From the strength of the past, let us build a brighter future...
As an indigenous community the origins and history of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians stem from our
relationship with the land and to all who share it. This has shaped our culture, traditions and present lives. Today
our Serrano ancestral lands, which include most of present-day San Bernardino County, are shared by many who have
not had an opportunity to learn about our deep relationship with these lands.
Since ancient times we have expressed ourselves through a culture of giving. Today, San Manuel is able to answer the
call of Yawa' (Serrano word meaning "to act on one's beliefs") through partnerships with charitable organizations.
We have drawn upon our history, knowledge, expertise and cultural values to direct our philanthropic giving in our
local region, as well as to Native American causes nationwide.
We are proud of the positive impacts that our charitable giving has produced to date.And we look forward to
opportunities that the future holds as we partner with outstanding groups that continue to make positive impacts -
particularly those focused within our Giving Pillars.
We invite you to visit our Giving Pillars to learn about our area of focus. Visit our Application Process page to
learn about cycle review dates. Visit our Guidelines page to learn more about funding criteria and exclusions.
Please note we do not accept requests for event support. Please visit our Sponsorship Page for event-related support.
Organizations are not allowed to submit a request for a program AND event. Only one request per
organization will be accepted. To be eligible for special events support, requests or applications must be
received by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians no less than 90 days before the scheduled date of the
event. We require no less than 90 days to properly review and process the request or application. Failure to
meet this requirement will render the request as non-responsive and will not be considered.