ABOVE: In late July 2023, crew members of the Prince of Wales Alaska Youth Stewards (AYS) crew joined the Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership (KISFP) to help harvest and put up salmon for Elders, family and community — further rooting the role of stewardship work as integral to the way of life in our communities.
COVER PHOTO: In July 2023, the Ḵéex’ Ḵwáan Community Forest Partnership, U.S. Forest Service Petersburg Ranger District, and Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition worked together for a week using hand tools to add larger wood into critical areas on Shorty Creek. (Photo by Lee House)
Photo by Lee House
Vision
We amplify our Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian ancestral imperative to ensure Southeast Alaska thrives for future generations.
Mission
We are a driver of a regenerative economy across Southeast Alaska so communities can forge futures grounded in this uniquely Indigenous place.
Values
Balance Reciprocity
Native Knowledge Indigenous Stewardship
Progress over Perfection
Learning at the Speed of Trust
Equity Abundance
1
A Letter from the Director
“Our sovereignty and solutions-based approach should be the goal for all people”
7
Technical Assistance
“Raising the bar for excellence”
Where We Work
3
4
Spruce Root’s work spans all 23 communities of Southeast Alaska
How We Work
Providing support through our key programs
Business & Balance
9 Celebrating entrepreneurship and progress over perfection
Photo by Marc Wheeler
In August, members from our Spruce Root team traveled to Utqiagvik, Alaska, to host a business boot camp for 10 entrepreneurs from across Alaska’s North Slope.
Celebrating growth together
Gah Kith Tin Alana Peterson Spruce Root Executive Director
As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for all the amazing contributions and collaborations that have resulted in the great work Spruce Root accomplished in 2023.
This was a year of focusing on our sophistication as an organization. With tenured employees in leadership roles, we examined our existing programs and explored areas for improvement and new approaches. I am happy to report that we continued our growth from the previous year and we are a stronger organization than ever before.
We don’t measure success by staff size, but we have grown to over 20 employees, which is more than double our size before the COVID pandemic. We do measure the satisfaction of our clients and our ability to reach our annual objectives. Spruce Root staff continues to work toward our goals because of their passion and care for the future of this region and future generations.
Maintaining optimism and hope can be difficult as events in the world continue to unfold. By
Photo by Bethany S. Goodrich
Spruce Root Executive Director Alana Peterson hopes the organization’s work can be a model for other regions across Alaska.
focusing on our strategy in Southeast Alaska and creating spaces where all residents can learn from Indigenous values to inform their decisions, I see examples of how people in a place can determine their future and build with generational abundance in mind. We can have an immense impact as a model for what a changing world can look like.
One of our values, Progress Over Perfection, means the journey is where the value lies; it is in the lessons along the way that lead to creative solutions. It means we don’t become paralyzed by the fear of failure. The many amazing entrepreneurs we work with constantly remind us that Progress Over Perfection is a beautiful journey and can be done thoughtfully and productively.
In 2023, one of our longtime clients, Our Town Catering, led by Edith Johnson, received our largest loan to date. Her path is indicative of our clients embracing Progress Over Perfection. Edith’s journey included Spruce Root from the beginning when she got assistance to set up her LLC. From there, she participated in Spruce Root’s training programs to start her first small business and worked on her personal finances to buy her first home. By then, she was ready to come to Spruce Root for a loan to purchase her second business. Edith’s journey exemplifies our mission to empower local talent and support local businesses. We feel so fortunate to be witness to the positive impact people like Edith have on our region’s community, culture and economy.
This past year, we learned we are never done working on our relationships. Starting with our internal organizational relationships is key — with a team-based approach to our work, different lived experiences and skills create a dynamic work environment. Through building trust, understanding and shared goals we believe all things are possible. To work in Southeast Alaska is a gift and we hope our sovereignty and solutions-based approach can be a model for others.
From this foundation of good relationships, we continue to develop integral partnerships with collaborators outside of Spruce Root to foster and further this important work.
Through these efforts, Home Planet Fund Executive Director Dilafruz Khonikboyeva traveled to Sitka to participate and facilitate work sessions at the 2023 Sustainable Southeast Partnership annual spring retreat, and as a result Home Planet Fund, as well as Rasmuson Foundation
and Edgerton Foundation, joined our growing list of partners to support the Seacoast Trust, with a transformative $1 million investment, which propels our work with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership to new heights.
We celebrated Norman Cohen, who stepped down from our Board of Directors after more than 10 years, and welcomed a new member, L’uxshakee Rob Allen. Both members enrich our leadership with fresh perspectives. We are grateful for the time we shared with Norman and all his wisdom and experience that helped us through our first decade, and we look forward to the ideas Rob brings to the board table.
Together, we are weaving a vibrant tapestry of impact. As we move forward, let’s continue planting seeds, tending to growth and celebrating the harvest. Thank you for being part of our Spruce Root family.
With gratitude, Gah Kith Tin Alana Peterson
Photo by Tripp J Crouse
Nicole Church, left, Kaachgóon Rochelle Smallwood and S.aaní Liana Wallace work with Spruce Root Executive Director Alana Peterson during a workshop for Tlingit & Haida Tribal citizens.
Path to Prosperity
Angoon Financial Wellness Workshop
Business Basics for Artists workshop in collaboration with Chilkoot Indian Association
YAKUTAT
PELICAN
Craig Community Harvest and Sharing Local Knowledge
HOONAH
SITKA
HYDABURG HAINES GUSTAVUS
CRAIG
Kake Clam Garden Work
Yakutat Surf Club
KLUKWAN
SKAGWAY
Regalia Essentials Workshop and Northwest Coast Arts support
Muskeg Munchkins 2023 Winner Path to Prosperity Business Competition
Southeast Alaska Farmers Summit
Where We Work
Spruce Root’s work spans the region of Southeast Alaska, including 23 communities. In 2023, we directly supported individuals and projects in 19 unique communities throughout Southeast Alaska including Craig, Haines, Hoonah, Hydaburg, Juneau, Kake, Kasaan, Ketchikan, Klawock, Klukwan, Metlakatla, Petersburg, Sitka, Skagway, Wrangell and Yakutat.
METLAKATLA
Technical Assistance
Our client services team provides 11+ technical assistance programs and services for Southeast Alaskans interested in improving their financial wellness, workforce readiness and development, and entrepreneurial or small business growth. We utilize one-on-one coaching, asynchronous online courses, synchronous virtual and in-per son workshops, and annual cohort-based intensives to provide these services, and customize our approach for each client we work with. Participating in our client services supports Southeast Alaskans, especially our rural and Indigenous community members in their journey to create economic prosperity while also creating communities where culture, community, and the environment thrive.
CDFI/Business Loan Program
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are a different kind of lender. We provide small businesses with capital for existing and start-up financing needs. We provide responsible, affordable loans to people unable to get funding from a mainstream bank — as well as technical expertise to help clients suc ceed throughout the full life-cycle of their business.
How We
We Work
Sustainable Southeast Partnership
We provide backbone support for The Sustainable Southeast Partnership, a dynamic collective uniting diverse skills and perspectives to strengthen cultural, ecological and economic resilience across Southeast Alaska. Our network includes Tribal governments, community-minded organizations, local businesses, Native corporations and entities, culture bearers, educators, state and federal agencies, storytellers and more. We work with communities around Southeast Alaska to amplify and support their priorities. We also offer strategic planning services, facilitation support and community planning to nonprofits, Tribes and local governments across Southeast Alaska.
Seacoast Trust
Grounded in Indigenous values, the Seacoast Trust’s annual earnings will fund a different kind of conservation: one that understands that people and communities are inseparable components of a healthy environment. If we want thriving rivers and forests, we need mechanisms that shift power and resources to the people living here: the Seacoast Trust will fund the SSP to do just that.
Technical Assistance
‘Raising
the bar for excellence’
Spruce Root remains deeply invested in supporting the growth of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Southeast Alaska — a project we have been involved with since our organization’s inception. As we build on the past decade of work, we continue to pilot new programs, test new programs and iterate based on the feedback of our clients.
Each year, our organization surveys past participants to learn about the impact of our work, as well as where we can grow and improve. The 2023 survey had 71 responses. Of these respondents, 60 percent reported either starting or expanding their businesses with Spruce Root’s assistance, while 80 percent strengthened
Ashley Snookes Director of Client Services
their professional and personal networks. The survey also revealed that 82 percent identified as Alaska Native, and 79 percent as Sealaska shareholders. Moreover, 41 percent of respondents measured the triple bottom-line impacts of their businesses, with 35 percent implementing corresponding practices. Half the respondents cited personal savings as their primary source regarding access to capital, yet 60 percent expressed a likelihood of seeking loans within the next five years. We’ve integrated Indigenous values into our Technical Assistance program, incorporating them into new and existing programs and curricula.
Throughout 2023, we continued to enhance our pilot Business & Balance as an alternative format for our business competition, and built out Business Basics Online, a new self-paced online format to provide entrepreneurs with on-demand
Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler
Business Basics for Artists participant Clara Natonabah of Haines shares work during a Chilkoot Indian Association workshop for artists in the Haines area.
courtesy of International Economic Development Awards
Program Director for Client Services Ashley Snookes accepts the 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council.
access to our programming.
We launched Business Basics Online, providing asynchronous access to training, which resulted in 103 enrollments and 46 completions in 2023. Additionally, we conducted in-person Business Basics workshops for Tlingit & Haida citizens and supported McKinley Alaska Growth Capital in facilitating their North Slope Marketplace competition, based off our flagship Path to Prosperity Business Development Competition.
Our Technical Assistance team delivered more than 436 hours of coaching and revamped our triple-bottom-line curriculum better to integrate place-based, culturally responsive learning modules and activities. We also organized a retreat at the Native Conservancy’s island property in Cordova for Technical Assistance and Lending staff to better understand the developing mariculture industry and Indigenized work culture and to deepen soft skills such as project management, facilitation and coaching.
We were thrilled to be recognized for our achievements, as we received the 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Award, from the International Economic Development Council, as well as two other awards.
“Spruce Root has raised the bar for excellence in economic development with its Path to Prosperity programs. This award is a testament to Spruce Root’s dedication to its residents and serves as a great example of how economic development can help transform a community for the better,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President
436 Technical Assistance hours delivered
308 clients served
43 business plans completed
and CEO. “It is IEDC’s honor and privilege to present Spruce Root with this award and recognize its leadership and innovation in the field of economic development.”
We continued providing free one-on-one coaching in areas related to small business development, workforce development and financial wellness. Technical Assistance staff also supported the completion of 43 business plans, small business mentorship opportunities, and workshops for business, financial wellness and work readiness.
Workshops were held online via a digital cohort model and included in-person sessions in Klawock, Craig, Angoon, Haines and Sitka, among other places. We also finalized a video orientation for Fast Start Loan applicants to streamline the process and enhance client understanding and access to capital.
Photo
Business & Balance and Business Competition
Progress over
perfection
The fear of failure can prevent us from testing new ideas and will limit our growth
Izzy Haywood Program Manager for Events and Facilitation
At Spruce Root, we frequently encourage entrepreneurs not to be afraid to test their ideas and experiment so they can learn and grow. In 2023, we took our own advice by experimenting with the formatting of our Path to Prosperity Business Competition to train more participants, reach more rural and Indigenous entrepreneurs, and to share our resources more equitably with the rest of our growing programming.
Rather than offering our signature three-day, in-person Boot Camp, we offered two nine-week courses titled “Business & Balance” to train entrepreneurs who could then choose to apply for the Path to Prosperity Business Competition. Through two cohorts, we trained 43 entrepreneurs (28 of whom identified as Indigenous).
While this online format had its strengths, we realized that it missed the transformational nature and relationship-building of our classic in-person training. So, we will return to the threeday training in 2024, but will carry the lessons we learned into the 2024 cycle of the Competition.
Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler
Holly Adams, left, poses with Business Competition Coordinator Izzy Haywood and fellow competition winner Robert Chadwell. The winners were announced at the 2024 Sustainable Soutehast Parternship’s Spring Retreat in Sitka.
Financial Wellness
Meet the 2023
Path to Prosperity
Business
Competition winners Building for tomorrow
Spruce Root updated its Financial Wellness program to ground the curriculum in Alaska Native Indigenous values and knowledge.
Sally Boisvert Four Winds Farm
Holly Adams Muskeg Munchkins Baby Boutique
Robert Chadwell and Tawny Darling, Adventure Harvest
Four Winds Farm grows, washes, packs and delivers naturally-grown produce within the area including Haines, Mosquito Lake and Klukwan, Alaska. Development of the farmland began in 2009 from second-growth forest in the Moose Valley near Mosquito Lake.
Muskeg Munchkins is a Juneau start-up that will offer a centrally located retail store featuring a diverse range of locally made, sustainable and organic baby, maternity and breastfeeding products.
In April, eight participants joined a two-day Financial Wellness program for Alaska Native participants in partnership with McKinley Alaska Growth Capital.
In August, we welcomed Haley Armstrong to the Spruce Root team as Program Manager for Financial Wellness. Later that month, Haley attended the Building Native Communities workshop at the Northwest Indian College Lummi Nation. The workshop was a train-the-trainer workshop that covered teaching strategies, basic financial literacy and best practices for financial education program development.
for Financial Wellness
In November, 17 participants from around the Southeast Region, including Juneau, Craig, Anchorage, Petersburg, Sitka, Haines and Ketchikan, attended a virtual Financial Wellness workshop. Participants learned how to utilize personal financial management concepts, tools, and resources to improve their overall financial wellness.
Adventure Harvest of Haines forages for local ingredients and encourages others to get outside and experience nature, and learn about the natural world. Adventure Harvest hand harvests and uses local ingredients to make unique spice mixes, sauces, syrups, jellies and more.
“The class was great! Thank you so much for the resources and advice. Breaking everything down was really beneficial.”
In collaboration with Jump/Scale, Spruce Root piloted Resilience Circles, a program to support Indigenous entrepreneurs with the goal of promoting regional economic development and community wellbeing. Resilience Circles saw several major developments in 2023, including the hiring of a full-time program director, Lisa Nelson, to lead the project development.
Lisa Nelson Resilience Circles Program Director
A framework was created to guide the process for the year-long pilot program. Business consultants and wellness practitioners were brought onboard. Additionally, the search for the first cohort of participants was launched through a nomination and application process. Ten Southeast Alaska Native entrepreneurs rounded out the inaugural cohort to participate.
Resilience Circles believes that by providing opportunities for healing and wellness, the program will increase the individual success rates of businesses. When people are well, they lift others up and positively impact the overall health, vitality and resilience of their communities.
While recognizing that intergenerational trauma creates limiting beliefs and inequitable access to resources, Resilience Circles finds highly skilled practitioners, career mentors, financial coaches and experts in mental, cultural and lifestyle wellness to create work sessions to strengthen and enhance the success of Native-led businesses in Alaska and set them up for long-term economic resilience.
Photo by Brian DeLay
UPPER LEFT: Lexa Meyer of Kodiak Kelp Company shares kelp pickles with Marc Wheeler at a kelp farming workshop in Kodiak sponsored by Alaska Sea Grant.
ABOVE: Katie Riley, Sitka Conservation Society Deputy Director of Policy and Programming, speaks during a discussion at the 2023 Sustainable Southeast Partnership annual spring retreat in Sitka.
LEFT: A participant of the 35th Ḵéex’ Ḵwáan Culture Camp paints at a formline moose.
Photo by Ḵaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid
Photo by Bethany S. Goodrich
Workforce Development
Michael Mausbach Program Manager for Workforce Development and SSP Regional Catalyst
We build brighter futures
Program Manager for Workforce Development Michael Mausbach leads monthly calls to continue to provide space for workforce development stakeholders to gather, share updates, connect and collaborate. Michael has since overseen the merger of the ongoing workforce development calls and the regional career and technical education calls offered by the Alaska Postsecondary Access and Completion Network, with more than 90 invitees. Participants included Sealaska, Tlingit & Haida, Tribal offices and various municipal, school district, Federal, state and non-profit representatives. Additionally, a new Southeast consortium of career and technical education providers has been formed, with Michael facilitating a “strategic doing” session to inform their initial projects and associated timelines. This consortium includes Alaska Native corporations, Tribal, district, higher education and nonprofit partners. Catalyzed projects included a Southern Southeast
Photo by Lee House
Spruce Root/SSP visited with the Angoon Alaska Youth Stewards (AYS) crew to share a work readiness and soft skills workshop and participate in Tlingit & Haida’s AYS end-of-season wrap up.
Career and Technical Education intensive through the Prince of Wales Vocational and Technical Education Center (now Generations Southeast), as well as a Northern CTE intensive in Juneau at the University of Alaska Southeast.
Spruce Root’s Work Readiness and Soft Skills curriculum was revised to reflect a strengths-based and empowerment approach rooted in place and culture. Ten people from Shaan Seet Incorporated and Klawock Cooperative Association participated in two days of the curriculum in partnership with Generations Southeast.
Building off the success of the sessions in Klawock, a second session was held in partnership with Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Tlingit & Haida’s Youth Employment Services Program to support 10 Indigenous youth entering the workforce for the first time. The program was also offered to Alaska Youth Stewards program crew members in tandem with Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness Curriculum in Angoon and Kake.
Michael also began serving on the steering committee for the Alaska Youth Stewards and will support continued planning and development activities for leaders and crew members.
Spruce Root partnered with Sealaska Heritage Institute to deliver a one-day virtual retreate, bringing together 12 educators and participants of Sealaska Heritage’s Box of Treasures program to develop professional capacity and identify opportunities to build career pathways and dual enrollment options for high school-age youth. Michael also facilitated a workshop for Sealaska Heritage’s Northwest Coast Arts summer career programs.
Career Coaching was delivered through partnerships with Sitka Trail Works and Sealaska’s Internship program for young Indigenous professionals in setting and achieving career goals. One-on-one career coaching was also provided to regionally-based participants of the Sealaska Internship program, SSP partners and internal staff.
In conjunction with their work with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, Michael supported a third-party 10-day training for Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership members. Together with Terra Verde Inc. of Juneau, in partnership with the Alaska Division of Forestry, trained eight KISFP members in field sampling and GIS mapping techniques. Six program participants secured yearround employment and position funding as a result of program completion and will support a long-term forest field study for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
Workforce Development By the Numbers
50 high school-age youth and adults benefited from workforce development training, coaching, and support.
20 partnerships across all workforce development programming.
45 combined career and project coaching hours. 20 hours of oneon-one career coaching delivered and an additional 25 hours of group coaching on projects related to management, strategic planning, and conflict resolution.
60% of coaching participants surveyed in 2023 reported having completed a long-term career goal.
Thrilled to support
regenerativeeconomies
Michael Ching CDFI Director
In the early part of the year, our lending efforts gained momentum with the launch of our Fast Start Small Business no-collateral loans, which provided swift financial support to ventures like SEAK Adventure and Kupreanof Lumber & Design. The rapid processing of these loans, furnishing up to $50,000 in start-up or expansion working capital, marked a forward movement toward meeting community needs.
Spruce Root is thrilled to announce our largest loan to date given to Our Town Catering and its dynamic leader, Alaska Native business owner Edith
Sustainable Southeast Partnership Program Director Marina Anderson introduces Edith Johnson, owner of Our Town Catering and Ludvig’s Bistro at the 2023 SSP spring retreat.
Johnson. Edith’s jounrey as a Spruce Root client to her growing success as an entrepreneur powerfully demonstrates our mission — empowering local talent to build thriving businesses that strengthen our community.
Our annual survey highlighted entrepreneurs’ struggles in accessing capital, showcasing a clear need for financing with low interest and low collateral requirements that meet businesses where they’re at. This data reinforced the importance of our lending program’s accessibility and responsiveness to emerging business demands. It’s not just about the money, but about being a genuine partner and tailoring our support to reduce barriers for entrepreneurs.
We supported the plan development for the Revolving Loan Fund for the Alaska Mariculture Cluster with Southeast Conference, demonstrating our commitment to long-term sustainability. This fund will support the development of a strong, localized ocean farming industry that has the potential to sequester carbon while bolstering the Southeast economy in this emerging market.
We’re forging further collaborations with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development to bring permits back into coastal communities, back into the hands of Indigenous Alaskans and provide down payment and startup expense support.
Additionally, initiatives like the proposed Green Bank revolving loan fund will promote clean renewable energy initiatives that fund improved energy efficiency, heat pumps, hydropower, solar, electric vehicles and marine vessel electrification and charging systems.
Empowering Community Facilitation
communities
Spruce Root’s community planning and facilitation initiatives continued in 2023 as we collaborated with various stakeholders to foster sustainable development and empower local communities.
We continued to work with the City & Borough of Yakutat to lead the update of their comprehensive community plan, which was adopted by the City & Borough Assembly in December 2023. We are grateful to the community of Yakutat, the Planning Commission, and CBY staff for their invaluable input on the visions, goals and objectives that will lay the foundation for the future development of their community.
Aldyn Brudie Administrative & Human Resources Director
Spruce Root provided strategic planning support to partners, including Allen Marine and the Sitka Sound Science Center. Additionally, the organization supported the City & Borough of Sitka’s Tourism Task Force in community engagement initiatives, showcasing its commitment to facilitating inclusive decision-making processes. Spruce Root also kicked off a project with the U.S. Forest Service to support the Tongass National Forest Plan revision starting in early 2024.
In 2023 we put together a diverse team of over 40 representatives from across the region to begin an innovative process for addressing the needs of the region called “Transformative Scenarios Planning.” The team began their work in late 2023, which will take six months to complete, resulting in a tool that can be used to support community and regional planning for years to come.
Looking ahead, Spruce Root remains dedicated to supporting community-driven initiatives through strategic planning and facilitation.
Photo courtesy of SEAK Adventure Spruce Root loan client Charlie Jordan operates SEAK Adventures, which provides kayak tour guides to explore Sitka’s hidden wonders.
In service Sustainable Southeast Partnership with our communities
Throughout 2023, the Sustainable Southeast Partnership (SSP) embarked on a journey of collaboration, capacity building and community engagement, driven by its commitment to fostering sustainable development in Southeast Alaska.
SSP facilitated a series of online hangouts and an in-person retreat, focusing on networking and capacity development for Catalysts and partners. Through group sessions and facilitated conversations, participants delved into various topics, including systems leadership, building trust and effective communication in rural communities. The spring retreat in Sitka was the largest SSP gathering to date, where more than 160 partners gained skills, built trust and enjoyed ocean dips.
Marina Anderson Sustainable Southeast Partnership Program Director
As the year progressed, the focus shifted to deeper community engagement and immersive learning experiences. Regional Catalysts gathered in Ḵéexʼ Ḵwaan, engaging with the community of Kake and immersing themselves in traditional activities during their annual culture camp. Discussions with community leaders and participation in cultural practices provided invaluable insights into respectful and responsible engagement in small communities.
Backed by these experiences, SSP initiated the development of a resource document on how to effectively engage in small communities, aiming to empower its network with practical insights and strategies. Additionally, plans were set for future retreats and expansions of Catalyst positions, reflecting the organization’s commitment to
by Ḵaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid Pacific High School garden coordinator Andrea Fraga rinses off vegetables with student Jeremiah Ward.
growth and community outreach.
Simultaneously, SSP supported the Tribally led Forest Partnerships in Hoonah, Kake and on Prince of Wales Island, and the Alaska Youth Stewards program, fostering connections and providing resources for community-led projects across Southeast Alaska. These partnerships help move management action and job creation to communities who have lived in relationship with these lands and waters since time immemorial.
Later in the year, efforts were focused on strategic planning and internal capacity building. The SSP Steering Committee identified priorities
Photo
to guide the network’s growth, while improvements were made in internal communication systems and staffing capacity. Enhanced external communications strategies were developed, including monthly newsletters, social media engagement, and real-time collaboration through platforms like Discord, which 200 people in the region utilized.
As the year drew to a close, the partnership celebrated milestones in Catalyst recruitment and organizational development. Three Community Catalyst positions were filled in Craig, Angoon and Skagway, a Regional Communications Catalyst position was filled and a Rural Economic Development Catalyst position was filled. Agreements were solidified, and plans were set in motion for future projects.
Looking ahead, SSP remains committed to empowering Southeast Alaska communities through strategic partnerships, capacity building and sustainable development initiatives. With a growing network of Catalysts and strengthened internal systems, the organization is poised to make a lasting impact on the region’s economic and environmental landscape.
The Kake Alaska Youth Stewards crew gets a visit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and learn about Japanese knotweed and removal techniques, as well as the many career pathways the Forest Service offers.
Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler
Photo by Shalene Grace Moler
Seacoast Trust
Development Manager
Generational abundance
In 2023, the Seacoast Trust investment policy was completed and the all-Indigenous Investment Committee began investing the fully capitalized fund of approximately $21 million with help from an adviser.
Spruce Root added a full-time staff member dedicated to development, with a strong focus on growing the corpus of the Seacoast Trust. The fundraising team convened again, and a strategy for a second campaign to raise an additional $20 million that will guide much of the work in 2024.
Thank you to our major contributors Sealaska, The Nature Conservancy, Rasmuson Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, Chorus Foundation and Wilburforce Foundation, as well as the numerous generous individual donors. Investment returns have been strong (since inception, the portfolio has returned +7.5 percent). The current value of the Seacoast Trust is approximately $23 million, with the overall goal of reaching $100 million.
Kaylah Duncan
Photo by Bethany S. Goodrich
The Seacoast Trust is a perpetual funding source for the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, which promotes the collective well-being and economic prosperity of Alaska Native Tribes, such as clam gathering, clam garden viewing and shellfish testing with Organized Village of Kake.
“In 100 years, we will know we’ve succeeded
when our forests are intact, Indigenous communities and cultures continue to thrive, and Indigenous peoples around the world are leading stewardship of their homelands as they have since time immemorial.”
First row, from left: Lisa Nelson, Kaylah Duncan, Brooke Leslie, Ashley Snookes. Middle row: Aaron Ferguson, Michael Ching, Shannon Stevens, Izzy Haywood, Laurel Stark, Alana Peterson, Leslie Jackson, Bobbie Meszaros, Marina Anderson. Back row: Marc Wheeler, Tripp J Crouse, Grant Echohawk, Haley Armstrong, Michael Mausbach, Aldyn Brudie and Abbey Janes.
Spruce Root team members participated in a team-building skills challenge facilitated by Southeast Alaska Independent Living at Eagle Valley Center in Juneau.
Photo by Konrad Frank
Photo by Marc Wheeler
Our Board
Ts’aang Gaay
Leslie Isaacs Chair
Norman Cohen Treasurer
La quen náay
Liz Medicine Crow Board Member
Chris Perez President
Gunnuk’ Anthony Mallott Board Member
Kaaxúxgu Joe Nelson Secretary
Aanshawatk’i
Sarah Dybdahl Board Member
In addition, we’d like to show our appreciation for those who volunteer their time and serve at the will of the board of directors, including the Seacoast Trust Investment Committee, Sustainable Southeast Partnership Steering Committee and Spruce Root’s Senior Loan Advisory Committee:
We take pride in our work and are grateful to work in and serve the region to build collaborative and sustainable solutions to economic development. Alone, we will not succeed. Thank you to our partners and funders for continuing to support our mission!
Gunalchéesh, Hàw’aa, Nt’oyaxsn, Thank You!
AEL&P
AP&T
AK Litho
Alaska Brewing
Alaska Community Foundation
Alaska Conservation Foundation
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
Alaska Outdoor Alliance
Alaska Venture Fund
Allen Marine
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Avista Foundation
Barnacle Foods
CDFI Fund
Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Chorus Foundation
City and Borough of Yakutat
Coalition for Green Capital
Couer Alaska Kensington Mine
Credit Builder’s Alliance
Economic Development Administration
Ecotrust
Edgerton Foundation
Elgee Rehfeld
Evergreen Business Capital Foundation
Farragut Farm
First Alaskans Institute
Geofamily Foundation
Haa Tóoch Lichéesh Coalition
Hewlett Foundation
Home Planet Fund
Hoonah Indian Association
Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center
JumpScale
Klawock Cooperative Association
Kootznoowoo, Incorporated
Launch Alaska
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
McKinley Research Group
McKinley Alaska Growth Capital
Native American Agriculture Fund
Native Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
NDN Collective
Olamina Fund
Opportunity Finance Network
Oweesta Corporation
Patagonia
Rasmuson Foundation
Rain Coast Data
Renewable Energy Alaska Project
Rural LISC
Sealaska
Sealaska Heritage Institute
Shaan Seet Inc.
Simpson, Tillinghast, Sheehan & Araujo, P.C.
Sitka Conservation Society
Sitka Homeless Coalition
Sitka Tribe of Alaska
Skagway Development Corporation
Southeast Conference
Sustainable Southeast Partnership
Tamalpais Trust
Tongass Federal Credit Union
Tortuga Charitable Foundation
Twin Peaks Foundation
Tyree Charitable Trust
United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service
United States Economic Development Administration
University of Alaska Center for Economic Development
Wilburforce Foundation
W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
Wostman Associates
Wrangell Cooperative Association
Spruce Root and Sustainable Southeast Partnership visited with the Angoon Alaska Youth Stewards (AYS) crew to share a Financial Wellness Workshop with the youth and participate in Tlingit & Haida’s AYS endof-season wrap up. (Photograph by Lee House)
