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SOUL OF NATIONS INC SOUL OF NATIONS (SON) FOUNDATION
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 475636438 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE O50 · Youth Development · Micro (<$100K) · soulofnations.org
revenue
$100K
expenses
$97K
net assets
$59K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

TO UPLIFT LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS AND RESEARCH

profile · synthesized from sources

Soul of Nations Foundation is a nonprofit organization that uplifts Indigenous and Black communities through arts, research, and cultural programming. It supports artist fellowships, residencies, and exhibitions focused on vernacular art, environmental stability, and cultural reclamation. The foundation operates internationally, with programs in the U.S., Italy, Bolivia, Kenya, and other countries, fostering creative expression and policy advocacy rooted in Indigenous and Afro-diasporic traditions.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Advocacy and Research Program
Supports early-career scholars and professionals in human rights, governance, and environmentalism through research, publications, workshops, and public forums in the U.S., Italy, Germany, and Luxembourg
Artist Creation Grants
Provides fellowship grants and one-month residencies in Florence, Italy for Indigenous American, African American, and Afro-Italian artists focusing on vernacular sculpture and ceremonial performance
Green Architecture Project (GAP)
Hybrid fellowship for Indigenous and Black women and non-binary artists and designers to explore cultural intersectionality, affordable housing, urban planning, and traditional architectural representation through artistic creation
Indigenous International
Umbrella program connecting Indigenous and Black communities globally through boundary-pushing cultural and artistic experiences, administered under the Indigenous Arts Expansion Initiative
Soul Center for the Arts
Contemporary art gallery and residency program in Florence, Italy that exhibits and documents modern anthropology of Indigenous American, African American, and Afro-Italian communities
activities · 11 groups

What they do

  • Artist Support Grants 3 activities
    • Award grants to emerging artists and architects for large-scale works using vernacular and digital media
      Provides artist fellowship grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 to emerging artists and architects from the United States, Canada, Bolivia, Kenya, and Rwanda to create large-scale works using vernacular materials and digital-based media.
    • Award mentorship grants to artists, educators, and architects
      Provides mentorship grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 to artists, educators, and architects from North America, South America, and Africa to support professional development and creative leadership.
    • Fund artist residencies and professional development programs in Florence, Italy
      Supports one-month residencies in Florence, Italy, including travel, lodging, and honoraria, for Indigenous American, African American, and Afro-Italian artists and researchers, along with professional development programming and community workshops held twice per year.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 2 activities
    • Organize physical and online exhibitions of BIPOC cultural art
      Organizes physical and online exhibitions featuring vernacular sculpture and performance rooted in traditional techniques of BIPOC cultures to promote cultural expression and heritage preservation.
    • Produce multimedia exhibitions documenting Maasai heritage
      Produces multidisciplinary exhibitions featuring 3D scans, virtual reality, photography, and film to document Maasai heritage, including homestead design, diet, rituals, and climate change impacts, in collaboration with Kenyan female artists and the Twala Tenebo women’s village.
  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Administer virtual fellowship for Bolivian contemporary artists
      Administered an 8-month virtual fellowship for Bolivian contemporary artists through the Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project in La Paz, Bolivia, to support sustainable design and cultural innovation.
  • Art Museum Funding and Support 1 activity
    • Fund exhibitions and green architecture projects for Indigenous communities
      Funds the NURTURE: In the Life of an Indigenous Person exhibition and the Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project, which includes virtual fellowships and sustainable design initiatives in Bolivia.
  • LGBTQ+ Community Grantmaking 1 activity
    • Fund research fellows to develop regional advocacy campaigns
      Supports research fellows in Italy to develop regional working papers and advocacy campaigns focused on queer solidarity, migrant rights, and anti-Blackness protective measures, as part of the Advocacy and Research Program.
  • Research and Scholarly Fellowship Support 1 activity
    • Operate hybrid fellowship for early-career scholars and professionals
      Operates a hybrid fellowship program for early-career scholars and professionals to engage in public research, civic dialogue, and policy analysis, supporting the production of publications, university and community workshops, and public forums.
  • Asian and Asian American Art Support 1 activity
    • Operate public humanities programs, residencies, and research fellowships
      Runs public humanities programs, artist and research residencies, and fellowships that bring together emerging scholars and leaders to explore identity, freedom, and social transformation in multiple countries.
  • Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 1 activity
    • Organize collaborative events with governments and institutions
      Organizes events in collaboration with national and international governments, municipalities, universities, and art and research institutions to advance cultural and research initiatives.
  • Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
    • Run hybrid fellowship for Indigenous and Black women and non-binary artists
      Runs a one-year hybrid fellowship program for Indigenous and Black women and non-binary artists and designers to explore cultural intersectionality in affordable housing, urban planning, environmental policy, and architectural representation.
  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 1 activity
    • Support emerging leaders, artists, and scholars through international programs
      Provides direct support to emerging leaders, artists, and scholars through programs in the northeastern and southwestern United States and in Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Bolivia, and Canada.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Produce film challenging stereotypes about Indigenous identity
      Produces a film that challenges Hollywood stereotypes about Native identity, modernity, and Wild West tropes, while engaging audiences in critical thinking about Indigenous cultural lifeways in the Southwest.
    • Promote Indigenous plant knowledge and sustainable practices
      Features a collection of twelve indigenous plants used by Native American communities for ceremonial, trade, and architectural purposes, supports repatriation of orally transmitted knowledge, and uses digital renderings to reconnect viewers with sustainable, nature-based living practices.
    • Uplift low-income communities through arts and research
      Uplifts low-income communities through integrated arts and research initiatives that center cultural identity, freedom, and environmentalism.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$100K
Contributions & grants$100K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$97K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$65K
balance sheet
Total assets$59K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$59K
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue -44.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • JOY TURNER — TRUSTEE
  • TABITHA GOGGINS — TRUSTEE
relationships · 29

Who they work with

  • Academic institutions Partner — Collaborates with academic institutions on research and cultural programming.
  • American Embassy Nairobi Funder — Provided support for the Enkang’ Ang: Our Home exhibition under the Green Architecture Project.
  • Grassroots organizations Partner — Partners with grassroots organizations to amplify underrepresented voices and drive social change.
  • Howard University Partner — Ernest Hill earned a degree in Finance and Law from Howard University.
  • Howard University Partner — Originated as a collegiate student organization at Howard University in 2016.
  • Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation Funder — Provided support for Soul Center for the Arts.
  • MOCA Lagos Partner — Collaborated in supporting the NURTURE exhibition and Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project.
  • Madeline Sanders Partner — Collaborating artist (Mvskoke & Mojave) who contributed to the collection and repatriation of Indigenous plant knowledge.
  • Municipality of Florence Government — Provided support for Soul Center for the Arts.
  • Nairobi Design Week Partner — Supported the production and facilitation of the Enkang’ Ang: Our Home exhibition.
  • Navajo Nation Partner — Conducted philanthropic work near the Navajo Nation in Gallup, New Mexico.
  • New York University Partner — Ernest Hill currently attends New York University.
  • Shasta Hampton Partner — Collaborating artist (White Mountain Apache) who co-pioneered the collection and repatriation of orally transmitted Indigenous plant knowledge.
  • Soul of Nations Artist Advisory Board Partner — Reviews applications for artist fellowship and mentorship grants.
  • Terra Foundation for American Art Funder — Provided support for Soul Center for the Arts.
  • Tribal governments Partner — Collaborates with Tribal governments to advance cultural programming and social change.
  • Twala Tenebo women’s village Partner — Collaborating community that hosted Kenyan female artists to co-document Maasai heritage for the Enkang’ Ang’: Our Home exhibition.
  • U.S. Consular General Lagos Government — Provided support for the NURTURE exhibition and Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project.
  • U.S. Consulate General Florence Government — Provided support for Soul Center for the Arts.
  • U.S. Department of State Government — Provided support for UTA – KUYA: Back Home and the Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project.
  • U.S. Department of State Government — Provided support for the NURTURE exhibition and Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project.
  • U.S. Department of State’s Human Rights Engagement Fund Government — Consulted with the Soul of Nations Foundation to create an international framework for the Advocacy and Research Program.
  • United Nations Development Program Government — Provided support for UTA – KUYA: Back Home and the Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project.
  • cultural institutions Partner — Works with cultural institutions to promote creative expression and public humanities.
  • government agencies Partner — Collaborates with government agencies to drive change and amplify voices.
  • non-Tribal governments Partner — Collaborates with non-Tribal governments to advance cultural programming and social change.
  • philanthropic organizations Partner — Partners with philanthropic organizations to support programs and amplify impact.
  • tribal nations Partner — Partners with tribal nations to support cultural resilience and social transformation.
  • universities Partner — Collaborates with universities to advance research and education on identity and social transformation.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Art-Based Restorative Healing
    methodology: art-based_restorative_healing
    By situating art exhibitions and residencies in historically charged locations, SOUL OF NATIONS facilitates public restorative healing for Afro-diasporic and Indigenous communities, because cultural expression in symbolic spaces enables reclamation of narrative authority and collective repair.
  • Arts and Research as Community Uplift
    methodology: arts-and-research_community_development
    By integrating arts and research into community development, SOUL OF NATIONS advances cultural resilience and social transformation in low-income and marginalized communities, because creative and knowledge-based practices foster democratic participation, healing, and collective imagination.
  • Cultural Mediation for Cross-Sector Collaboration
    methodology: cultural_mediation
    By acting as cultural mediators between Indigenous communities and international or legal institutions, SOUL OF NATIONS fosters mutual understanding and effective collaboration, because bridging cultural epistemologies reduces conflict and increases legitimacy in joint initiatives.
  • Culturally Rooted Advocacy and Democratic Organizing
    methodology: intersectional_human_rights_advocacy
    By grounding human rights advocacy and representation efforts in intersectional frameworks and democratic organizing principles, SOUL OF NATIONS promotes equitable power sharing and systemic change, because inclusive processes that center Black, Indigenous, queer, and migrant voices produce more legitimate and sustainable outcomes.
  • Digital and Visual Storytelling for Cultural Continuity
    methodology: digital_cultural_continuity
    By using immersive digital media and visual storytelling to document and recenter Indigenous and Afro-diasporic knowledge, SOUL OF NATIONS counters historical misrepresentation and advances cultural continuity, because technology-mediated art forms enable intergenerational transmission and public reclamation of suppressed histories.