Support the Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation provides philanthropic support for the Crees of Eeyou Istchee, in northern Quebec. The Foundation is Cree-led, with a Board of Directors comprised of Cree government and civil society leaders, and promotes the social and cultural development priorities of the Cree nation.
The Foundation works to build capacity and resiliency in the Cree communities and institutions through funds related to education, youth development, culture, health and social services, and community development.
The people of the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee have travelled far and worked hard to secure broad recognition of who we are, our remarkable history, and what we can accomplish. We have regained mastery of our lands and resources. We have established institutions of sound governance, launched flourishing businesses, and built strategic alliances with business and government at all levels.
And yet, too many who live across the ten communities of Eeyou Istchee lack the advantages non-Native communities take for granted. In housing and social services, in health care and cultural development, in education and job creation, the gap remains far too wide.
Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls for Action, the Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation reflects the Eeyou Istchee philosophy of putting the needs of our land, our people, and our communities first.
We are deeply committed to preserving the land we’ve walked for thousands of years, so both the Boreal forest and species like Woodland caribou, moose, and others are secured. The Cree Nation Government has set aside, untouched and undeveloped, almost a third of our land, and we insist on Cree-led environmental reviews of any development projects in the region.
Guided by these principles, the Foundation supports a wide range of charitable causes across the region.
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation works with the Cree Nation Government and other Cree stakeholders to:
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation is the legacy of a long tradition of wise and prudent governance. The Board of Directors includes Cree leaders from the business, education, health and social services, culture, and government sectors distinguished by their high ethical standards and reputation.
The Board sets policy and guidelines for assessing grant requests from Cree communities, and meets regularly to distribute grants. Decisions are based on the viability and expected impact of each project, and by carefully tracking each project’s progress and outcomes.
Dr. Sarah Pash, Chair
Chair – Cree School Board
Grand Chief
Chair – Cree Nation Government
Adrian N. Gunner
Youth Grand Chief, Cree Nation Youth Council
Derrick Neeposh
Chair – Cree Nation Government Board of Compensation
Jeannie Pelletier
Chair – Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay
Here is a list of our current and past initiatives
Figurr Architects Collective raised $7000 through a fundraising initiative that recognizes the firm’s long association with the Crees of Eeyou Istchee. Donations were made by Figurr staff, suppliers, and friends for a total of approximately $3500, and those contributions were matched through a corporate donation by the firm for a total of $7000.
A $3 million partnership with the Mastercard Foundation to support and empower the youth of the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee. The Foundation will utilize the funds to enhance the Cree Nation Youth Council’s capacity to support Cree youth. The Council represents Cree youth to the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) and delivers projects and programs that foster the growth of youth as current and future leaders of the Cree Nation.
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation recently received a Fulbright Canada “Honouring Nations Canada” Indigenous Governance Award for the innovative Teepee project.
This fund pays tribute to a woman who was a firm believer and a great promoter of investing in Eenou and Eeyou children, youth, and community. Donations to this fund are used to fund education and community projects. Learn more here.
The “Orange Shirt Day Fund” is a partnership with the employees of the Newmont Éléonore’s state-of-the-art gold mine located in Eeyou Istchee. Their team raised almost $10,000, including a matching donation from the company, as a meaningful way to show their support for the Crees of the region.
A special Fund was initiated in the summer of 2023 to help Cree families who have been severely affected by the fires. The Foundation is working closely with the Cree Trappers Association and the Cree Nation Government to identify and support those most in need throughout Eeyou Istchee.
A unique place of healing and companionship that brings Cree cooking and culture to Mohawk territory for long-term Cree hospital patients. The Kahnawake Mohawk Nation, the Foundation, and Foundation partner Beneva Assurance provide sustaining funding to the Cree Health Board’s teepee project.
Power Corporation generously contributed to the Foundation’s “Casting Our Net Wider” campaign, which supports various projects that help build the future of Eeyou Istchee.
A partnership which supported connectivity and access to technology for students navigating virtual and distance learning due to the pandemic.
Funded by Mastercard Foundation, this initiative includes a completely refreshed website and features a full virtual reality video walking tour of the Institute. Visit the website here.
This grant was allocated to the Robin’s Nest women’s shelters to offer support in response to Covid-19.
Support for health and social service projects including mobile health care facilities across Eeyou Istchee through the Cree Health Board.
This grant supports the “Uusdaadaouw: Let’s Build” project, providing funds for five youth-led community art initiative designed to promote the sharing of artistic expression and development of leadership through a homegrown Eeyou Istchee solution.
Cree Youth at the 7th CNYC Inspire Hope Conference in Nemaska, Eeyou Istchee, in March 2025. Photo credit: CNYC
The EECF is proud to provide $600,000 over a five-year period to support capacity building within the Cree Nation Youth Council.
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation is proud and happy to provide $600,000 over a five-year period to support the hiring of a new full-time staff person to help the Cree Nation Youth Council (CNYC) carry out its vital work for Cree Youth.
This development comes after the Foundation received a $3 million donation from the Mastercard Foundation last summer.
“The Foundation is committed to supporting growth and development initiatives for Cree Youth, and this funding really shows that commitment,” explained Dr. Sarah Pash, EECF Chairperson. “I am excited about the opportunities this will unlock for empowering the Cree Nation Youth Council.”
After meeting with Youth Grand Chief Adrian Gunner, Deputy Youth Grand Chief Jordan Masty, and Tania Larivière, Coordinator of Projects with the Cree Nation Government Department of Social and Cultural Development, CNYC expressed their need to build capacity internally. The CNYC requires this internal support to deliver programs and initiatives laid out in their strategic action plan.
“On behalf of the Cree Nation Youth Council, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation for this incredibly impactful contribution,” said Youth Grand Chief Adrian Gunner. “This support is not just a financial boost; it’s an investment in the future leaders of Eeyou Istchee.”
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Photo courtesy of Cree School Board
The Eeyou-Eenou Chiskutamaachewin (education) Scholarship Program benefits Cree students studying medicine, nursing, social work, and education.
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation and the Cree School Board have partnered on a new scholarship that will be distributed for the first time to Cree post-secondary students this 2024-2025 school year.
The Cree School Board Eeyou-Eenou Chiskutamaachewin (Education) Scholarship Program will benefit Cree post-secondary students pursuing university programs in medicine, nursing, social work, and education – fields which are in critical need in Eeyou Istchee. Thirty-three Cree students will receive the scholarship this school year.
“We are thrilled to launch the Eeyou-Eenou Chiskutamaachewin Program, which represents an important step to accelerate capacity building in Eeyou Istchee. From doctors to educators, nurses to social workers, there is a pressing need for diverse Cree professionals in our communities. This scholarship will play a key role in shaping our future leaders in Eeyou Istchee,” explained Caroline Mark, Director General of the Cree School Board.
The Eeyou-Eenou Chiskutamaachewin Scholarship Program received generous support from Power Corporation of Canada.
“On behalf of the Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation, we extend our gratitude to Power Corporation for their continued support in Eeyou Istchee. This incentive will not only motivate and inspire Cree students who are just starting post-secondary studies, but it will also reward the students who are well on their journey to take on professions that we critically need in Eeyou Istchee,” said Dr. Sarah Pash, Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation Chairperson.
Karen Joyner-Blom, photographed in Chisasibi.
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation (EECF) is delighted to welcome Karen Joyner-Blom as Director of Communications and Community Outreach.
The Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation (EECF) is delighted to welcome Karen Joyner-Blom as Director of Communications and Community Outreach.
In this role, Karen will maintain strong relations with the Cree communities and organizations, and with donors and partners who provide philanthropic support to the people and communities of Eeyou Istchee.
“We’re excited to work with Karen,” said Dr. Sarah Pash, Chair of the EECF. “With her experience and extensive background in communications, she will make a significant contribution to the work of the Foundation. Karen represents a new generation of Cree professionals and is uniquely positioned to understand the needs of our communities, while effectively leading our efforts as we build partnerships to respond to those needs.”
Karen brings expertise in the field of Indigenous-focused communications. She has worked previously as Executive Assistant and Liaison for the Chief and Council of the Cree Nation of Chisasibi (her home community), and in communications for several national organizations.
“Being able to serve and advocate for Eeyouch and Eenouch lights a fire in my soul,” Karen emphasized. “I feel very proud, honoured, and excited to be on board with the Foundation.”
Connect with Karen on LinkedIn
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We are over 20,000 strong, living in 10 Cree communities across Northern Quebec.
We have lived in harmony with the cycles of nature for millennia. Ancient laws and customs guided the Crees’ shared stewardship of a vast territory called Eeyou Istchee. When Europeans arrived, our people integrated some valuable European technologies and ways. We developed a reputation as skilled negotiators and intermediaries with other nations. The Cree system of land and resource management began to shift in the early 1600s.
When the Hudson’s Bay Company was established (1670), we expanded our traditional trapping practices to participate in this fur-trading economy. Like First Nations across the continent, the Crees gradually lost control of our lands, rights, and resources. Families were uprooted from their homes and lands. Poverty became a way of life, and many of our children were forced into the infamous residential school system, whose long shadow haunts Canada and Indigenous Peoples to this day.
In the 1970’s, when a massive hydroelectric project threatened Cree lands and way of life, the leaders of Eeyou Istchee stepped forward. They changed the project’s course, won self-government for the Crees, and established a strong voice in future developments.
Quebec’s James Bay hydroelectric project, planned without consulting the people most affected, was a defining moment in modern Cree history. The project would forever flood Cree lands and erase an ancient way of life. In response to this threat to our very existence, our leaders launched challenges in the courts of law and public opinion and successfully negotiated compensation for the affected communities.
On November 11, 1975, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) was signed–a world first for Indigenous peoples. Beyond material compensation, the agreement formalized self-government and territorial rights. This agreement launched a movement toward increasing self-determination for the Crees of Eeyou Istchee.
Subsequent agreements include the Paix des Braves Agreement (2002) and the New Relationship Agreement with the federal government (2008). The Eeyou Istchee James Bay Governance Agreement (2012) established shared governance, development and partnerships across one of the world’s largest regional governments. The Crees of Eeyou Istchee and the Government of Canada Agreement (2017) advanced Cree self-governance on lands surrounding the Cree communities.
Each has been an important milestone in helping us determine our way forward.
As a nation, we have evolved significantly since the signing of the JBNQA. Today, many Cree-owned business flourish and contribute to Quebec and Canadian prosperity. We manage our own education and health care systems very effectively, and deliver culturally appropriate essential services across our vast territory.
Through our community and economic development efforts, we are rebuilding long-standing family and community structures, but much remains to be accomplished. Within this challenging social and economic environment, the Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation aims to make a profound difference through programs that will respond to the needs of our people and our communities.
Learn more about the Sophie Happyjack -Bosum Memorial Fund here.
