Dawn Knickerbocker

About Dawn Knickerbocker

Dawn Knickerbocker (she/her/Kwe) is Anishinaabe and walks the path of service to Indigenous Peoples with a commitment to equity, sovereignty, and shared responsibility. An enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe from the Ottertail Pillager Band of Indians and a citizen of the White Earth Nation, Dawn currently lives in Ohio, where she centers her work on the enduring strength of her People.PHILANTHROPY EXPERTISE:A nationally respected philanthropic strategist, Dawn brings over two decades of experience advancing Indigenous-led systems change across philanthropy, government, advocacy, and community-rooted initiatives. She is a Principal at Our Ways Strategy Group, where her consulting practice focuses on equity-rooted funding strategy, narrative change, and culturally grounded facilitation. She previously served as Vice President of Philanthropic Strategies at the National Congress of American Indians Foundation, where she designed the Equity & Sovereignty Framework and launched philanthropic infrastructure in service to Tribal Nation self-determination.Dawn’s work honors both large-scale transformation and intimate community investment. She helped lead the Pathways to Wellness initiative and has supported local mental health and wellness ecosystems in the Midwest, providing grants and programming for Indigenous sisters, Two-Spirit, nonbinary kin, women of color, and Indigenous relatives across urban and rural communities. Her work spans food sovereignty, physical fitness, outdoor experiences, creative expression, and cultural continuity, grounded in a belief that wellness is political, relational, and collective.Mentorship is a core part of Dawn’s leadership. She invests in emerging leaders across generations, with a special focus on cultivating Native women and queer and trans Indigenous changemakers in philanthropy and civic life. Her approach to mentorship reflects her deep values of accompaniment, truth-telling, and relational responsibility.A Martin Luther King Drum Major for Justice Award recipient, Dawn is also a published nonfiction writer, poet, columnist, and national speaker. She serves as Board President of Urban Native Collective, a 501c3 board member of Friends of the Earth, and a steering committee member of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition. In every effort, she invites collaborators to imagine boldly, act justly, and build futures rooted in sovereignty, belonging, and joy.

Experience

1. Principal Consultant

   In Our Ways Strategy Group

   Jan 2025 — Present

   In Our Ways Strategy Group is a shared platform born from friendship, trust, and a mutual commitment to justice. We are Indigenous strategists with experience spanning Tribal governance, philanthropy, global policy, advocacy, and systems change. We have walked alongside leaders, movements, institutions, and communities across sectors and aim to bring our expertise and perspectives to fields where we are often systematically excluded.

Education

• Western Washington University

  C.M.E, Montessori Teacher Education

  1992 — 1994

• Harvard Business School Executive Education

  Executive Certificate, Tribal Leaders Executive Education

  2024

• Claremont Lincoln University

  Dual Masters in Social Impact and Organizational Leadership in Higher Education

• Whitworth University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management

• University of Arizona

  Master's degree, Human Rights Practice

  2019 — 2021

• Rockwood Leadership Institute

  Certificate, Art of Leadership

  2024

Skills

• Recruiting
• Public Relations
• Marketing
• Non-Profits
• Leadership
• Grant Writing
• Event Planning
• Interviews
• Grants
• Event Management
• Public Speaking
• Advertising
• Nonprofits
• Editing
• Writing
• Budgets
• Research
• Community Outreach
• Newsletters
• Management
• Team Building
• Business Development
• Human Resources
• Organizational Development
• Social Networking
• Strategic Planning
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Social Media
• Fundraising