The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in San Bernardino County, California, has announced grants totaling $13.5 million to 161 organizations in 2023.

The majority of grants were distributed to nonprofits operating in California’s Inland Empire region, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and to groups working with Indigenous communities across reservations in the American Southwest. Over the past two decades, the San Manuel Nation, which owns and operates the Yaamava' Resort and Casino in Highland, California, has awarded grants totaling more than $350 million.

This year’s recipients include Sherman Indian High School ($2.7 million), which was awarded a renewal grant to bolster workforce development programs; the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation ($1.2 million), which will develop new baseball fields in San Bernardino’s Blair Park; the National Indian Child Welfare Association ($450,000), which advocates for the preservation of Native American families; and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America ($450,000), which will direct funds to 14 clubs supporting afterschool programs in Native American communities. Grants were also awarded to U.S. Vets and Mercy House.

“Often times, we find hardworking people dedicated to improving lives and communities yet may have limited resources to complete their calling,” said San Manuel Band of Mission Indians chairwoman Lynn Valbuena. “Without these altruistic individuals, many of the tools used to support mental health, family housing, cultural preservation, and even to pursue higher education, would not exist. As a Tribe, we understand the importance in providing a hand up so that nonprofits and community leaders can make the impacts that change the world around us.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Vanessa Nunes)