’s programs, fostering increased economic prosperity within the Indigenous entrepreneur ecosystem.
About Pow Wow Pitch
Pow Wow Pitch is an entrepreneurship program for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, which provides a safe, supportive, collaborative, empowering and culturally supportive environment that addresses the unique challenges of Indigenous entrepreneurs and aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs. Pow Wow Pitch enhances, develops and accelerates the growth for current and aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs in a sustainable way through programs and resources. Community leadership through volunteerism is promoted as a reflection of respect and reciprocity as the foundation of the Pow Wow Pitch.
For more information, visit powwowpitch.org.
About the National Association of Friendship Centres
The National Association of Friendship Centres is a network of over 100 Friendship Centres and Provincial/Territorial Associations, which make up part of the Friendship Centre movement–Canada’s most significant national network of self-determined Indigenous owned and operated civil society community hubs offering programs, services and supports to urban Indigenous people.
For more information, visit nafc.ca.